Personal finance, explained with real numbers.
In June 2026 the Atlanta Fed's Wage Growth Tracker put 12-month wage growth for people who had changed jobs at 4.1%, and for people who had stayed in the same job at 3.4%. A gap of 0.7 percentage …
Continue Reading about How to Negotiate a Raise: The Numbers to Bring →
The average deductible in an ACA Marketplace plan rose about $1,027 per person for 2026, to $3,786 — a 37% jump from $2,759. KFF, which published the figure on 2026-05-19, calls it the steepest …
Continue Reading about Deductible vs Premium: Finding Your Own Break-Even →
The 2026 IRA contribution limit is $7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older. Those numbers are settled. The traditional-versus-Roth choice is not, and it never will be, because it turns on a figure …
Continue Reading about Roth vs Traditional IRA: 2026 Limits and the Real Trade-off →
Either owner of a joint checking account can generally take all the money out and close it. Neither can generally remove the other owner without that person's consent. Both come from the Consumer …
Continue Reading about Couples and Money: Joint vs Separate Accounts, Legally →
Nineteen percent of adults in families earning less than $25,000 said they always or often had money left over at the end of the month. Among adults in families earning $100,000 or more, 59 percent …
Continue Reading about Saving on a Low Income: Where Percentage Rules Break →
For tax year 2026 the elective deferral limit for a 401(k) is $24,500 and the contribution limit for an IRA is $7,500. Those are two numbers in two different sections of the tax code — IRC 402(g)(1) …
Continue Reading about 401(k) vs IRA: 2026 Limits, and the Order to Fill Them →
