Guides
Plain-language guides to saving, borrowing against your home, getting a mortgage and investing. Each one is written by our editors and lists its sources.
Savings
Compare savings accounts- SavingsHow to Build an Emergency Fund, and Where to Keep It
How much to save for emergencies, how to get there on a normal budget, and why a high-yield savings account is usually the right place for the money.
- SavingsHow FDIC Insurance Works: Limits, Joint Accounts and Fintech Apps
What FDIC insurance covers, how the $250,000 limit applies to joint and trust accounts, and the gaps to watch for with fintech savings apps.
- SavingsHigh-Yield Savings vs. CD vs. Money Market Account: Where Your Cash Should Go
How high-yield savings accounts, CDs and money market accounts differ on rate, access and risk, and how to split cash between them.
HELOC
Compare HELOC offers- HELOCHow Much Can You Borrow With a HELOC? A Step-by-Step Calculation
Work out your possible HELOC limit from your home value, mortgage balance and the lender's CLTV cap, then check what the payments would be.
- HELOCHELOC vs. Home Equity Loan: How to Choose
How HELOCs and home equity loans differ on rates, payments and flexibility, with worked examples for a renovation and a debt payoff.
Mortgage
Compare mortgage rates- MortgageHow to Compare Loan Estimates From Different Lenders
A page-by-page guide to the standard Loan Estimate form, and the five numbers to line up when comparing mortgage offers.
- MortgageMortgage Points Explained: When Buying Down Your Rate Pays Off
What discount points cost, how to find your break-even month, and when paying points makes sense on a 30-year mortgage.
Investing
Compare brokers and robo-advisors- InvestingExpense Ratios and Advisory Fees: What 1% Really Costs You
How fund expense ratios and advisory fees compound over time, with worked examples, and how to find the fees you're paying now.
- InvestingRoth IRA vs. Traditional IRA: Which One Fits You?
How Roth and traditional IRAs are taxed, who can contribute, the withdrawal rules, and how to decide which one to use.