Personal finance library
WhatIfInLearning is a classroom for money decisions: emergency funds, debt math, housing, retirement order of operations, and PayPal-gated playbooks. Run the numbers before you decide. Written by Thomas Sanders — educational, not advice.
Open enrollment
A general health FSA blocks the HSA. 2027 caps $4,500 / $9,000 plus $1,000 at 55 (Rev. Proc. 2026-24). HDHP tests: deductible at least $1,750 / $3,500, OOP at most $8,700 / $17,400. Run last year’s billed charges, not last year’s premiums. 2027 FSA cap is not out yet.
HSA vs FSA guide Open the calculator Enrollment sequence
1099 / Schedule C: Q3 2026 estimated tax is still due September 15 — SE tax primer · calculator.
Learn
SEO-titled explainers with FAQ schema, 2026 limits, and links into the tools.
Tools
Roth vs traditional, savings goal, student loan, inflation, paycheck, FIRE, PITI — each on its own URL.
PayPal
$4.99 unlocks articles. $9.99 All Access is the playbook wall. 529 vs taxable is free.
Six doors, not a changelog. Pick the next money decision. Hit / with a blank query for these doors plus this week’s seasonal (open enrollment through October; W-4 from January).
Housing
DTI, PITI, extra vs invest, rate-and-term break-even, HELOC vs cash-out.
Retirement
Rule of 55, conversions, RMDs, 62 vs 70 claiming, backdoor, titles vs will.
Debt
IDR vs refinance, 0% transfers, avalanche vs snowball.
Paycheck
2026 brackets, FICA, extra withholding.
Cash
Emergency fund, HYSA vs CDs, I-bonds vs T-bills, inflation.
Taxes
Quarterlies, open enrollment, 0/15/20 stack, wash sales.
Taxes
$80,000 single wages, standard deduction $16,100, taxable $63,900, federal income tax $8,770. Marginal 22%. 22% of the whole pile would be $14,058. A $1,000 raise across $50,400 costs $180 of income tax, not a pay cut. 8 FAQ. No new calculator.
Retirement
$52,000 at 4% is $1,300,000. The calculator’s 3.3% line is $1,575,758. A single filer who needs $52,000 after federal tax from a traditional IRA withdraws about $56,614. 8 FAQ. The thin withdrawal wall now refreshes to sequence of returns.
PayPal
12-step: one card pull, fee inside the balance, autopay that clears a true 0% promo. $6,400 at 21.9% costs about $1,782 over 28 months at $300; a 3% fee makes $6,592, and $440 clears it in 15 months.
PayPal
12-step asset location: inventory, new 401(k) money buys bonds first, specific-ID, do not cross NIIT or IRMAA. $80k bond sleeve example saves $907/year; $2,400 gain is worth selling, $18,000 is not.
Taxes
Free. Hash + bars. $80k / 4.2% / 32% ordinary: bond drag $1,075 vs stock-index $168. Saved $907/year, $9,072 over 10. NIIT toggle $992.
PayPal
12-step rule of 55: calendar-year test, inbound old plans, do not roll to an IRA, $48k draw example penalty $0 vs $4,800 if you rolled first. 72(t) amort at 5% floor ≈ $30,956 locked five years.
Retirement
Leave in the year you turn 55 and that employer’s 401(k) skips the 10%. IRAs do not qualify. Numbers page is the 401(k) rollover calculator.
Estate
A will does not move a 401(k). ERISA spouse default, SECURE 10-year, 2026 $15M exclusion. 8 FAQ. Titles file, not an estate-tax file.
PayPal
12-step: screenshot, ERISA spouse waiver, IRA contingents, TOD/POD, life/HSA/529, life-event calendar.
Debt
Free. Hash + bars. Defaults $2k at 6%, $5k at 24%, $8k at 18%, extra $250: avalanche 38 months / $4,150 interest vs snowball 42 / $5,104. Saves about $954 and 4 months.
Optional
Find the free calculators that carry an optional classroom tip. Chip rail under the nav on Home, Calculators, and every /tools page.
Family
Free. Hash + bars. $8k + $250/mo / 12y / 7% example: 529 $74,660 vs taxable after 15% $70,061. Advantage $4,599. Gift-tax flag $19,000.
Family
Gift exclusion $19,000, superfund $95,000, K-12 $20,000 (IRS Topic 313). Grandparent FAFSA lag is dead. 8 FAQ.
Last run
Free. Hash + bars. $2,000 PIA, FRA 67: 62 = $1,400/mo, 70 = $2,480/mo. Break-even 62 vs FRA age 78y 8m; FRA vs 70 age 82y 6m.
Retirement
Born 1960+: FRA 67. 62 is 70% of PIA; 70 is 124%. Earnings test $24,480 / $65,160 (labeled SSA).
Last run
Free. Hash + bars. Single, $80k proceeds / $20k basis / $40k other taxable: $9,450 at 0% + $50,550 at 15% = $7,583 federal. Short-term would be $12,160.
Taxes
0% to $49,450 single / $98,900 MFJ. Ordinary fills first. NIIT 3.8% MAGI floors are not indexed.
Last run
Free. Hash + bars. $320k / 6.80% → 5.90% / match 27 years / $6,500: P&I $2,159 → $1,977, recoup 35.6 months.
Housing
Rate-and-term only. 30-year reset can fake a faster recoup. 6.76% PMMS is an average, not your lock.
Last run
All Access. Hash + bars. $300k / 7% / extra $500: 190 months, interest saved $139,558, 10-year extra equity ties $86,542 invested.
PayPal
12-step: after-tax coupon, PMI to 80%, do not cash-out the cheap first lien.
Housing
Extra is a refinance you already own. Type your coupon — 6.76% PMMS is an average.
Last week
2026 premiums use 2024 MAGI. First cliff $109k / $218k. $1,000 over can cost $1,148/year.
Medicare
CMS 2026 table as a stand-in. Filing status, extra MAGI, enrollees, shareable URL.
Open enrollment
A general FSA blocks the HSA. $4,500 / $9,000. HDHP tests in Rev. Proc. 2026-24. Run last year’s billed charges.
Family
Retirement
Retirement
Medicare
Retirement
Retirement
Cash
Taxes
Taxes
Retirement
Housing
Housing
Housing
Taxes
Housing
Income
Retirement
Housing
Housing
Income
Debt
Retirement
Retirement
Saving
Debt
Cash
Cash
Debt
All
Account
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Optional sandbox
The year-by-year life sim is not the homepage. Use it after a guide if you want to stress-test choices. Markets are stylized.
Classroom extras: retirement order of operations · mortgage PITI · car cost. Worth Adventure is optional. This classroom is not a game store.
Written by Thomas Sanders. Not financial, tax, or legal advice — disclaimer. Premium is stored on this device after PayPal and restored by email at /account. Hit / to search the library.