Simplifying finance for everyone!
Every September, a new iPhone arrives, and people start questioning phones that worked perfectly well the day before. Here is a better rule: stop replacing things that still work. Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro models went on sale in September 2026. Of course, they offer real improvements. But a launch does not make the phone in … Read more
Your open enrollment benefits can affect your family’s budget all year. Yet picking a health plan often feels like a guessing game. One plan has a low monthly price. Another has a lower deductible. Then there are all the other choices from work. You don’t have to learn every insurance term to make a good … Read more
Your savings rate for investing can help you build wealth faster than chasing a slightly higher return. The reason is simple. You control how much you put in, but you cannot control what the stock market earns. Start by looking for one small amount you can add each month, as long as your bills and … Read more
The American Dream was never really the dream of Americans. It was developed inside the marketing departments of corporations and sold to the American public wrapped in a flag and false emotions. Buy the house. Then buy the bigger house. Finance the new car. Replace the perfectly good phone. Fill the house with stuff. Keep … Read more
Starting a Roth IRA late is still better than never starting at all. If you are 40, 45, 50, or older and have not started investing for retirement, stop comparing yourself with someone who started at 21. Starting earlier is better. More years means more time for your money to grow. That is simple math. … Read more
If you are looking for bills to cut now, start with the recurring expenses that can free up serious money every month—not the $5 purchases that barely move your budget. The warning lights are piling up. Ongoing disruptions involving Iran and the broader Middle East have contributed to another oil shock, and Americans are already … Read more
Target-date funds for retirement should probably be the default investment for far more people. Most Americans do not want investing to become a hobby. They want to know what to buy, how much to contribute, and whether they can automate the whole thing. For many people, a low-cost target-date fund answers all three questions. Want … Read more
Set it and forget it investing should actually be simple enough to forget. Our normal Simple Finance Bytes portfolio uses just two investments—90% VTI and 10% VBIL—but even that requires some basic portfolio management. If you want the absolute simplest setup we would recommend, there is another option: one low-cost target-date fund for your long-term … Read more
The Simple Finance Budget sends 20% of your take-home pay to Savings & Investing. This savings priority order tells you what that 20% should fund first, so you are not trying to tackle six different financial goals at once. The answer is not to divide it evenly between six different goals. Use a simple savings … Read more
Budgeting does not need dozens of categories, a complicated spreadsheet, or an app that makes you account for every cup of coffee. The Simple Finance Budget uses one clear rule: 50% of your take-home pay goes to Needs, 30% goes to Wants, and 20% goes to Savings & Investing. That is the starting point, and … Read more