About
How the library grows
Every guide on this site is written by the same machine that powers the companion, and nothing it writes becomes a page until it passes six gates. A style gate checks the words, the reading level, the shape, and whether the sentences swing in length the way a person's do. A voice gate hands the draft to a hostile reader with the five rules the site is written by and fails it on one paragraph that opens like a textbook or one sentence that lectures. A facts gate has a second, hostile pass read the draft cold and list every claim; one unsupported claim fails it. A numbers gate makes the writer show every calculation as inputs and a formula, and the server recomputes each one; a mismatch fails it. A law and ethics gate fails anything that recommends a trade, promises a return, states a current dollar limit as fact, or claims a reviewer. A source gate anchors every factual claim to an official page: the page is fetched and the supporting sentence must appear on it, or the claim fails and the draft with it. Every anchored claim is then registered with the day it is due to be checked again, weekly for rules, monthly for statistics, yearly for history, and a claim that can no longer be found on its source goes stale and pulls its guide back through the gates.
A machine that checks itself is better than one that does not, and it is not perfect, so two things sit beside it. Once a week the machine writes up what it proposes and a person decides, and every guide says at its foot whether a person has read it yet. And every guide names where to send a correction, and a reported error sends the guide back through the gates before it is shown again. This page is the public log of every decision the gates made, passes and failures alike, because a library you cannot audit is a library you should not trust.
36 written · 687 still to write · 277 sent back to try again · 0 held for a person
- self check: 3 findings sent back
10/8/2026, 6:41:30 AM · words · grade ·
- self check: 3 findings sent back
10/7/2026, 6:13:09 AM · words · grade ·
- map: 3 subjects proposed to the operator published
10/6/2026, 8:22:13 AM · words · grade
- map: 2 subjects proposed to the operator published
10/6/2026, 8:22:07 AM · words · grade
- Employee stock purchase plan taxes (monthly re-read) published
10/6/2026, 8:21:40 AM · words · grade
- Incentive versus nonqualified stock options (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:20:18 AM · words · grade · 20 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (220,000 dollars; 10 dollars; 40 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Mark that date somewhere you will see it.; uncertain: The Social Security wage cap applies to NSO option pay (and the worked example computes only Medicare at 1.45%). (The example omits Social Security tax; Dana's wages of 220,000 exceed the wage base, so it is plausibly zero, but the wage base for the year isn't stated, and the example also omits the 0.9% additional Medicare tax over 200,000, making the 10,035 total slightly understated.)
- Restricted stock and 83(b) elections (monthly re-read) published
10/6/2026, 8:19:34 AM · words · grade
- Exchange funds (monthly re-read) published
10/6/2026, 8:17:22 AM · words · grade
- search fields: 0 written, 4 not yet sent back
10/6/2026, 8:16:33 AM · words · grade ·
- Collars on a single stock (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:16:21 AM · words · grade · 32 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (240,000 dollars; 100 dollars; 100,000 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: If you are in that spot, a collar is one tool that can calm the nights.
- glossary: nothing new published
10/6/2026, 8:15:26 AM · words · grade
- Gifting appreciated stock (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:15:20 AM · words · grade · 23 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (240,000 dollars; 20 dollars; 2,000 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Move the shares directly to the charity rather than selling them first.
- Deferred compensation elections (monthly re-read) published
10/6/2026, 8:14:40 AM · words · grade
- Alternative minimum tax and stock options (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:11:19 AM · words · grade · 29 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (210,000 dollars; 5 dollars; 25 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Run both tax calculations before you exercise, not after.; uncertain: If you sell ISO shares in the same calendar year you exercise, it is a disqualifying disposition and the spread becomes ordinary income for regular tax. (A same-year sale is a disqualifying disposition, but the ordinary income is generally the lesser of the spread at exercise or the actual gain on sale, so it is not always the full spread. Same-year sale also generally eliminates the AMT adjustment, though the draft's wording is loose.)
- The pro rata rule (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:10:34 AM · words · grade · 16 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (260,000 dollars; 45,000 dollars; 7,000 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Before you convert anything, add up every IRA you own and see what share is after tax.
- The mega backdoor Roth (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:10:16 AM · words · grade · 13 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (220,000 dollars; 8,800 dollars; 20,000 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: If you earn a good income and feel the same way, the mega backdoor Roth may be worth a close look.
- Rebuilding after bankruptcy (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:09:35 AM · words · grade · 9 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (3,400 dollars; 640 dollar; 300 dollar); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Start by pulling your free credit reports and checking them for mistakes. Then open one small account you can pay in full each month, and keep paying every bill on time.; uncertain: Your bankruptcy shows up on your credit reports as a public record. (Bankruptcies do appear on credit reports, but since 2017-2018 the bureaus removed most civil public records (liens, judgments) under the National Consumer Assistance Plan; bankruptcies are still reported, yet whether they are classified as 'public records' is debatable and varies by bureau.)
