Decide
What are you trying to decide?
Short answer first, then the trade-offs and the numbers behind it.
On the desk
Should I pay off my credit card or invest?
Short answer: Clear the card first. It's costing you 21%, and no investment reliably beats that.
Uses
- Loan
- Investment returns
See the full answer
Should I rent or buy?
Short answer: Buy only if you'll stay put for about five years or more. Before that, the costs of buying usually outweigh rent.
Uses
- Loan
- Investment returns
Work it out with the loan tool
How big should my emergency fund be?
Short answer: Three to six months of essential spending, somewhere easy to reach. Lean to six if your income is lumpy.
Uses
- 50/30/20 budget
- Compound interest
Work it out with the 50/30/20 budget tool
Can I afford this car?
Short answer: Probably, if repayments, insurance and running costs together stay under about 15% of take-home pay.
Uses
- Loan
- Take-home pay
Work it out with the loan tool
When can I retire?
Short answer: Roughly when your pot reaches about 25 times what you spend in a year.
Uses
- Retirement
- Investment returns
Work it out with the retirement tool
Is this salary offer actually better?
Short answer: Compare take-home pay and benefits, not the headline number.
Uses
- Take-home pay
- 50/30/20 budget
Work it out with the take-home pay tool