Money in the US — the honest manual.
Plain-English guides, honest calculators, and an AI assistant for the money decisions Americans actually face — earning more, keeping more of it, decoding the products, and finding what you’re owed. No affiliate links, no ads, no data sold.
Tools
The calculators that show your real numbers.
Run your situation through one of these and you get a number you can act on — not a vague suggestion. Every formula is shown, every assumption is named.
Raise calculator
Separates the raise that beats inflation from the raise on top. Generates the script in your own numbers.
Money you’re owed
Seven questions to surface federal credits and benefits (EITC, CTC, Saver’s, education) most US filers leave on the table.
Bill slasher
Scripts that lower internet, cell, cable, insurance, medical, and subscription bills. Annual savings totaled, saveable as a goal.
True cost of a mortgage
The all-in monthly carry — PMI, property tax, HOA, maintenance, opportunity cost on the down payment — not the P&I line the bank quotes.
Real APR on a loan
Stated rate vs. effective rate once origination, points, and any cost rolled into principal are included.
Fee drag over 30 years
What 0.95 pp of fund fees actually costs over a working life. Three scenarios side by side.
Guides
The reads worth your time.
Each piece names the catch the marketing avoids and walks you through the math. Verified sources are at the bottom of every article.
- Retirement
The 401(k) match you’re leaving on the table
Roughly 1 in 5 US workers don’t contribute enough to capture the full employer match. A typical formula = 4% of salary, free.
- Tax credits
The $7 billion problem
The Earned Income Tax Credit billions of low-to-middle income workers qualify for but never claim.
- Decoder
The hidden cost of a fat tax refund
A $3,000 refund = a year-long, interest-free loan to the IRS. How to adjust your W-4 and recapture ~$250/month.
- Healthcare
How to negotiate a medical bill
Hospital list prices are largely fiction. The script for itemized bills, hardship rates, and the 501(r) financial-assistance policy nonprofit hospitals must offer.
- Pay & raises
Your last raise was a pay cut
A 4% raise against 3.4% CPI is barely 0.6% real. The framework plus the negotiation script.
- Insurance
The car-insurance loyalty penalty
Insurers reward new customers and quietly bump renewals on loyal ones. The 20-minute fix that recovers the gap.
Definitions
The US-specific terms most worth knowing.
Quick plain-English definitions plus a one-liner on why it matters. Each links to a full entry with examples and the catch.
401(k) / 403(b)
Workplace retirement accounts you fund from your paycheck, often pre-tax.
IRA (Traditional / Roth)
Pre-tax now vs tax-free later — Roth shines if you expect higher taxes in retirement.
HSA
Triple-tax-advantaged medical account — tax-free in, growth, and out for health spending.
Social Security
Federal retirement and disability income based on your work record. When you claim (62–70) materially changes the monthly check.
FICA
The payroll-tax chunk of your paycheck funding Social Security and Medicare.
APR
The yearly cost of borrowing including most required fees. The headline number on credit cards and loans.
Employer match
Free money your employer adds to your 401(k). A guaranteed 100% return — never leave it unclaimed.
Credit utilization
The share of your credit limit you’re currently using. Keep under ~30% to protect your score.
Scope
What this hub covers.
US federal sources: IRS, SSA, FDIC, CMS, Department of Education. State-level: all 50 state DOR pages where applicable. Pages are refreshed annually each January as the new contribution limits, tax brackets, and benefit caps post. See editorial standards for the full sourcing policy.
Money Molecule is general information, not personalized financial, tax, or legal advice. For specific decisions (especially anything tax or major-purchase), consult a qualified professional. See the terms and Molecule disclosure.