SEP IRA vs Solo 401(k): Which Side Hustle Retirement Plan Wins in 2026?
A freelancer with $60,000 of net side-hustle profit can shelter $11,152 in a SEP IRA this year — or $35,652 in a solo 401(k). Same…
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Sinking Funds Categories for Beginners: The Master List of 21 Funds (and the 6 to Start With)
American consumers planned to spend an average of $902 on winter holiday gifts and celebrations in a recent National Retail Federation survey — and yet…
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Estimated Tax Safe Harbor: 100% of Last Year or 90% of This Year?
The IRS penalized roughly 14 million taxpayers for underpaying their taxes during the year in fiscal 2023 — up from 12 million the year before…
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The Default Effect: How 401(k) Auto-Enrollment Saves You — and Quietly Shortchanges You
In 2001, economists Brigitte Madrian and Dennis Shea published a number that changed retirement policy in America: when one Fortune 500 company switched its 401(k)…
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Money Illusion: Why Your 5% Raise Might Really Be a Pay Cut
Here’s a myth almost everyone carries around: a dollar is a dollar. If your salary goes up 5%, you got a 5% raise. If your…
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Home Office Deduction for Side Hustle Income: What Qualifies in 2026
A 150-square-foot spare bedroom, used only for a freelance design business, is worth $750 a year under one IRS method and $2,064 under the other….
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Is an S Corp Election Worth It for a Side Hustle? The 2026 Break-Even Math
A side business clearing $90,000 in profit will pay roughly $12,717 in self-employment tax for 2026. Elect S corporation status, pay yourself a $55,000 salary,…
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Buy Now Pay Later Hidden Costs: Why the Real Damage Isn’t the Interest Rate
Sixteen percent of U.S. adults used a buy now, pay later loan in the past year, and on the standard pay-in-four product the interest rate…
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The Subscription Audit Checklist: How to Find the $133 a Month You Forgot You Were Paying
Ask an American what they spend on subscriptions each month and the average off-the-cuff answer is $86. Walk that same person through the categories one…
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Home Office Deduction Side Hustle Rules: The 6-Step 2026 Walkthrough
Five dollars per square foot, capped at 300 square feet. That’s the entire simplified home office deduction — a maximum of $1,500 a year, per…
