Big Decisions 11 min read
When an S Corp Makes Sense
When does an S corp make sense? Find your break-even profit with one formula — salary, payroll tax and running costs — worked at five profit levels.
Big Decisions Score the decision instead of agonizing over it.
Guides for high-stakes choices — houses, colleges, cars, job offers and more. How to score a decision, weigh the trade-offs, and stop going in circles.
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Big Decisions 12 min readThe Price-to-Rent Ratio
The price-to-rent ratio divides a home's price by a year of rent. Here is how to calculate it, what the 15 and 20 thresholds mean, and when the number lies.
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Big Decisions 11 min readRepair Credit vs Price Reduction
A repair credit cuts the cash you bring to closing; a price reduction cuts the loan. Take the credit if cash is tight — otherwise the lower price usually wins.
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Big Decisions 12 min readSocial Security Survivor Benefits
How Social Security survivor benefits are calculated, why the higher earner's claiming age sets the survivor's check, and how to switch between benefits.
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Big Decisions 16 min readReading FDD Item 19
FDD Item 19 is where a franchisor puts any claim about what its outlets sell or earn, which the FTC rule calls a financial performance representation. Here is what the rule forces it to disclose, what it lets it leave out, and how to turn a gross-sales figure into what an owner actually takes home.
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Big Decisions 19 min readCompare Mortgage Offers
Three lenders, three Loan Estimates, three different answers. Here is how to compare mortgage offers on what borrowing actually costs you — not on the rate.
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Big Decisions 14 min readComparing Two Pay Packages
Recruiters quote one weekly number, and two offers quoted the same way can differ by thousands over a contract. Here is the five-step method for rebuilding both offers on the same basis until one of them clearly wins.
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Big Decisions 16 min readRaising Rent on a Good Tenant
Should you raise the rent on a good tenant? Usually yes if you're below market — here's the turnover math, the break-even move-out risk, and when to hold.
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Big Decisions 10 min readShould You Drop a Class?
Ask five people whether to drop a class and you get five answers. Here's the honest case for each side, and the 20-minute check that settles it.
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Big Decisions 6 min readShould I Renew My Lease or Move?
Renew your lease or move? Run this 10-minute cost check to compare both options and get one number that settles the decision.
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Big Decisions 7 min readShould a College Freshman Take a Car?
Before you hand a college freshman the keys: check the first-year car ban, the permit price, and the insurance change. A fifteen-minute test before move-in.
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Big Decisions 21 min readIs Grad School Worth It? Run the Numbers
Is grad school worth it? For some fields, hugely. For 40% of master's degrees, not at all. Here's both sides, and the four numbers that decide yours.
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Big Decisions 18 min readShould You Rent a Commercial Kitchen?
Renting a commercial kitchen isn't a bigger home kitchen — it's a different cost structure. Run the break-even before you sign anything.
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Big Decisions 17 min readIs a Timeshare Worth It? The Real Math
Is a timeshare worth it? Usually not — unless you buy resale, pay cash, and already take the same trip every year. Here's the real math.
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Big Decisions 17 min readShould You Accept a Counteroffer?
Your employer matched the outside offer. Here's the honest case for and against accepting a counteroffer, and the three tests that settle it.
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Big Decisions 21 min readShould You Sell or Rent Out Your House?
Should you sell your house or rent it out? Walk one household's numbers — carrying costs, vacancy, and the capital-gains clock — then score the decision.
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Big Decisions 13 min readDorm or Off-Campus Apartment?
Should you live on or off campus? The real cost comparison, the 12-month lease trap, and the tiebreakers that predict regret.
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Big Decisions 9 min readCruise vs. All-Inclusive Resort
Cruise or all-inclusive resort for your family vacation? A clear cost, pace, and sanity framework to decide which one your family will actually enjoy.
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Big Decisions 4 min readHow to Choose Between Two Apartments
Stuck between two apartments that both feel right? Use this 5-minute weighted scorecard to turn a gut feeling into a clear winner.
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Big Decisions 15 min readChoosing Between Two Job Offers
Two good offers, one decision. Here's the total-comp math an offer letter hides, and how to score both offers instead of agonizing for a week.
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Big Decisions 12 min readHow to Choose a College Major
Choosing a major on gut feel is the default — and a third of bachelor's students switch within three years. Score four weighted factors instead.
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Big Decisions 11 min readFixer-Upper vs. Move-In-Ready
The fixer-upper's lower price is the most misleading number in real estate. Here's how to score a fixer-upper against a move-in-ready home honestly.
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Big Decisions 10 min readChoosing a Vacation Everyone Likes
Stop arguing about where to go. Here's a fair, fast way to choose a vacation destination the whole group actually agrees on — score it, don't fight it.
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Big Decisions 8 min readDorm Shopping Triage
A 5-minute dorm shopping triage that sorts every item into buy now, buy there, or skip — so you don't overpack the car or overspend.
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Big Decisions 8 min readRoad Trip or Fly for Family Travel?
Is it cheaper to drive or fly for a family vacation? A clear cost, time, and sanity framework to decide between a road trip and flying this summer.
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Big Decisions 9 min readApartment Walk-Through Checklist
A fast, room-by-room apartment walk-through checklist to catch deal-breakers before you sign the lease — water pressure, outlets, cell signal, and more.
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Big Decisions 12 min readWhat Closing Costs Cover
Closing costs run 2–5% of a home's price. Here's a line-by-line look at what you're actually paying for at the closing table — and why it's so much.
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Big Decisions 17 min readReal Cost of College 2026
Behind the published tuition: every bill, fee, and hidden cost that adds up to a real year of college in 2026, with the math and a plan.
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Big Decisions 10 min read5-Minute Affordability Check
Five numbers to run before you tour a house. In five minutes, you'll know whether the listing is actually affordable — not just whether you qualify.
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Big Decisions 17 min readBuy a Used Car Without Getting Ripped Off
A behind-the-curtain look at used car pricing in 2026 — what dealers really mark up, which fees aren't real, and the moves that save you thousands.
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Big Decisions 13 min readReal Cost of a Family Beach Vacation
Per-night rental prices hide half the cost. Here's a category-by-category breakdown of what a family beach vacation actually costs in 2026.
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Big Decisions 12 min readBuy or Lease a Car in 2026?
A real side-by-side comparison of buying vs. leasing a car in 2026 — the math, the trade-offs, and the line that separates a smart buyer from a stuck one.
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Big Decisions 8 min readShould You Buy a House in 2026?
A decision framework for buy-vs-wait in 2026. Two honest sides of the argument, then the lines that separate a smart buyer from a stuck one.
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Big Decisions 10 min readChoosing a College
Multiple acceptances sound like a dream until you have to pick one. Here's a structured framework to make the biggest decision of your life with confidence.
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Big Decisions 5 min readWelcome to College Life: Freshmen Guide
Supportive guide for new freshmen & parents: tips, stats, routines & campus resources + Ardent Workshop’s Dorm Checklist