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What changed in consumer credit, and what it costs you in dollars. Every post shows its math and links to a calculator so you can test your own numbers.
- Mortgages Bi-Weekly Mortgage Payments: The Real Savings and the Fee Traps Paying half your mortgage every two weeks adds one extra payment a year, worth about $129,000 on a $350,000 loan at 7.25%. How to get it without a fee. Oct 22, 2026 · 7 min read
- Auto loans The Car Loan Interest Deduction (2025–2028): Who Qualifies and What It's Worth The new federal deduction lets some buyers write off up to $10,000 a year of auto loan interest. Eligibility rules, the income phase-out and a worked example. Oct 22, 2026 · 8 min read
- Credit cards The 10% Credit Card Interest Rate Cap: Where It Stands and What It Would Mean A 10% APR cap has been proposed in Congress and promoted by the White House. Its October 2026 status, both sides' arguments and the math on a real balance. Oct 22, 2026 · 8 min read
- Debt strategy Using a HELOC to Pay Off Credit Card Debt: The Math and the Risks A home equity line can cut a 24% card rate to single digits. It also puts your house on the line. A side-by-side example and the questions to ask first. Oct 22, 2026 · 8 min read
- Credit cards How Long Does It Take to Pay Off a Credit Card at the Minimum? Real payoff times and interest costs for $2,000 to $20,000 balances at today's average card rate, and the fixed payment that clears each one in three years. Oct 22, 2026 · 7 min read
- Mortgages Mortgage Recast vs. Refinance in 2026: Which One Saves More? With 30-year rates above 7%, refinancing a cheaper loan rarely pays. A recast keeps your rate and cuts the payment. Here is the math on a real example. Oct 22, 2026 · 8 min read
- Auto loans Should You Refinance Your Car Loan? A Break-Even Checklist Refinancing an auto loan can save thousands, or quietly cost more. A worked example, the break-even test and the warning signs to check before you apply. Oct 22, 2026 · 7 min read
- Student loans SAVE Is Over. How the New RAP Student Loan Plan Calculates Your Payment The Repayment Assistance Plan replaces SAVE for millions of borrowers. How the payment is set, what the interest waiver and principal match do, and deadlines. Oct 22, 2026 · 9 min read
- Data US Household Debt in 2026: Credit Cards, Auto Loans and Mortgages by the Numbers The latest New York Fed and Federal Reserve data on what Americans owe, what it costs, and where delinquencies are rising, with what it means for your own plan. Oct 22, 2026 · 7 min read
- Credit cards What Is a Good Credit Card APR in 2026? The average card rate is above 22%. What counts as a good APR, what each rate costs per $1,000 a month, and when APR barely matters at all. Oct 22, 2026 · 7 min read