- Section 8 and housing help (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:08:22 AM · words · grade · 17 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (1,800 dollars; 1,100 dollars; 1,150 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Many lists are closed, and many are long, so apply in more than one place if the rules let you.; uncertain: The worked example is presented as a $1,800 monthly gross income with a $1,500 adjusted income, and later the same $1,800 is reused as adjusted income after a raise. (The text says Denise's income rises so that adjusted income climbs to $1,800, which is internally consistent as a hypothetical. The $300 deduction for children's care is plausible but the amount is illustrative, not a rule.)
- SNAP, WIC, and money planning (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:07:33 AM · words · grade · 16 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (1,800 dollars; 900 dollars; 420 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: So start by finding out what your household gets from SNAP, which is the food benefit many families call food stamps, and from WIC, the program for pregnant women, new mothers, and young children.; uncertain: Some states treat SNAP receipt as proof that you meet the WIC income rule, and some do not. (Federal rules make SNAP participants automatically income-eligible for WIC (adjunctive eligibility), which states must apply, so the claim that some states do not is doubtful or at least imprecise.)
- Payday loans and the alternatives (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:06:17 AM · words · grade · 21 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (300 dollars; 400 dollars; 100 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Then call your lender, utility, or landlord and ask whether they offer a payment plan or a later due date. Check what a credit union near you charges for a small loan, and compare that cost to the pay
- Banking without fees (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:05:33 AM · words · grade · 12 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (12 dollars; 1,500 dollars; 144 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: If you are tired of seeing your balance shrink for no good reason, this page is for you. Ask your bank for its fee schedule, which is the plain list of every charge it may put on your account. Compare
- Free tax help programs (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:04:19 AM · words · grade · 12 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (31,000 dollars; 180 dollars; 40 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: You can avoid her mistake.; uncertain: Some tax situations are outside what these sites handle, such as a business with many expenses or sales of stock. (VITA does have scope limits and may decline complex self-employment returns. However, VITA sites can handle some stock sales and simple Schedule C returns, so this broad claim is imprecise.)
- Filing a return when nobody withheld (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:03:38 AM · words · grade · 22 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (18,000 dollars; 2,000 dollars; 18,000 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Even if you come in under it, file anyway when you might be owed a refund or a credit.; uncertain: IRS Direct Pay requires an 'account'. (The draft says 'IRS Direct Pay account'; Direct Pay works without creating an account, so the wording is imprecise though the overall payment-method point is right.)
- Marketplace health subsidies (monthly re-read) published
10/6/2026, 8:02:21 AM · words · grade
- The saver's credit (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:01:36 AM · words · grade · 16 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (24,000 dollars; 1,000 dollars; 1,000 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: If you are holding a retirement account that has little in it, a deposit this year may qualify.; uncertain: The saver's credit is not refundable: it can reduce your tax to zero but will not produce a refund beyond that, and it does nothing if you owe no tax. (As of current law it is nonrefundable, but SECURE 2.0 replaces it with a federal matching contribution (the Saver's Match) starting in 2027, so the statement is correct for now but not durable.)
- Reporting crypto taxes (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 8:00:18 AM · words · grade · 18 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (52,000 dollars; 2,000 dollars; 20 dollar); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Looking at your records a little at a time makes the job feel lighter.
- Crypto in retirement accounts (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:59:42 AM · words · grade · 16 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (52,000 dollars; 3,000 dollars; 3,000 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: A good firm will show you its costs plainly. If it will not, walk away.; uncertain: IRS calls certain dealings with yourself or close family 'prohibited transactions', laid out in IRS Publication 590-A and 590-B. (The term and the concept are correct, but the draft's citation is unverified: Pub 590-A and 590-B discuss prohibited transactions (590-B in the context of distributions, and the topic is also covered in 590-A), and an individual's IRA rules are more fully developed in the Code (IRC 4975), so the exact citation split is not something I can confirm.)
- Crypto exchanges and their failures (monthly re-read) published
10/6/2026, 7:57:21 AM · words · grade
- Yield farming and its risks (monthly re-read) published
10/6/2026, 7:56:21 AM · words · grade
- DeFi lending (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:55:41 AM · words · grade · 21 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (2,000 dollars; 20,000 dollars; 20,000 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Do your own reading, start with an amount you could watch vanish without losing sleep, and keep a record of every move for tax time.
