Retirement: every guide we've published
Start with the basics, then go deep. Everything here is researched, sourced, and written to help you decide, not to sell you something.
Account Types
401(k) Basics: The Best Deal Most Paychecks Ever See
A 401(k) lets you invest up to $24,500 of your 2026 pay before taxes, often with free matching money from your employer. Here is how the account works and the two mistakes that quietly drain it.
Account TypeTraditional IRA: The Retirement Account Nobody Has to Give You
A traditional IRA lets anyone with earned income shelter up to $7,500 in 2026, no employer required. Here is how the account works, who gets the deduction, and where it fits next to a 401(k).
Account TypeRoth IRA: Pay the Tax Now, Never Again
A Roth IRA takes after-tax money today and hands back tax-free withdrawals in retirement, with no forced distributions and your contributions reachable anytime. Here is how it works and who qualifies in 2026.
Account TypeSEP IRA: The Self-Employed Retirement Plan You Can Open in an Afternoon
A SEP IRA lets self-employed people and small business owners shelter up to 25% of compensation, capped at $72,000 for 2026, with almost no paperwork. Here is how it works and when a solo 401(k) beats it.
Account TypeSolo 401(k): Wear Both Hats, Take Both Contributions
A solo 401(k) lets a self-employed person contribute as employee and employer at once, up to $72,000 combined for 2026 plus catch-ups. Here is how it works and why it often beats a SEP IRA.
Guides
401(k) vs. IRA: Where Your Next Dollar Should Go
The 401(k) has the match and the big limit. The IRA has the freedom and often the lower fees. Here is the order of operations that uses both correctly.
GuideEarly Retirement: The Math Works, the Plumbing Is the Hard Part
Retiring before 59 and a half means funding a gap your retirement accounts were built to resist. Here is the real arithmetic, the penalty exceptions that matter, and the bridge strategies that work.
GuideHow Much Do You Need to Retire? Do the Math, Not the Vibes
The retirement number is your annual spending, multiplied. Here is the arithmetic, what Social Security actually covers, and how to find your own number in an evening.
GuideSocial Security Basics: What It Pays and When to Take It
Social Security replaces about 40% of an average earner's income, and your claiming age moves the check by hundreds of dollars a month, permanently. Here is how the program works and how to decide.