# MoneyLens
> See your finances with clarity

Free financial calculators — mortgage, auto loan, compound interest, investment returns, retirement planning, debt payoff, and savings goal. Real formulas, instant results, modern fintech design.

## Financial Calculators (31 total)
- [Compound Interest Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/compound-interest): See how money grows over time with compound interest and regular contributions.
- [Investment Returns Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/investment): Project investment growth with annual returns, contributions, and dividend reinvestment.
- [Retirement Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/retirement): Plan how much to save monthly to reach your retirement goal by your target age.
- [Savings Goal Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/savings-goal): Calculate how much to save monthly to reach any financial goal by your deadline.
- [Debt Payoff Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/debt-payoff): Find when you'll be debt-free and how much interest extra payments save.
- [Stock Average Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/stock-average): Calculate weighted average cost per share across multiple buy transactions.
- [DCA Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/dca): Project dollar cost averaging returns and compare against lump sum investing.
- [DRIP Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/drip): Calculate how dividend reinvestment compounds portfolio growth over time.
- [Stock Profit Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/stock-profit): Calculate stock profit/loss including commissions, capital gains tax, and ROI.
- [Dividend Income Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/dividend): Estimate annual and monthly dividend income with growth projections.
- [Personal Loan Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/personal-loan): Calculate payments and total cost for personal loans at various rates and terms.
- [Auto Loan Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/auto-loan): Estimate monthly car payments with trade-in value, down payment, and loan term options.
- [Student Loan Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/loan/student): Compare federal and private student loan payments and total interest.
- [Home Equity Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/loan/home-equity): Calculate available equity and monthly payments for home equity loans.
- [Debt Consolidation Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/loan/debt-consolidation): Compare current debt payments vs a single consolidated loan.
- [Loan Refinance Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/loan/refinance): See monthly savings, break-even, and total interest saved by refinancing.
- [Loan Payoff Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/loan/extra-payment): Calculate how extra payments reduce your loan term and total interest.
- [Loan Affordability Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/loan/affordability): Find the maximum loan you can afford based on your income and debts.
- [Mortgage Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/mortgage): Calculate monthly mortgage payments, total interest, and see payment breakdowns for home loans.
- [Monthly Payment (PITI)](https://money.thicket.sh/mortgage/monthly-payment): Full PITI breakdown with principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and PMI.
- [Home Affordability Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/mortgage/affordability): Find how much home you can afford based on income, debts, and down payment.
- [Mortgage Refinance Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/mortgage/refinance): Compare current vs new mortgage rates and calculate break-even point.
- [Rent vs Buy Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/mortgage/rent-vs-buy): Compare total cost of renting vs buying over a multi-year period.
- [Extra Mortgage Payments](https://money.thicket.sh/mortgage/extra-payments): See how extra payments reduce your mortgage term and total interest.
- [Amortization Schedule](https://money.thicket.sh/mortgage/amortization): Generate a full month-by-month amortization schedule for your mortgage.
- [Closing Costs Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/mortgage/closing-costs): Estimate closing costs by state with itemized breakdowns.
- [Down Payment Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/mortgage/down-payment): Calculate down payment impact on monthly payments and PMI.
- [ARM vs Fixed Calculator](https://money.thicket.sh/mortgage/arm-vs-fixed): Compare adjustable-rate vs fixed-rate mortgage costs over time.

