Money Decisions3 min read
Financial Stability Planning Guide
A financial stability planning guide for debt-heavy households: sequence emergency funds, debt payoff, insurance, and retirement—year by year from crisis mode to durable security.
Money Decisions
Emergency funds vs debt, budgeting, and financial priority planning.
Money Decisions3 min read
Hybrid Strategy: Save and Pay Debt
A hybrid save-and-pay-debt strategy splits monthly surplus between emergency fund growth and extra principal payments—adjusting ratios as balances and buffers change.
Money Decisions3 min read
Risk of Not Having Emergency Savings
The risk of not having emergency savings includes new high-APR debt, missed payments, job-loss cascades, and long-term wealth damage. See how thin buffers undo payoff progress.
Money Decisions3 min read
Behavioral Finance of Debt Decisions
Behavioral finance explains why smart people make slow debt progress: present bias, mental accounting, loss aversion, and status spending. Learn the traps and design better defaults.
Money Decisions3 min read
How to Build Emergency Savings Fast
Build emergency savings fast with windfall rules, spending audits, automated transfers, and side income—without pausing all debt payoff or relying on unrealistic deprivation.
Money Decisions3 min read
Budgeting for Debt Freedom
Budgeting for debt freedom: allocate every dollar with zero-based or envelope methods, carve guaranteed extra payments, and build savings without losing debt momentum.
Money Decisions3 min read
Financial Priorities When You're in Debt
Set financial priorities when you're in debt: cover minimums, secure a starter fund, attack high-APR balances, and protect housing—without losing sight of long-term stability.
Money Decisions3 min read
Should You Save or Pay Off Debt First?
Should you save or pay off debt first? Use a clear priority stack—starter fund, high-APR payoff, full emergency fund—to decide where your next dollar goes in 2026.
Money Decisions3 min read
How Much Emergency Fund Do You Need?
How much emergency fund do you need? Learn starter, full, and extended targets based on expenses, income stability, debt load, and family size—and when to adjust each tier.
Money Decisions3 min read
Emergency Fund vs Debt Payoff
Emergency fund vs debt payoff: compare the math and risk of saving first versus attacking high-APR debt. Find the right balance for your income, job stability, and debt mix.