Credit
Credit Card Rewards: The Break-Even Math Most People Never Run
How to calculate a card's real value after the annual fee, which rewards categories are worth chasing, and the three mistakes that erase every point you earn.
Personal Finance Guides That Show the Math
Budgeting, saving, debt payoff, credit, tax, and retirement — explained with real numbers, primary sources, and a named author. No jargon, no affiliate pitches.
Who writes these guides
LinksVid is written and edited by Daniel Reyes, personal finance writer & editor with 10+ years in consumer finance — six of them as a loan officer at a regional credit union, reviewing thousands of consumer loan applications. Every guide is checked against primary sources before publication and lists those sources at the end of the article.
Author credentialsEditorial policyAbout LinksVidFinancial disclaimer
- Published guides
- 25
- Topics covered
- 12
- Publishing since
- Jul 2026
Featured guides
Saving
529 College Savings Plans: The Rules, the Fee Traps, and the New Roth Rollover
How 529 plans work, which expenses qualify, how the $35,000 Roth rollover actually applies, and why your home state's tax deduction is not always the best plan.
Income
Salary Negotiation: The Fifteen Minutes That Reprice the Next Ten Years
How to research a number, deflect the salary question, counter an offer, and value total compensation — with scripts for the three conversations that decide it.
Latest guides
Passive Income
Realistic Passive Income Ideas for 2026: What Actually Works and What's Just Hype
An honest look at genuine passive income methods with real startup costs, timelines, and expected returns — separating actual passive earnings from rebranded active work.
Insurance
Term vs. Whole Life Insurance: What the Cash Value Actually Costs You
A worked comparison of term and whole life premiums, what cash value really returns, the riders worth paying for, and how much coverage a family needs.
Tax
Legal Tax-Saving Strategies Every Person Should Know Before Filing This Year
Understand deductions, credits, retirement account moves, and record-keeping habits that can legitimately reduce your tax bill — explained in plain English.
Insurance
HSA vs. FSA: The Tax Math, the Use-It-or-Lose-It Trap, and Why One Is a Retirement Account
HSAs and FSAs both use pre-tax dollars for medical costs, but only one is portable, investable, and never expires. Here is how to choose, with the 2026 limits.
Frugal Living
Frugal Living Without Deprivation: 15 Evidence-Based Habits That Save Thousands a Year
Practical money-saving habits backed by behavioral research that cut spending without making life feel like a punishment — from grocery hacks to subscription audits.
Retirement
Why Starting to Save for Retirement in Your 20s Changes Everything (The Compound Math Proves It)
See real numbers behind compound growth, understand employer matching, and learn exactly how much to save by decade — even if you're starting behind.
Debt
Federal Student Loan Repayment: Choosing a Plan When the Rules Keep Changing
How the federal repayment plans actually differ, when income-driven repayment is worth it, how PSLF counting works, and what refinancing quietly gives up.
Income
12 Realistic Side Hustles That Actually Make Money in 2026 (With Honest Earning Ranges)
Cut through the hype with a realistic breakdown of side hustles backed by actual earning data — startup costs, time to first dollar, and sustainable monthly income.
Home Buying
First-Time Home Buyer's Guide: Down Payments, Mortgage Math, and the Costs Nobody Quotes You
What first-time buyers actually need: minimum down payments by loan type, PMI removal rules, closing costs, DTI limits, and the real monthly cost of owning.