# FinExplained

> High-trust personal-finance education and calculators. Decimal-precise, tested math that runs
> client-side; stated assumptions; a shown formula and worked example behind every result; a
> named author, cited sources, and a last-reviewed date on every money guide.

Every calculator below is free, needs no signup, and shows the formula it uses so a cited number
can be traced to the math that produced it. See /for-ai for a fuller machine-readable overview.

## Home & Mortgage

- [Mortgage Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/mortgage-calculator/): Estimate your full monthly mortgage payment (PITI) including property tax, homeowners insurance, PMI, and HOA, plus total interest and a year-by-year amortization schedule.
- [Refinance Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/refinance-calculator/): See your new monthly payment, break-even point, and lifetime savings from refinancing, including discount points and the option to roll closing costs into the loan.
- [Home Affordability Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/home-affordability-calculator/): Find out how much house you can afford from your income, debts, and down payment, using the standard 28/36 debt-to-income rules and full monthly housing costs.
- [Rent vs Buy Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/rent-vs-buy-calculator/): Compare the true total cost of buying versus renting over the years you plan to stay, including transaction costs, equity, appreciation, and the opportunity cost of your down payment.
- [Extra and Biweekly Mortgage Payoff Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/extra-biweekly-mortgage-payoff-calculator/): See how much interest you save and how many years you cut off your mortgage by adding extra to each payment or switching to a biweekly schedule.
- [Mortgage Amortization Schedule Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/amortization-schedule-calculator/): See the full month-by-month amortization table for a loan: how much of every payment goes to interest versus principal, the running interest total, and the balance as it falls to zero.

## Retirement & FIRE

- [401(k) Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/401k-calculator/): Project your 401(k) balance at retirement from your contributions, the employer match, expected return, and salary growth, including the match as free money.
- [FIRE Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/fire-calculator/): Find your financial independence number and how many years until you reach it, modeled in today's dollars using the 4% rule.
- [Roth vs Traditional Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/roth-vs-traditional-calculator/): Compare a Roth and a Traditional retirement account on equal pre-tax dollars, and see which leaves you more after tax based on your current and retirement tax rates.
- [Retirement On-Track Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/retirement-on-track-calculator/): See whether your savings are on track: project your nest egg to retirement and compare it with the target needed to fund your desired income at a safe withdrawal rate.
- [Roth Conversion Ladder Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/roth-conversion-ladder-calculator/): Estimate the tax of converting a Traditional balance to Roth over several years, including the pro-rata split when the account holds after-tax basis.

## Saving & Goals

- [Inflation Calculator (CPI)](https://finexplained.com/calculators/inflation-calculator/): Convert a dollar amount between years using official BLS CPI-U data, or project its future buying power at an assumed inflation rate.
- [High-Yield Savings (APY) Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/high-yield-savings-calculator/): Project a high-yield savings balance from a quoted APY, a starting balance, and monthly deposits, and see why the compounding frequency does not change the annual yield.
- [Emergency Fund Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/emergency-fund-calculator/): Find how large your emergency fund should be from your essential monthly expenses, see how many months your current savings already cover, and the gap left to close.

## Investing

- [Compound Interest Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/compound-interest-calculator/): See how an investment grows from a starting amount plus regular contributions, with an optional yearly contribution increase, and view the result in today's dollars and after tax.
- [Rental Property ROI Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/rental-property-roi-calculator/): Find a long-term rental's cap rate, cash-on-cash return, monthly cash flow, and total return over your holding period, with financing handled correctly.
- [Airbnb ROI Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/airbnb-roi-calculator/): Estimate a short-term rental's cap rate, cash-on-cash return, cash flow, and total return from your nightly rate and occupancy, with the STR-specific expenses handled correctly.
- [Fix and Flip ROI Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/fix-and-flip-calculator/): Estimate a flip's net profit, ROI, cash to close, and your maximum allowable offer with the 70 percent rule, including the points, financing, and holding costs that quietly sink deals.
- [Options Profit and Loss Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/options-pl-calculator/): Find a single option's profit or loss at expiry, its break-even price, and the maximum profit and loss, for calls and puts, long or short.
- [Wheel Strategy Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/wheel-strategy-calculator/): Estimate one wheel cycle: cash-secured put premium, covered call premium, dividends, and the return on capital if assigned and called away, for the prices you enter.
- [Portfolio Growth Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/portfolio-growth-calculator/): Project an investment portfolio from a starting balance plus regular contributions that can rise each year, and see how much of the result is your money versus growth.
- [Investment Goal Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/investment-goal-calculator/): Find how much to invest each month or year to reach a savings goal by a target date, given an assumed return and any amount you have already saved.
- [Dollar-Cost Averaging Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/dollar-cost-averaging-calculator/): See how investing a fixed amount on a regular schedule could grow under a steady assumed return, with the balance and the amount you have put in tracked period by period.

