ToolsZio Blog
Short, practical guides to the money questions our calculators answer — each one worked through with real numbers, step by step, so you can check the maths yourself. Every article links to the free calculator it is based on, and every calculator runs entirely in your browser: no sign-up, no uploads, and nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Latest Articles
Published 8 November 2026. New guides are added as new calculators arrive.
How Much House Can I Afford? The 28/36 Rule, Worked Out
The 28/36 rule explained with a real example: on $80,000 a year with $400 a month in debts, your housing is capped at $1,866.67 a month — enough for a $274,131.99 home with $50,000 down.
Read →8 November 2026
Mortgage Payment on $300,000 at 6.5% for 30 Years
$1,896.20 a month for principal and interest — or $1,516.96 with 20% down. The full payment, the first-year interest, and what a different rate would cost.
Read →8 November 2026
Salary to Hourly Rate: How to Convert Your Pay
$60,000 a year is $28.85 an hour, and $25 an hour is $52,000 a year. How the 2,080-hour year works, with overtime and the cases where it breaks down.
Read →8 November 2026
Compound Interest: How Your Savings Actually Grow
$10,000 at 7% becomes $19,671.51 in 10 years — and $54,713.58 if you add $200 a month. Why starting 10 years earlier is worth $280,968.48.
Read →8 November 2026
How to Pay Off a Credit Card Faster (With Real Numbers)
$5,000 at 22% APR takes 34 months and $1,749.88 of interest at $200 a month — but 968 months on minimum payments. The maths, and how to beat it.
Read →8 November 2026