Max your 401(k) or IRA first? Get the full match, then fill a Roth IRA, then go back to the 401(k). See when to flip the order, with the real 2026 limits.
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Matt Schuberg, CFP®Monarch Money alternatives compared for 2026: Planned, YNAB, Copilot, Simplifi, Rocket Money and Empower, with real pricing and who each one actually fits.
Matt Schuberg, CFP®Itemize only if mortgage interest, state and local taxes and giving beat the standard deduction: $16,100 single or $32,200 married. See the 2026 numbers.
Matt Schuberg, CFP®W-2 vs 1099: a contract needs to pay about 25% more a year, and nearly 40% more an hour, to match a salary. See the break-even math on a $90,000 W-2 job.
