Housing
Issue #142 · Mar 20, 2026
The hidden cost of a 0.5% mortgage rate hike
Why homebuyers should stop celebrating small rate drops — and the exact math on a $400K loan.
Read this issue →Every Thursday since 2019, our editors publish one deeply-researched issue on money, markets and household finance. Read back-issues below, or subscribe below to have the next one delivered.
Why homebuyers should stop celebrating small rate drops — and the exact math on a $400K loan.
Read this issue →The most misunderstood retirement account in America, and when it beats a Roth IRA.
Read this issue →General liability, cyber, and umbrella — the coverage gaps we see most often.
Read this issue →How to adapt the classic budget rule to high-cost-of-living cities.
Read this issue →Friction is a feature — and other counterintuitive rules for cash reserves.
Read this issue →Beyond the expense-ratio arms race — a practical framework.
Read this issue →Hybrid snowball-avalanche approaches that outperform either alone.
Read this issue →Where premiums are rising fastest and how to shop for coverage.
Read this issue →The breakeven math on points, term resets, and cash-out refis.
Read this issue →Solo 401(k) vs SEP-IRA, and the deadlines that actually matter.
Read this issue →Behavioral finance research on what makes January goals endure.
Read this issue →Where mortgage, CD, and HYSA rates are heading in the next 12 months.
Read this issue →The exact 27-page playbook our editors use with private-coaching clients — plus every Thursday, the Weekly Money Brief.
Join 210,000+ readers who get our weekly Money Brief and instant access to the Starter Kit PDF.