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Plain-English guides connected to live rates, calculators, and your Money Map. Every article ends with a decision, not just information.
New series · 19 chaptersThe Liquidity GuidebookWhere to keep your cash so it is safe and earns more: how much to hold, CD ladders, insurance limits and Treasuries, with calculators.Start with the guidebookNew series · 8 chaptersThe Switching GuidebookShould you move your savings? How much you would gain, how long top rates last, whether banks follow the Fed, and how to switch safely.Start with the guidebookNew series · 8 chaptersThe Coverage GuidebookHow much of your money is actually insured: joint and trust rules, which bank sits behind your app, and what a bank failure pays out.Start with the guidebookNew series · 8 chaptersThe Bonuses GuidebookIs a bank signup bonus worth it? What you really earn, how it compares with savings, the tax bill and how not to lose it.Start with the guidebookStart here
The Best 5-Year CD Just Jumped to 4.95%. Most Banks Still Pay Less to Lock Up Longer.
On Sept. 29, the best 5-year CD rate SwitchWize tracks rose from 4.50% to 4.95%, half a point above the best 1-year CD. Across the market, most banks still pay less for five years than for one, and the early-withdrawal penalty on the top offer is two years of interest.
Figure vs Aven HELOC: Which Fintech Wins in 2026?
Figure vs Aven HELOCs compared: fixed-draw vs card-style access, funding speed, and fees. See which fintech home equity line fits how you want to spend.
Apple Card vs Robinhood Gold Card: Which Fintech Card Wins?
Apple Card vs Robinhood Gold Card compared on cashback rate, membership fee, and where rewards actually go. See which fintech card fits your spending.
Before You Put a Medical Bill on a Card: A 2026 Decision Guide
Before paying a medical bill with a card, verify the charge, review insurance and assistance, compare payment plans, and protect your options.
Not sure where to start? Run your numbers.
Money Map scans savings, debt, mortgage, and cards, then ranks your highest-impact move first.
Savings
Showing 2 of 147 guides
The Best 5-Year CD Just Jumped to 4.95%. Most Banks Still Pay Less to Lock Up Longer.
On Sept. 29, the best 5-year CD rate SwitchWize tracks rose from 4.50% to 4.95%, half a point above the best 1-year CD. Across the market, most banks still pay less for five years than for one, and the early-withdrawal penalty on the top offer is two years of interest.
Six Banks Have Failed in 2026. Depositors Kept Their Money, but a CD Rate Can Be Cut.
Nano Banc's closure on Sept. 25 was the sixth U.S. bank failure of 2026, the most since 2017. Insured deposits moved to a new bank intact, but the new bank does not have to honor the old CD rate, and that rule cuts both ways.
Mortgage
Showing 2 of 78 guides
Figure vs Aven HELOC: Which Fintech Wins in 2026?
Figure vs Aven HELOCs compared: fixed-draw vs card-style access, funding speed, and fees. See which fintech home equity line fits how you want to spend.
Home Equity Loan vs Personal Loan for Debt Consolidation in 2026
Home equity loan vs personal loan for debt consolidation compared on rate, risk, and how much you can borrow. See which fits your payoff amount.
Credit Cards
Showing 2 of 142 guides
Apple Card vs Robinhood Gold Card: Which Fintech Card Wins?
Apple Card vs Robinhood Gold Card compared on cashback rate, membership fee, and where rewards actually go. See which fintech card fits your spending.
Citi Custom Cash vs Amex Blue Cash Preferred 2026
Citi Custom Cash vs Amex Blue Cash Preferred compared: adaptive top-category cashback vs fixed grocery and streaming bonus rates. See which earns more.
Investing
Showing 2 of 81 guides
Retirement Savings 2026: Build a Plan That Actually Lasts
A complete guide to retirement savings 2026 covering how much to save, which accounts to use, catch-up strategies for late starters, and tax-smart withdrawals.
Tax-Exempt Municipal Money Funds: Do They Beat a Taxable Fund?
Find out whether a tax-exempt money fund beats a taxable one after your own federal and state taxes, and what you take on to get the exemption.
Retirement
Showing 2 of 42 guides
When the 4% Rule Works, and When It Fails
We ran 10,000 simulated retirements on $1 million. The 4% rule lasted about 85 times in 100. See what breaks it, how long it must last, and test your own plan.
The 2027 Social Security Raise Will Be 3.4% or 3.5%. After Medicare, It's About $65 a Month.
Two of the three inflation readings behind the 2027 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment are already published. They leave two possible outcomes, and a projected Medicare premium increase takes about $7 of the raise back.
Banking
Showing 2 of 110 guides
Earned Wage Access vs. Cash Advance Apps: The Cash-Flow Bridge Test
Compare earned wage access, cash advance apps, and early direct deposit by timing, fees, repayment, and whether the gap repeats every pay period.
Best Second-Chance Checking Accounts 2026
Compare the best second-chance checking accounts for 2026 — accounts that don't screen against ChexSystems, so a past account closure or unpaid overdraft doesn't keep you locked out.
Loans
Showing 2 of 57 guides
Before You Put a Medical Bill on a Card: A 2026 Decision Guide
Before paying a medical bill with a card, verify the charge, review insurance and assistance, compare payment plans, and protect your options.
Federal Student Loan Autopay Discount Jumps to 1%: Enroll by December 31, 2026
The Department of Education raised the federal student loan autopay interest discount from 0.25% to 1% through June 2028, and extended the enrollment deadline to December 31, 2026. Here's who qualifies, how to enroll, and what it's worth in dollars.
Insurance
Showing 2 of 34 guides
Best Term Life Insurance 2026: Carriers, Costs & Coverage
Compare the best term life insurance 2026 options. See real costs, coverage tiers, top carriers, and a step-by-step framework to pick the right policy for your family.
Home Insurance Discounts: The Complete 2026 List
Every major homeowners insurance discount ranked by actual savings, from a 40% new-construction discount down to a 1% deadbolt credit, based on rate data across 34,588 ZIP codes and 82 insurers. Includes the realistic stacking cap and which discounts are worth asking for first.
Taxes & Income
Showing 2 of 35 guides
Why Treasury Interest Can Beat a Higher CD Rate After State Tax
Find the CD rate that matches a Treasury yield exempt from state tax, using your own state rate, and see the rules for Treasury money funds.
2027 401(k) and IRA Deadlines: The Full Calendar
Every 401(k), IRA, HSA, and tax deadline that matters for 2027 in one place, with confirmed limits linked separately from projections still awaiting IRS confirmation.
Small Business Banking
Showing 2 of 15 guides
The Money Landed in Your Business Account. Then Everyone Got Busy.
A funding round, an SBA loan, or a big customer payment is exactly the moment a business is least likely to move idle cash into a real-yield account, and the gap between 0% and today's business rates is larger than most owners assume.
Where Should Your Business Park Its Operating Cash?
Most businesses leave operating cash in a checking account earning nothing. Here is the three-bucket framework for payroll cash, reserves, and strategic cash, with the sweep, T-bill, and money market options compared.
Budgeting & More
Showing 2 of 157 guides
Your Personal Cash Plan: What to Keep, Where and When to Move It
Write a one-page plan that sizes your three cash tiers, schedules a CD ladder for dated goals, and sets the rules for moving money.
How Much Cash to Keep: Three Tiers by When You Need It
Split your cash into three tiers by the date you need it, size each tier from your own expenses and goals, and decide where each tier should sit.
Editorial
Capital Letters
One financial idea, explained plainly, every week.