Guides
The calculators on this site compress a lot of rules into a few input boxes. These guides unpack the rules themselves — how the withholding on a bonus is decided, what actually happens when RSUs vest, why a raise cannot lower your take-home pay — in plain English, with 2026 figures from the same sourced data the calculators run on.
- How bonuses are actually taxed
Why your bonus check looks so small, the two withholding methods employers use, and when the flat 22% works for or against you.
- RSU taxes, explained
What actually happens at vest, why the standard 22% withholding leaves many tech workers owing at filing time, and how to avoid paying tax twice on the same shares.
- Marginal vs. effective tax rates
How tax brackets really work, worked through with 2026 numbers — and why 'getting pushed into a higher bracket' costs less than people fear.
- 401(k) basics for 2026
The 2026 contribution limits, how employer matching really works, traditional vs. Roth in plain terms, and what compounding does over 30 years.
- Reading your paycheck, line by line
Gross pay, federal withholding, the two FICA lines, pre-tax deductions — what each one is, with a worked 2026 example.
- The 0% capital gains bracket
Long-term gains stack on top of your income and the first bracket is 0% — how the 2026 breakpoints work and who can realize gains tax-free.
- How we value points and miles
Where our cents-per-point figures come from, why published valuations disagree, and how to sanity-check any points valuation you read.