Wealthy PotTax Planning
Estate Tax: Who Actually Pays It
The 2026 federal estate tax exemption is $15 million per person. Only 2,663 estates owed any federal estate tax. The rates, the portability trap, and state thresholds.
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Fresh from the blog
Budgeting & Money Management
The 50/30/20 Rule: How It Works, and Whether It Fits Real 2026 Budgets
The 50/30/20 rule splits take-home pay into 50% needs, 30% wants and 20% savings. How to apply it, a worked example, and what BLS spending data says about whether it fits a real household.
Insurance & Risk Management
Average Car Insurance Cost: The Official Numbers
The official US average is $1,281.92 a year per insured vehicle, per NAIC. Why that figure lags, what BLS data says households actually spend, and how states range from $808 to $1,865.
Budgeting & Money Management
Average Electric Bill: What US Households Actually Pay
The average US electric bill is $142.26 a month, per EIA data. What drives it, how states compare from Hawaii's $212 to New Mexico's $93, and how to work out whether yours is high.
Real Estate & Alternative Investments
Average Mortgage Payment: What Owners Pay vs What Buyers Face
The average US mortgage payment is $2,023 a month per FHFA data. But a buyer at today's median price and 7.03% would owe about $2,193 in principal and interest alone. Why the two differ.
Debt Management
Debt Consolidation: How It Works, Your Options, and When It Backfires
How debt consolidation works: balance transfers, personal loans, home equity and debt management plans compared, with the CFPB's and FTC's warnings on fees, teaser rates and debt settlement.