Borrowing & Debt
These guides are built for high-intent borrowing decisions: taking on debt, comparing loan structures, and choosing a repayment strategy that fits the numbers and your timeline.
Frameworks and explainers for mortgages, refinancing, credit cards, payoff strategy, and the real cost of borrowing.
Pillar guide
Start with the main framework
How to Decide Whether to Take On New Debt: A Practical Framework
Use a practical framework to judge whether a new loan, mortgage, auto note, or credit line improves your financial position or only stretches your budget.
Supporting articles
Drill into the specific decisions
How Much House Can I Afford? A Step-by-Step Calculation
Use a step-by-step affordability process to turn income, down payment, interest rate, and existing debt into a realistic home-buying budget.
When Does Refinancing Actually Save You Money?
Learn when refinancing improves the outcome, when it only lowers the payment temporarily, and how to use break-even math before taking a new mortgage offer.
Avalanche vs. Snowball: Which Debt Payoff Method Wins?
Compare the avalanche and snowball methods on math, motivation, and sustainability so you can choose the payoff plan most likely to work.