Investing
Understanding your investments and building long-term wealth.
What Is a Target-Date Fund?
There is a good chance your 401(k) is already in one. Here is what a target-date fund actually does, how to pick the year, and why two funds with the same year can differ.
How Much Money Do You Need to Retire?
The number everyone wants and nobody agrees on. Here is how the 4% rule and the 25x shortcut are built, the income most people forget to subtract, and how to run your own number.
What Is Dollar-Cost Averaging?
Investing a fixed amount on a set schedule removes one of the hardest questions in investing: is now a good time? Here is how dollar-cost averaging works, who it helps, and the honest case against it.
401(k) vs. Roth IRA: Which Should You Fund First?
You do not have to pick one forever, but the order matters. Here is a 2026 framework for getting the match, weighing tax now versus tax later, and watching the income limits.
What Is an Index Fund? How to Buy Your First One
Index funds are one of the simplest ways to invest in a broad market without picking individual stocks. Here's what they are, why costs matter, and how beginners can get started.
Trump Accounts: How the $1,000 Child Investment Account Works
Trump Accounts launched in 2026 with a one-time $1,000 federal pilot contribution for eligible children born from 2025 through 2028. Here's what families should know before opening or funding one.
How Compound Interest Works: Why Starting Early Matters
Compound growth is the quiet force that can turn small, steady saving into meaningful money over time — but the assumptions, fees, taxes, and risks matter.
What Is a 401(k)? The 2026 Rules, Employer Match, and How to Set Yours Up
A 401(k) is a workplace retirement account that can automate saving, offer tax advantages, and sometimes include an employer match. Here's the beginner-friendly version.
What Is a Roth IRA? The 2026 Rules and How to Open One
A Roth IRA can provide tax-free qualified retirement withdrawals, but the contribution, income, and withdrawal rules matter. Here's the beginner-friendly version.
How to Start Investing With $100 in 2026
How to Start Investing With $100 in 2026 (A Total Beginner's Guide) All figures, limits, and historical return data are based on publicly available information...
The First-Job Money Setup: 5 Decisions Every 22-Year-Old Should Make With Their First Paycheck
The First-Job Money Setup: 5 Decisions Every 22-Year-Old Should Make With Their First Paycheck A 22-year-old who starts investing $5,000 a year will have...
The HSA Trick That's Quietly Worth $50,000+ Over Your Career (And Most People Use It Wrong)
The HSA Trick That's Quietly Worth $50,000+ Over Your Career (And Most People Use It Wrong) Most Americans contribute to their HSA. And most Americans spend it...