Saving
What is a 529 plan — and how do you start one?
A 529 plan grows tax-free for education costs, with state tax breaks layered on in most states — the earlier the start, the more the compounding does the…
Author
Fatima Al-Rashid
For Fatima Al-Rashid, a market move matters only when it changes a reader's next decision. She writes core investing method — valuation, horizon, fees, behavior — covers payments from the merchant's side, sets investing order after debt, and edits the travel features and county event calendars readers actually use.
Articles by Fatima Al-Rashid
Investing
What is dollar-cost averaging, and does it work?
Dollar-cost averaging invests a fixed amount on a fixed schedule — buying more shares when prices fall and fewer when they rise, and trading market-timing…
Investing
How a 401(k) employer match works — and what it costs to skip it
A match is your employer contributing alongside your own deferrals, typically 50 cents to a dollar per dollar up to a set percentage of pay — the only…
Budgeting
How to budget when your income changes every month
Irregular income breaks budgets built on a fixed number — the fix is to pay yourself a steady salary from a buffer account funded by the good months.
Investing
What is a Roth IRA — and who should open one?
A Roth IRA is funded with money you have already paid tax on, grows untaxed, and comes out tax-free in retirement — $7,500 can go in for 2026.