Guides

Your paycheck, decoded.

Plain-language explanations of FICA taxes, deductions, and paycheck math — grounded in IRS and SSA sources, with the numbers shown.

Paycheck Basics

How FICA, deductions, and pay frequency turn your gross into take-home.

What Is FICA? Social Security and Medicare Taxes on Your Paycheck, Explained
FICA withholds 7.65% from every paycheck — 6.2% for Social Security (up to an annual wage base cap) and 1.45% for Medicare. Here's exactly how each works, with a worked dollar example, what reduces your FICA-taxable wages, and why your employer pays a matching share you never see.
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Why Your Biweekly Paycheck Feels Smaller Than Your Salary Suggests
Most people divide their salary by 12 to estimate a paycheck, but biweekly pay runs 26 cycles a year — not 24. Here's the real math and why it changes your monthly budget.
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Compare & Plan

Guides for evaluating raises, job offers, and pay changes before you sign.

The True Cost of Saying No to Your Employer's 401(k) Match
A 3% employer match sounds like a small perk. Run the numbers over a 35-year career and the wealth gap between employees who take it and those who don't can exceed $200,000. Here's the exact math.
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