- Seed phrases and recovery (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:55:20 AM · words · grade · 4 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (500 dollars; 500 dollars; 500 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Write it down on paper or metal, and never type it into a phone, an email, or a cloud folder.; uncertain: A steel backup plate runs from a few dollars to a few dozen dollars depending on the maker. (Many steel backups cost roughly $20 to over $100, with some premium products higher. The stated range may understate typical prices.)
- Hardware wallets (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:54:36 AM · words · grade · 11 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (6,000 dollars; 79 dollars; 8 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: A tiny practice amount is a fair way to learn before any large sum moves.; uncertain: The device keeps private keys inside a protected chip. (Many devices use a secure element chip, but some (e.g., certain Trezor models historically) store keys in general-purpose microcontrollers, so 'a protected chip' is not universally accurate.)
- Wallets in depth (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:54:17 AM · words · grade · 7 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (400 dollars; 20 dollars; 20 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Write your recovery phrase on paper, store it away from the device, and never type it into a website.
- Proof of work versus proof of stake (monthly re-read) published
10/6/2026, 7:53:22 AM · words · grade
- map: 2 subjects proposed to the operator published
10/6/2026, 7:52:24 AM · words · grade
- Layer 2 networks (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:52:18 AM · words · grade · 10 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (100 dollars; 12 dollars; 8 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: If you are thinking about using one, find out which Layer 2 you are using and how your money gets back out of it. Check the fee in the app before you confirm anything. Send a small test amount first.
- Ethereum (monthly re-read) published
10/6/2026, 7:51:37 AM · words · grade
- Bitcoin (monthly re-read) published
10/6/2026, 7:50:19 AM · words · grade
- 0DTE options and why they are different (monthly re-read) published
10/6/2026, 7:49:41 AM · words · grade
- Options on indexes (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:48:19 AM · words · grade · 15 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (2,000 dollars; 2,000 dollars; 2,000 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Before any trade, write down your worst case loss in dollars. If you cannot say it out loud, you are not ready to place the order.
- search fields: 2 written, 2 not yet sent back
10/6/2026, 7:47:29 AM · words · grade ·
- Options on ETFs (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:47:18 AM · words · grade · 29 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (100 dollars; 110 dollars; 100 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Before you ever place a trade, read the options disclosure document from the Options Clearing Corporation, titled Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options.
- glossary: nothing new published
10/6/2026, 7:46:22 AM · words · grade
- Protective puts (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:46:15 AM · words · grade · 37 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (2 dollars; 200 dollars; 50 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: It was her choice, and a sensible one for her situation.
- Collars for concentrated stock (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:45:38 AM · words · grade · 23 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (50 dollars; 100,000 dollars; 45 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; uncertain: Longer expiration dates cost more because there is more time for things to go wrong. (Longer-dated options carry more time value, so puts cost more. The phrasing is loose but the direction is right. Note the longer-dated call you sell also brings in more, so the net cost of a collar isn't necessarily higher.)
- Spreads: calendars (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:42:16 AM · words · grade · 27 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (2.00 dollars; 200 dollars; 50 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: If you are weighing one, check how your broker treats the far leg once the near leg expires.
- Spreads: verticals (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:41:36 AM · words · grade · 25 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (50 dollars; 50 dollars; 3.00 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Answer honestly.
- Assignment risk management (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:41:17 AM · words · grade · 19 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (50 dollars; 55 dollar; 1.20 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Know your exposure, keep cash or shares ready, and read what your broker sends you.; uncertain: A friend sold a covered call on a Monday and her shares were called away on Friday morning at the strike price. (Anecdote; plausible but unverifiable, and the 'Friday morning' timing is consistent with overnight posting.)
- Early exercise (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:40:36 AM · words · grade · 31 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (50 dollars; 60 dollars; 10 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Before you act, put your own numbers on paper and compare the two choices side by side.
- Volatility surfaces (monthly re-read) sent back
10/6/2026, 7:39:16 AM · words · grade · 6 amounts of money written without a dollar sign (100 dollars; 90 dollars; 110 dollars); write $52,000, not 52,000 dollars or a bare 52,000; advice reader: Dana did not buy anything that day. She wrote down the 8 point gap, saved a screenshot, and checked again the next week to see whether the shape had changed. That was her whole plan, and it was a wise; uncertain: A put with a quoted price of 1.20 dollars at the 90 strike with 32% IV on a 100-dollar stock 30 days out is a realistic price. (The figure is illustrative and phrased hypothetically ('Suppose'); a 10% OTM 30-day put at 32% IV would be worth roughly 0.9-1.3 dollars depending on rates, so plausible but not verified.)