## Articles
- [How Do I Bonds Work?](https://money.thicket.sh/blog/how-do-i-bonds-work): An I bond is a U.S. Treasury savings bond bought at TreasuryDirect. Its rate is a composite of a fixed rate (locked for the bond's 30-year life) and an inflation rate (reset every 6 months from CPI-U): composite = fixed + (2 × semiannual inflation) + (fixed × semiannual inflation). New rates are announced May 1 and Nov 1; your bond resets on its own 6-month cycle. Interest compounds semiannually inside the bond (no payouts) and the composite rate can never go below 0%, so the bond never loses value. Limit: $10,000 electronic per person per calendar year, $25 minimum. Must hold 12 months; redeem before 5 years and forfeit the last 3 months of interest; stops earning after 30 years. Interest is exempt from state/local tax, federal tax is deferred until redemption/maturity, and may be tax-free for qualified education (Form 8815). Source: TreasuryDirect, IRS.
- [How Is Net Worth Calculated?](https://money.thicket.sh/blog/how-is-net-worth-calculated): Net worth = total assets − total liabilities. Assets: cash, bank and retirement accounts (401k/IRA at current balance), brokerage, home at market value, vehicles, business equity. Liabilities: mortgage, student loans, auto loans, credit card balances, other debt. Include your home on both sides (market value as asset, mortgage as liability — the gap is home equity) and your 401(k) as an asset. Liquid net worth excludes home equity and retirement accounts to gauge accessible cash. Net worth can be negative when debts exceed assets. Federal Reserve 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances median family net worth: $192,900 (mean $1,063,700); by age — under 35 $39,000, 35–44 $135,600, 45–54 $247,200, 55–64 $364,500, 65–74 $409,900, 75+ $335,600. Source: Federal Reserve SCF 2022.
- [How Does an HSA Work? The Triple Tax Advantage Explained](https://money.thicket.sh/blog/how-does-an-hsa-work): A Health Savings Account pairs a high-deductible health plan with an account that gets three tax breaks: pre-tax (payroll) contributions that also skip FICA, tax-free growth, and tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses. 2025 limits: $4,300 self-only / $8,550 family, +$1,000 catch-up at 55+. HDHP 2025 minimum deductible $1,650 self / $3,300 family. Non-qualified withdrawals before 65 owe income tax + 20% penalty; after 65 the penalty ends and non-medical withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income like a Traditional IRA. Unlike an FSA, funds roll over forever and are portable. Source: IRS Pub 969, Rev. Proc. 2024-25.
- [How Is a Credit Score Calculated?](https://money.thicket.sh/blog/how-is-a-credit-score-calculated): A FICO score (300–850) is built from five weighted factors: payment history 35%, amounts owed / credit utilization 30%, length of credit history 15%, new credit 10%, and credit mix 10%. Payment history is the biggest lever; a single 30-day late payment can cost 60–100 points. Keep utilization below 30% (below 10% is better). Checking your own score is a soft inquiry and never lowers it; only hard inquiries do, and they fade within a year. Tiers: poor <580, fair 580–669, good 670–739, very good 740–799, exceptional 800–850. Source: FICO, CFPB, Experian.
- [How Does 401(k) Employer Matching Work?](https://money.thicket.sh/blog/how-does-401k-matching-work): A 401(k) match is money your employer adds based on what you contribute — most commonly 50% of your contributions up to 6% of pay (a 3% employer contribution), or dollar-for-dollar up to 3-6%. The match does NOT count toward your $23,500 (2025) employee deferral limit; it counts toward the separate $70,000 overall limit. Vesting can be immediate, cliff (up to 3 years), or graded (up to 6 years) per ERISA. Full match = an instant 50-100% guaranteed return.
- [How Is Capital Gains Tax Calculated?](https://money.thicket.sh/blog/how-is-capital-gains-tax-calculated): Capital gain = sale price minus cost basis. Assets held one year or less are short-term, taxed as ordinary income (10-37%); assets held over a year are long-term, taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20% by taxable income. 2025 single 0% bracket: up to $48,350. High earners add 3.8% NIIT. Primary-home sale excludes $250K (single) / $500K (joint) of gain. Capital losses offset gains plus up to $3,000/year against ordinary income.
- [Roth vs Traditional IRA: Which Should You Choose?](https://money.thicket.sh/blog/roth-vs-traditional-ira): A Roth IRA uses after-tax dollars and grows tax-free; a Traditional IRA is pre-tax and taxed on withdrawal. Choose Roth if you expect an equal or higher tax bracket in retirement. 2024 IRA contribution limit is $7,000 ($8,000 age 50+). Covers Roth income phase-outs, RMD rules (none for Roth, age 73 for Traditional), and tax-bracket math.
- [How Much Do I Need to Retire? A Complete Breakdown](https://money.thicket.sh/blog/how-much-do-i-need-to-retire): The 25x rule and 4% withdrawal rule. Multiply annual retirement spending by 25 — a $60,000/year lifestyle needs about $1.5 million, less with Social Security. Includes retirement numbers by spending level, savings targets by age, and monthly-savings-to-target math.
- [The True Cost of a $400K Mortgage: 47 Scenarios Compared](https://money.thicket.sh/blog/true-cost-400k-mortgage): 47 modeled scenarios varying down payment (5-20%), rate (6-8%), and term (15-30 years) on a $400K home. Includes PMI analysis, biweekly payment savings, and opportunity cost comparison.

## About
- Free, no sign-up required
- Real financial formulas (amortization, compound interest, present value)
- Instant client-side calculations
- Mobile-friendly responsive design