Everything you need to master your money

It depends on the decision you're making. For a home purchase, a mortgage calculator that includes taxes, insurance and PMI gives a far more realistic payment than one showing principal and interest alone. For debt, a payoff calculator comparing avalanche and snowball shows both the date and the cost. The best tools explain what the number means rather than just producing it — MyFinanceMyntra returns a full analysis with every calculation, including warnings, savings opportunities and a recommended next step.

Look at six things together rather than any single number: how many months of essential expenses your emergency fund covers, your debt-to-income ratio, what percentage of take-home pay you save, your invested assets relative to your age, your credit utilization, and whether your month ends with a surplus. Income alone tells you very little — a high earner with no savings and heavy debt is more fragile than a modest earner with six months banked.

The 28/36 rule is the standard starting point: housing under 28% of gross monthly income, and all debt payments under 36%. On a $100,000 salary that's roughly $2,333 a month for housing. But that's a ceiling rather than a target — lender ratios ignore childcare, commuting, retirement saving and maintenance entirely. Holding housing nearer 22% of gross income leaves room for the costs the rule omits.

Always capture your full employer 401(k) match first — a 50% match is an immediate guaranteed return no debt rate approaches. After that, compare the debt's interest rate to a realistic after-tax investment return. Debt above roughly 8%, such as credit cards, beats investing because paying it off is a guaranteed tax-free return at that rate. Below about 5%, such as many mortgages and subsidized student loans, investing usually wins.

Three to six months of essential expenses — not total spending. Essential expenses during unemployment are typically 25–35% lower than normal spending, because dining out, travel and discretionary purchases stop. Lean toward three months with dual stable incomes and no dependents, and six or more if you're self-employed, single-income or supporting others.

Twenty percent of take-home pay toward savings, investments and above-minimum debt payments is the standard benchmark, and retirement contributions deducted from your paycheck count toward it. If that isn't reachable now, raise your rate by one percentage point every time your income increases — that reaches the target without ever reducing your current standard of living.

Yes. Every tool on MyFinanceMyntra is free, requires no account and no sign-up. Calculations run entirely in your browser, so the figures you enter are never transmitted to us or stored anywhere. The site is funded by advertising rather than by charging for the tools.

They're accurate for the model they implement, and every model simplifies. Ours state their assumptions openly on each page — the tax year, the rates used, and what they don't account for. Federal tax constants are reviewed annually, state figures are statewide averages rather than quotes, and investment projections assume constant returns that real markets never deliver. Use them to understand relationships and compare scenarios, then verify anything consequential with a qualified professional.