eGold Keeper / The reading room
Explanations of personal finance, business structures, and cross-border financial questions.
A detailed guide to the 0.90% I Bond fixed rate for May-October 2026 purchases, why fixed rates matter, and how to compare I Bonds with TIPS and Treasury bills.
A detailed guide to the May 2026 I Bond rate, including the 4.26% composite rate, fixed rate, inflation component, purchase timing, taxes, and redemption rules.
A detailed 2026 guide to medical debt and credit reports, including the vacated CFPB rule, credit bureau changes, paid collections, debts under $500, disputes, and state laws.
Learn how the mega backdoor Roth works in 2026, which 401(k) plan features are required, and how it differs from a regular backdoor Roth IRA.
A detailed comparison of money market funds and high-yield savings accounts, including yield, FDIC insurance, SIPC, liquidity, taxes, risk, and best use cases.
A detailed guide to mortgage points in 2026, including discount points, lender credits, break-even math, refinance risk, tax rules, and examples.
A detailed comparison of municipal bond funds and Treasury funds for 2026, including taxes, yield, credit risk, duration, AMT, state taxes, and best use cases.
A detailed guide for non-U.S. citizens investing in U.S. ETFs, including tax residency, dividend withholding, capital gains, W-8BEN, estate tax, and treaty issues.
A practical guide to 2026 Parent PLUS loan changes, including new annual and aggregate limits, repayment restrictions, RAP eligibility cautions, and family planning steps.
A detailed guide to deciding whether to pay off student loans early or invest in 2026, including interest rates, employer match, taxes, risk, emergency funds, and repayment plans.
A detailed guide to qualified dividends versus ordinary dividends, including tax rates, holding-period rules, ETFs, REITs, foreign stocks, and Form 1099-DIV.
Compare the new 2026 Repayment Assistance Plan with Income-Based Repayment using formulas, examples, dependent adjustments, interest rules, and forgiveness timelines.
A detailed guide for borrowers leaving the SAVE student loan plan in 2026, including deadlines, repayment plan options, RAP, IBR, and what to check before switching.
A detailed comparison of SEP IRA and Solo 401(k) rules for 2026, including contribution limits, Roth options, catch-up contributions, and backdoor Roth issues.
A detailed comparison of SGOV, BIL, and TFLO, including holdings, duration, floating-rate risk, yields, expenses, taxes, and when each Treasury ETF makes sense.
A detailed guide to deciding whether a 0.50% mortgage rate drop is enough to refinance, including break-even math, closing costs, loan term resets, points, and cash-flow tradeoffs.
A detailed guide to 2026 SIMPLE IRA limits, including employee deferrals, catch-up contributions, age 60-63 super catch-ups, and employer match rules.
A practical 2026 guide to Solo 401(k) contributions when you have both self-employment income and a W-2 job, including examples and formulas.
A detailed guide to building a Treasury bill ladder in TreasuryDirect in 2026, including maturities, reinvestment, cash flow planning, taxes, and mistakes to avoid.
A detailed comparison of target-date funds and three-fund portfolios, including simplicity, control, fees, taxes, rebalancing, glide paths, and best use cases.
A detailed 2026 guide to tax-loss harvesting, including wash sale rules, the 30-day window, substantially identical securities, ETFs, IRAs, capital loss limits, and carryovers.
A detailed guide to the new Tiered Standard federal student loan repayment plan beginning July 1, 2026, including terms by balance, minimum payments, PSLF cautions, and when it may beat RAP.
A detailed comparison of TIPS, Series I Savings Bonds, and Series EE Savings Bonds in 2026, including inflation protection, taxes, limits, liquidity, and best uses.
A detailed 2026 comparison of Treasury bills, bank CDs, and high-yield savings accounts, including yield, safety, liquidity, taxes, FDIC coverage, and best use cases.