Money & Finance
Budgeting, borrowing, interest and pay — the arithmetic behind the decisions that cost the most.
Federal law protects a set dollar amount of home equity, a vehicle, household goods and more in bankruptcy — and a wildcard exemption that grows the less home equity you have.
An adjustable-rate mortgage doesn't just change its rate at reset — it re-amortizes the whole remaining balance at that rate, which is why a modest rate move can turn into a much bigger payment jump.
With one fixed amount and several debts, the order you attack them in changes the total interest — run the same numbers both ways and the gap is a real, calculable dollar figure, not a guess.
Commission = sale amount × rate ÷ 100 — one multiplication, but worth checking by hand before you trust a statement, a quote, or your own mental math on a big sale.
A dollar later is worth less than a dollar now — present value puts a number on the gap. Three worked comparisons, including two $20,000 payouts that are worth almost $5,000 apart.
Price = cost × (1 + markup ÷ 100) — one multiplication, but a 100% markup only ever gives a 50% margin, not 100%. Three worked examples, including pricing a full batch.
A second job's gross pay isn't what it leaves you — tax, childcare, travel and work costs all come out first. One worked example nets a $28,000 offer down to $934 a month.
Price alone doesn't say whether something is worth buying — price divided by how many times you'll actually use it does. Three worked comparisons, including why the pricier pair of shoes can be the cheaper choice.
Profit ÷ price is margin; profit ÷ cost is markup — the same $40 profit reads as 40% one way and 66.67% the other. Three worked comparisons show where the mix-up actually costs money.
CAGR turns any total return into a steady annual rate, so a 3-year gain and a 6-year gain can be compared honestly — the bigger headline number isn't always the better one. Three worked comparisons show why.
Units = fixed costs ÷ (price − cost per unit) — one division, but the margin in that denominator can move the answer by thousands of units. Three worked pricing scenarios with the arithmetic shown.
Balance next month = balance × (1 + monthly rate) + contribution — run it forward until you hit the goal. Three worked timelines show what compounding is actually worth, in months.