<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>PlanPenny</title><link>https://planpenny.com/</link><description>Personal finance, insurance and budgeting — clear, unbiased, no hype.</description><language>en</language><item><title>Medical Debt: Pay It Off Without Wrecking Credit or Savings</title><link>https://planpenny.com/medical-debt-pay-it-off-without-wrecking-credit-or-savings-d6923</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/medical-debt-pay-it-off-without-wrecking-credit-or-savings-d6923</guid><description>Before you pay a hospital bill with a credit card, do these 5 steps: itemized bill, financial aid, a lower price, a 0% plan and a credit report check.</description><pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Budget for Beginners: 7 Steps With a Sample Plan</title><link>https://planpenny.com/how-to-budget-for-beginners-7-steps-with-a-sample-plan-c80a3</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/how-to-budget-for-beginners-7-steps-with-a-sample-plan-c80a3</guid><description>Build your first monthly budget in 7 simple steps: track spending, sort needs and wants, give every dollar a job and check in weekly. Sample included.</description><pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Find Hidden Exclusions in Your Insurance Policy in 30 Min</title><link>https://planpenny.com/find-hidden-exclusions-in-your-insurance-policy-in-30-min-a394b</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/find-hidden-exclusions-in-your-insurance-policy-in-30-min-a394b</guid><description>A page-by-page method to spot what your insurance policy won&#x27;t pay for: where exclusions hide, the words that shrink coverage, and what to ask your agent.</description><pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Pending Charges Wrecking Your Budget? Reconcile in 6 Steps</title><link>https://planpenny.com/pending-charges-wrecking-your-budget-reconcile-in-6-steps-7f30f</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/pending-charges-wrecking-your-budget-reconcile-in-6-steps-7f30f</guid><description>Pending charges make your balance look bigger than it is. Learn a 15-minute weekly routine and a simple formula to find your real available-to-spend.</description><pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Your Real Savings Rate: How to Count the Employer Match</title><link>https://planpenny.com/your-real-savings-rate-how-to-count-the-employer-match-578cd</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/your-real-savings-rate-how-to-count-the-employer-match-578cd</guid><description>Most people undercount their retirement savings rate. Learn the 5-step formula with employer match, vesting rules, and a worked example with real numbers.</description><pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Find Every Forgotten Subscription in One Afternoon</title><link>https://planpenny.com/how-to-find-every-forgotten-subscription-in-one-afternoon-3699c</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/how-to-find-every-forgotten-subscription-in-one-afternoon-3699c</guid><description>Forgotten subscriptions hide in app stores, PayPal and annual renewals. Use this step-by-step audit to find each one, decide fast and cancel the right way.</description><pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Where to Keep Your Emergency Fund So Inflation Bites Less</title><link>https://planpenny.com/where-to-keep-your-emergency-fund-so-inflation-bites-less-77ecd</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/where-to-keep-your-emergency-fund-so-inflation-bites-less-77ecd</guid><description>Your emergency fund loses value in a 0% checking account. Compare high-yield savings, money market funds, T-bills and I bonds in a simple 3-tier setup.</description><pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Changing Jobs? Move Your 401(k) Without a Surprise Tax Bill</title><link>https://planpenny.com/changing-jobs-move-your-401k-without-a-surprise-tax-bill-da769</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/changing-jobs-move-your-401k-without-a-surprise-tax-bill-da769</guid><description>Leaving a job? Learn how a direct rollover moves your 401(k) without taxes, the 60-day trap that costs 20%, and the 4 choices you have for old savings.</description><pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Paid Off Debt and Your Credit Score Fell? 3 Real Reasons</title><link>https://planpenny.com/paid-off-debt-and-your-credit-score-fell-3-real-reasons-fd3b8</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/paid-off-debt-and-your-credit-score-fell-3-real-reasons-fd3b8</guid><description>Closing a paid-off card, losing your only installment loan, or bad reporting timing can drop your score. See the math and the steps to recover it fast.</description><pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Save for Your Car Insurance Deductible in 12 Months</title><link>https://planpenny.com/how-to-save-for-your-car-insurance-deductible-in-12-months-ba3cb</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/how-to-save-for-your-car-insurance-deductible-in-12-months-ba3cb</guid><description>Turn your car insurance deductible into a monthly savings goal. See how much to set aside, where to keep it, and when a higher deductible makes sense.