Learning Center
The TrueNumbers Learning Center
The math behind the numbers you'll live with.
Home & Real Estate
The Real Cost of Buying a Home (Beyond the Mortgage)
Your mortgage payment is the smallest part of the conversation. Here's everything else homeownership actually costs, and why the gap between payment and true cost is bigger than most people expect.
Home & Real Estate
How Much House Can You Actually Afford?
Lenders will approve you for more than you should borrow. Here's how debt-to-income ratio actually works, and how to find your real number instead of the bank's maximum.
Home & Real Estate
Should You Refinance? A Plain-English Guide
Refinancing isn't free, and restarting your loan term can quietly cost you more than the lower rate saves. Here's how to tell if it's actually worth it.
Life Decisions
Buy, Lease, or Finance a Car: The True Cost Compared
Depreciation is the real cost of owning a car, and it's invisible on a monthly statement. Here's how leasing, financing, and paying cash actually compare once you account for it.
Money & Investing
How a 1% Investment Fee Costs You Six Figures
A 1% fee sounds tiny. Compounded over decades against your entire balance, it isn't. Here's the math fund companies would rather you not run yourself.
Money & Investing
Avalanche vs Snowball: The Best Way to Pay Off Debt
One method minimizes interest. The other maximizes motivation. Here's the honest tradeoff between the two most popular debt payoff strategies.
Money & Investing
What Is Your FIRE Number? Early Retirement Math Explained
The 4% rule, Coast FIRE, and why your retirement number depends far more on your spending than your income. Here's the math behind early retirement, in plain terms.
Money & Investing
Roth vs Traditional IRA: Which Is Right for You?
The Roth-vs-traditional decision really comes down to one question: do you expect to be in a higher or lower tax bracket when you retire? Here's how to think it through.
Money & Investing
How to Calculate Your True Net Worth (And Why Most People Get It Wrong)
Net worth is assets minus liabilities. But most people forget half their assets and ignore half their debts. Here's how to get an honest number.
Life Decisions
Your Salary Divided by 2,080 Is Not Your Hourly Wage. Here's the Real Number.
Your true hourly wage accounts for commute time, work costs, and decompression time. For many people it's meaningfully lower than the simple math suggests.
Money & Investing
Compound Interest: The Most Important Financial Concept Nobody Taught You
Compound interest turns time into money. Starting ten years later doesn't cost you ten years of returns — it costs you dramatically more. Here's the math.
Home & Real Estate
Home Renovation ROI: What Actually Adds Value and What Doesn't
Most home renovations don't recoup their cost. Before you spend tens of thousands on a kitchen, here's how to calculate the real return — including financing and opportunity cost.
Personal Planning
The True Cost of Having a Baby — Before Someone Else's National Average Misleads You
The real cost of a baby's first year depends on your childcare situation, your city, and your leave. National averages are almost useless. Here's how to calculate your number.
Life Decisions
Is Freelancing Actually More Profitable? The Math After Self-Employment Tax
A $100/hr freelance rate sounds better than a $120k salary — until you add self-employment tax, benefits, and unpaid hours. Here's the honest comparison.
Money & Investing
How Long Will It Actually Take to Save That Amount? The Honest Math
Most people set savings goals without calculating whether their current rate gets them there in time. Here's how to find out — and what to do if it doesn't.
Personal Planning
How Much Life Insurance Do You Actually Need? (It's Not 10 Times Your Salary)
The 10x salary rule is too simple. Your real coverage need depends on your specific debts, income replacement years, and existing assets. Here's how to calculate it honestly.
Home & Real Estate
Should You Pay Mortgage Points? Here's Your Break-Even Month
Paying discount points to lower your rate can save tens of thousands — or cost you money if you sell too soon. Here's how to calculate your exact break-even month.
Home & Real Estate
The True ROI on a Rental Property (Most Investors Calculate This Wrong)
Cap rate and gross yield are just the start. True rental ROI includes vacancy, management, capital expenditure, and the opportunity cost of your down payment. Here's the honest math.
Money & Investing
When Should You Claim Social Security? The Break-Even Math at 62, 67, and 70
Claiming at 62 vs 70 can mean very different lifetime totals depending on how long you live. Here's how to calculate your break-even age — with an important disclaimer about the limits of this math.
Life Decisions
What Your Side Hustle Actually Pays After Self-Employment Tax
Self-employment tax alone takes a significant cut before income tax even applies. Most side hustlers don't realize their true hourly rate until they see their tax bill. Here's how to calculate it first.
Life Decisions
Is a 0% Balance Transfer Worth It? The Break-Even Math (Including the Fee)
0% APR balance transfers can save hundreds — or cost you money if you don't pay it off in time. Here's how to calculate whether it's actually worth it for your situation.
Personal Planning
HDHP vs PPO: Which Health Insurance Plan Actually Saves You More Money?
The right plan depends entirely on how much medical care you use. Here's how to calculate the true annual cost of each option — including the HSA tax advantage.
Personal Planning
What Does Your Salary Actually Look Like in Your Bank Account Every Two Weeks?
Salary negotiations happen in gross annual numbers. Here's how to calculate your actual take-home paycheck — after all taxes and deductions.
Life Decisions
The True Cost of Moving — The Numbers Most People Forget to Budget
Most people budget for movers and forget the security deposit, overlap rent, lost work days, and new furniture. The real number is almost always higher than expected.