## Loans & Debt

- [HELOC Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/heloc-calculator/): See how much you can borrow against your home equity at your lender's CLTV cap, plus a home equity line's interest-only draw payment, its much larger repayment payment, and the payment shock between the two phases.
- [Debt Snowball vs Avalanche Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/debt-snowball-avalanche-calculator/): Compare the debt snowball and debt avalanche side by side: see the payoff order, the total interest each costs, and how much the avalanche saves on up to four debts.
- [Credit Card Payoff Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/credit-card-payoff-calculator/): See how fast a fixed monthly payment clears your credit card and what you save versus paying only the minimum, where interest can outlast the balance by decades.

## Auto & Major Purchases

- [Auto Loan Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/auto-loan-calculator/): Estimate a car loan's monthly payment, total interest, and total cost from the price, your down payment and trade-in, the sales tax, the rate, and the term.
- [Car Affordability Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/car-affordability-calculator/): Estimate how much car you can afford from your income, down payment, rate, term, and a payment-to-income guideline, then see the all-in monthly cost and total cost of ownership.
- [Car Buy vs Lease Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/car-buy-vs-lease-calculator/): Compare buying and leasing the same car over the lease term, with the buy side credited for its resale equity and the lease side ending with nothing, to see which costs less.

## Income & Taxes

- [Capital Gains Tax Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/capital-gains-tax-calculator/): Estimate the 2026 federal tax on an investment gain: long-term 0/15/20 percent rates, short-term ordinary rates, and the 3.8 percent net investment income tax.
- [Federal Income Tax Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/federal-income-tax-calculator/): Estimate your 2026 federal income tax and FICA: taxable income after the standard deduction, the tax from the brackets, Social Security, Medicare, and your effective and marginal rates.
- [California Paycheck Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/ca-paycheck-calculator/): Estimate your California take-home pay for 2026 after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and California state income tax.
- [Texas Paycheck Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/tx-paycheck-calculator/): Estimate your Texas take-home pay for 2026 after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and no state income tax in Texas.
- [New York Paycheck Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/ny-paycheck-calculator/): Estimate your New York take-home pay for 2026 after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and New York state income tax.
- [Florida Paycheck Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/fl-paycheck-calculator/): Estimate your Florida take-home pay for 2026 after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and no state income tax in Florida.
- [Illinois Paycheck Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/il-paycheck-calculator/): Estimate your Illinois take-home pay for 2026 after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Illinois state income tax.
- [Pennsylvania Paycheck Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/pa-paycheck-calculator/): Estimate your Pennsylvania take-home pay for 2026 after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Pennsylvania state income tax.
- [Ohio Paycheck Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/oh-paycheck-calculator/): Estimate your Ohio take-home pay for 2026 after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Ohio state income tax.
- [Georgia Paycheck Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/ga-paycheck-calculator/): Estimate your Georgia take-home pay for 2026 after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and Georgia state income tax.
- [North Carolina Paycheck Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/nc-paycheck-calculator/): Estimate your North Carolina take-home pay for 2026 after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and North Carolina state income tax.
- [Washington Paycheck Calculator](https://finexplained.com/calculators/wa-paycheck-calculator/): Estimate your Washington take-home pay for 2026 after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and no state income tax in Washington.