</description><pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Lower Your Life Insurance Premium and Keep Your Coverage</title><link>https://planpenny.com/lower-your-life-insurance-premium-and-keep-your-coverage-e60ff</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/lower-your-life-insurance-premium-and-keep-your-coverage-e60ff</guid><description>8 ways to pay less for life insurance without cutting your death benefit: compare quotes, get re-rated, review riders, pay yearly and avoid costly traps.</description><pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Credit Card Rewards vs. Debt: What They Can Really Pay Off</title><link>https://planpenny.com/credit-card-rewards-vs-debt-what-they-can-really-pay-off-f7188</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/credit-card-rewards-vs-debt-what-they-can-really-pay-off-f7188</guid><description>Cash back can chip away at credit card debt, but only under one condition. See the math, a 5-step plan, and the reward traps that keep you in debt.</description><pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Irregular Pay? Budget From Your Worst Month, Not a Card</title><link>https://planpenny.com/irregular-pay-budget-from-your-worst-month-not-a-card-47b5b</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/irregular-pay-budget-from-your-worst-month-not-a-card-47b5b</guid><description>Freelance, gig or commission pay? Learn the baseline budget, the buffer account and the paycheck split that cover lean months without a credit card.</description><pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Insurance Declarations Page: 7 Coverage Gaps to Check Now</title><link>https://planpenny.com/insurance-declarations-page-7-coverage-gaps-to-check-now-18dcd</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/insurance-declarations-page-7-coverage-gaps-to-check-now-18dcd</guid><description>Your declarations page shows what your policy really pays. Learn to read it line by line and spot 7 common gaps before you ever need to file a claim.</description><pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Annual Membership Fees: Save for Them Month by Month</title><link>https://planpenny.com/annual-membership-fees-save-for-them-month-by-month-63d86</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/annual-membership-fees-save-for-them-month-by-month-63d86</guid><description>Stop annual fees from wrecking your budget. Use a simple sinking fund formula, a sample table, and 7 steps to have the cash ready before each renewal.</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Your First Total Stock Market Index Fund: How to Pick One</title><link>https://planpenny.com/your-first-total-stock-market-index-fund-how-to-pick-one-fbdbc</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/your-first-total-stock-market-index-fund-how-to-pick-one-fbdbc</guid><description>Compare just 4 things: expense ratio, minimum, ETF vs mutual fund, and the account. Plain-English steps to buy your first total market index fund.</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Pay Before Your Statement Closes to Lower Credit Usage</title><link>https://planpenny.com/pay-before-your-statement-closes-to-lower-credit-usage-2a11c</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/pay-before-your-statement-closes-to-lower-credit-usage-2a11c</guid><description>Paying on the due date can still report a high balance. Learn when card issuers report, how to find your closing date, and a simple 2-payment routine.</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Borrowing a Car? Whose Insurance Pays If You Crash It</title><link>https://planpenny.com/borrowing-a-car-whose-insurance-pays-if-you-crash-it-1f66e</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/borrowing-a-car-whose-insurance-pays-if-you-crash-it-1f66e</guid><description>Crashing a friend&#x27;s car? Learn whose insurance pays first, when coverage fails, who covers the deductible and the 4 questions to ask before borrowing.</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Debt-to-Income Ratio: How to Calculate It and Lower It</title><link>https://planpenny.com/debt-to-income-ratio-how-to-calculate-it-and-lower-it-0047d</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/debt-to-income-ratio-how-to-calculate-it-and-lower-it-0047d</guid><description>Add your monthly debt payments, divide by gross income, and multiply by 100. See a worked example, what counts as debt, and 7 ways to lower your DTI.</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>One Grocery Budget for 3 Stores: The Split That Works</title><link>https://planpenny.com/one-grocery-budget-for-3-stores-the-split-that-works-0ed96</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/one-grocery-budget-for-3-stores-the-split-that-works-0ed96</guid><description>Shop at more than one grocery store without blowing your budget. Split one monthly limit by store, track it in minutes, and stop the extra trips.</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>