Saving
529 College Savings Plans: The Rules, the Fee Traps, and the New Roth Rollover
How 529 plans work, which expenses qualify, how the 529-to-Roth rollover actually applies, and why your home state's tax deduction is not always the best plan.
Personal Finance Guides That Show the Math
Budgeting, saving, debt payoff, credit, tax, and retirement — explained with real numbers, primary sources, and a named author. No jargon, no affiliate pitches.
Who writes these guides
LinksVid is written and edited by Daniel Reyes, an economics graduate and independent personal finance writer. It is one person's publication, not a team of licensed professionals, and no article here is personalized advice. What we do promise is process: every guide is checked against primary sources before publication (IRS, FDIC, SEC, CFPB, BLS) and lists those sources at the end of the article, with a published date and update history.
About the authorEditorial policyAbout LinksVidFinancial disclaimer
- Published guides
- 25
- Topics covered
- 12
- Publishing since
- Oct 2026
Featured guides
Budgeting
The Complete Budgeting Guide for Beginners: How to Create a Budget That Actually Works
Learn how to create your first budget using the proven 50/30/20 rule, track spending without obsession, and build a financial plan you can stick to.
Home Buying
Closing Costs Explained: Every Line on the Settlement Statement, and Which Ones You Can Negotiate
A line-by-line breakdown of closing costs on a typical purchase, the three tolerance categories that protect you, and the wire fraud warning every buyer needs.
Latest guides
Credit
Credit Card Rewards: The Break-Even Math Most People Never Run
How to calculate a card's real value after the annual fee, which rewards categories are worth chasing, and the three mistakes that erase every point you earn.
Credit
How to Raise Your Credit Score by 100+ Points: A Data-Backed Action Plan
Understand the five FICO scoring factors and follow specific, actionable steps to improve your credit score — from utilization fixes to dispute strategies.
Debt
5 Proven Debt Payoff Strategies Compared: Which One Actually Works Best for You?
A practical comparison of the debt avalanche, debt snowball, consolidation, and other methods to eliminate debt — with real math examples to guide your choice.
Passive Income
Dividend Investing: Yield Is Not Return, and the Difference Is Where the Money Goes
How dividend yield actually works, why the share price drops on the ex-date, what payout ratios reveal, and why a 7% yield can still lose to a 1.5% one.
Saving
How to Build an Emergency Fund From Scratch: A Realistic Step-by-Step Plan
Proven strategies to save your first $1,000 fast and grow a full 3–6 month safety net, even on a tight income. Includes where to keep it and when to use it.
Tax
Estimated Tax Payments: Who Owes Them, How Much, and How to Avoid the Penalty
The safe harbor rules, the four due dates, who actually has to pay quarterly tax, and the withholding trick that eliminates the paperwork entirely.
Home Buying
First-Time Home Buyer's Guide: Down Payments, Mortgage Math, and the Costs Nobody Quotes You
What first-time buyers actually need: minimum down payments by loan type, PMI removal rules, closing costs, DTI limits, and the real monthly cost of owning.
Frugal Living
Frugal Living Without Deprivation: 15 Evidence-Based Habits That Save Thousands a Year
Practical money-saving habits backed by behavioral research that cut spending without making life feel like a punishment — from grocery hacks to subscription audits.
Frugal Living
The Grocery Budget: What Food Actually Costs, and Where the Waste Hides
USDA food plan benchmarks, the real cost of protein by the pound, why a third of food gets thrown away, and the shopping habits that cut a bill without hurting meals.