## Playbooks

- [Are You On Track for Retirement? How to Actually Run the Numbers](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/are-you-on-track-for-retirement/): How to tell if your retirement savings are on track: project your nest egg, set a target from your income and a safe withdrawal rate, and size any shortfall.
- [Should You Buy or Lease a Car?](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/buy-vs-lease-a-car/): How to compare buying and leasing a car fairly, what a money factor really means, and the hidden cost of leasing that the monthly payment never shows.
- [Capital Gains Tax Explained: Long-Term vs Short-Term Rates for 2026](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/capital-gains-tax-explained/): How federal capital gains tax works in 2026: long-term 0/15/20 percent rates, why holding over a year matters, and the 3.8 percent net investment income tax.
- [The Credit Card Minimum Payment Trap (and How to Escape It)](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/credit-card-minimum-payment-trap/): Paying only the minimum on a $5,000 card at 18% takes 29 years and costs more in interest than the balance. Here is why, and how a fixed payment escapes it.
- [Debt Snowball vs Debt Avalanche: Which Pays Off Debt Faster and Cheaper?](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/debt-snowball-vs-avalanche/): The debt avalanche always costs less interest, but the snowball keeps more people going. Here is how each works, what they cost, and how to pick.
- [Extra Mortgage Payments vs Biweekly: Which Pays Off Your Loan Faster?](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/extra-payments-vs-biweekly-mortgage/): Extra principal and biweekly payments both pay off a mortgage early. Here is the real difference, what each saves on a $300,000 loan, and the fees to skip.
- [How Much Should You Have in an Emergency Fund?](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/how-much-emergency-fund/): How to size an emergency fund in months of essential expenses, where to keep it, and how to build one even while paying down debt, with a worked example.
- [How Much Should I Invest Each Month to Reach My Goal?](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/how-much-to-invest-to-reach-a-goal/): Work backward from a savings goal to the exact monthly investment you need, accounting for what you have already saved and the return you assume.
- [Inflation, Explained: What a Dollar Really Buys Over Time](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/inflation-explained-purchasing-power/): How inflation quietly erodes the value of money, how the CPI measures it, and what decades of price increases do to a dollar, with real BLS numbers.
- [Roth vs Traditional: The One Question That Actually Decides It](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/roth-vs-traditional-explained/): The Roth vs Traditional choice comes down to your tax rate now versus in retirement. Here is the math, why equal rates tie, and the factors that break the tie.
- [Where Your Paycheck Actually Goes: Take-Home Pay Explained for 2026](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/understanding-your-paycheck-take-home-pay/): Why your take-home pay is so much less than your salary, what each deduction is, and how federal tax, FICA, and state tax split up a 2026 paycheck.
- [The Wheel Strategy: How the Options Income Cycle Actually Works](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/wheel-strategy-explained/): The wheel sells cash-secured puts then covered calls for premium income. Here is the full cycle, the real return math, and the downside risk it hides.
- [How Compound Interest Works (and Why Most People Underestimate It)](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/how-compound-interest-works/): How compound interest works, with a worked dollar example, the simple-versus-compound gap, the Rule of 72, and why starting early beats starting big.
- [Why Your Early Mortgage Payments Are Almost All Interest (and When That Flips)](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/how-mortgage-amortization-works/): How mortgage amortization works: why early payments are mostly interest, the point the split flips to principal, and what it means for extra payments.
- [Is Airbnb Still Worth It in 2026? What Separates Winning Hosts](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/the-airbnb-roi-playbook/): How Airbnb ROI really works in 2026: why RevPAR and operator quality beat the market, the full expense stack after the 15.5% fee, and a worked example.
- [Is the 4% Rule Still Safe? Bengen Now Says 4.7%, Morningstar Says 3.9%](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/the-fire-number-playbook/): Your FIRE number is roughly annual spending times 25, but the safe withdrawal rate is contested. Here is how to find yours and pick a rate that lasts.
- [Is the 1% Rule Dead? How Rentals Actually Make Money in 2026](https://finexplained.com/playbooks/the-rental-property-roi-playbook/): Why the 1% rule is dead in 2026, the four ways a rental actually pays you, and how cap rate, cash-on-cash, and total return differ, with a worked example.

## More

- [Methodology](https://finexplained.com/methodology/): how the math is derived, tested, and shown
- [Glossary](https://finexplained.com/glossary/): plain-language definitions of the finance terms used across the site
- [For AI](https://finexplained.com/for-ai/): structured overview for AI assistants and answer engines
- [About](https://finexplained.com/about/): who we are and our editorial standards