RealMoneyIQ Editorial Team
Personal-finance writers and researchers who build the calculators and check every figure against primary sources.
RealMoneyIQ's guides are researched and written by the same team that builds the calculators. Every number in a guide is traced to a primary source — the IRS, Social Security Administration, Federal Reserve, BLS, or the plan providers' own published research — and cited inline so you can verify it yourself.
We have nothing to sell. There are no lead forms, no sponsored funds, and no advisor referral fees, so the only thing a guide is optimised for is being correct and useful. When a figure changes — a contribution limit, a deduction cap, a phase-out threshold — we update the guide and move its “last reviewed” date forward.
This is educational content, not personalised financial advice. Where a decision turns on your specific situation, we say so and point you to a licensed professional.
Compare your interest rate against expected market returns — with the honest breakeven and when each wins.
A simple framework based on your tax bracket now versus in retirement, with the math laid out.
Your savings rate matters far more than your income — here is why, with the numbers behind it.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act lets many tipped workers deduct up to $25,000 of tips a year from 2025 through 2028. Here's who qualifies, what counts, and the phase-out math — with the traps.
The OBBBA overtime deduction is real but narrow: you can deduct only the FLSA premium — the extra 'half' of time-and-a-half — up to $12,500 ($25,000 joint), not your whole overtime paycheck. Here's the trap, the cap, and the math.
Despite the headlines, OBBBA did not make Social Security tax-free. What it created is a separate $6,000 deduction for people 65 and older. Here's what actually changed, what didn't, and a worked example.
The average 401(k) balance was $167,970 at the end of 2025 — but the median was just $44,115. Here's the full breakdown by age, why the median is the number to watch, and a catch-up plan for wherever you stand.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made 529 plans far more flexible: a $20,000 K-12 withdrawal limit, new qualified expenses, and tax-free use for trade and professional credentials. Here's what changed and what didn't.