FastTools

Financial & Career Guides

Navigate business structures, retirement accounts, credit cards, home loans, and visas

8 tools

Tools in This Collection

Decision Guide Tools for Life and Career

These interactive guides walk through the questions that would normally require an attorney, financial advisor, or specialist consultation. They give you a starting point and vocabulary for those conversations — not a substitute for professional advice on consequential decisions.

Business and Financial Structure Decisions

The Business Structure Guide compares sole proprietorship, LLC, S-Corp, and C-Corp across four dimensions: liability protection, taxation, administrative burden, and funding ability. An LLC offers liability protection with pass-through taxation but no corporate structure for investor equity. An S-Corp adds self-employment tax savings on distributions but requires reasonable salary and more paperwork. The guide asks about your revenue, plans for investors, and tax situation to recommend the right structure.

The Retirement Account Guide compares 401(k), Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP-IRA, and Solo 401(k) contribution limits and tax treatment. For 2026: 401(k) limit is $23,500 ($31,000 if 50+), IRA limit is $7,000, SEP-IRA allows 25% of net self-employment income up to $70,000.

Home Loans and Credit

The Home Loan Type Guide matches loan type to your situation: conventional (20% down, no PMI), FHA (3.5% down, mortgage insurance required), VA (0% down for eligible veterans), and USDA (0% down for rural areas). The guide asks about your down payment, credit score, and service status. The Credit Card Type Guide recommends between cash back, travel rewards, balance transfer, and secured cards based on your spending patterns and goals.

Career and Specialized Guides

The Visa Decision Guide identifies the appropriate visa category based on citizenship, destination, and purpose of travel. The Programming Language Guide recommends a language for new projects based on use case and performance needs. The Running Shoe Guide matches shoe type to gait, terrain, and training volume. The First Aid Quick Reference provides step-by-step procedures for common emergencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I form an LLC or an S-Corp?

An LLC is simpler to set up and maintain with pass-through taxation. An S-Corp can save money on self-employment taxes once your net profit consistently exceeds $50,000-$60,000 — you pay yourself a reasonable salary (subject to payroll taxes) and take remaining profits as distributions (not subject to self-employment tax). The Business Structure Guide asks about your revenue level and situation to assess whether the tax savings justify S-Corp's additional complexity.

What is the difference between a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA?

Traditional IRA contributions may be tax-deductible (depending on income and whether you have a workplace plan), and withdrawals in retirement are taxed as ordinary income. Roth IRA contributions are made after tax and qualified withdrawals are completely tax-free. The Retirement Account Guide asks about your current and expected future tax rates to recommend the better option for your situation.

Which home loan is right for a first-time buyer?

FHA loans (3.5% down minimum, credit score as low as 580) are the most common choice for first-time buyers with limited down payment savings. VA loans are better if you're eligible (no down payment, no PMI). Conventional loans become competitive once you have 20% down to avoid private mortgage insurance. The Home Loan Type Guide walks through all the relevant factors.