<?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>Lower Utility Bills Without the Thermostat: 12 Fixes</title><link>https://planpenny.com/lower-utility-bills-without-the-thermostat-12-fixes-44651</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/lower-utility-bills-without-the-thermostat-12-fixes-44651</guid><description>12 practical ways to lower electric, gas and water bills without changing your thermostat: water heater setting, leaks, rate plans and free utility help.</description><pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Auto Insurance Declarations Page: Decode It Line by Line</title><link>https://planpenny.com/auto-insurance-declarations-page-decode-it-line-by-line-151fc</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/auto-insurance-declarations-page-decode-it-line-by-line-151fc</guid><description>What 50/100/25 means, where your deductible hides, and the 7 lines on your auto insurance declarations page to check before you renew or file a claim.</description><pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Build an Emergency Fund Fast Without a New Bank Account</title><link>https://planpenny.com/build-an-emergency-fund-fast-without-a-new-bank-account-46a4b</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/build-an-emergency-fund-fast-without-a-new-bank-account-46a4b</guid><description>Learn step‑by‑step how to create a solid emergency fund using your current accounts. Simple budgeting, automatic transfers, and smart tricks in plain language.</description><pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Index Funds in a Roth IRA: How It Works and How to Start</title><link>https://planpenny.com/index-funds-in-a-roth-ira-how-it-works-and-how-to-start-0b818</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/index-funds-in-a-roth-ira-how-it-works-and-how-to-start-0b818</guid><description>Yes, you can hold index funds in a Roth IRA. See how the account and the fund fit together, the steps to buy, contribution rules, and mistakes to avoid.</description><pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Grocery Budget for a Family Eating 3 Different Diets</title><link>https://planpenny.com/grocery-budget-for-a-family-eating-3-different-diets-be1d2</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/grocery-budget-for-a-family-eating-3-different-diets-be1d2</guid><description>Gluten-free kid, dairy-free spouse, low-carb you? Build one grocery budget that feeds everyone without cooking three dinners or paying specialty prices.</description><pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Pay Off Credit Card Debt and Protect Your Credit Score</title><link>https://planpenny.com/pay-off-credit-card-debt-and-protect-your-credit-score-c051c</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/pay-off-credit-card-debt-and-protect-your-credit-score-c051c</guid><description>Paying down cards should raise your score, but a few common moves backfire. Keep accounts open, pay on time, and pick the payoff order that fits you.</description><pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Car Insurance After a Lapse: How Insurers Price Your Risk</title><link>https://planpenny.com/car-insurance-after-a-lapse-how-insurers-price-your-risk-f9b12</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/car-insurance-after-a-lapse-how-insurers-price-your-risk-f9b12</guid><description>A gap in car insurance raises your rate. See how insurers weigh gap length, reason, driving record and credit, and 8 steps to get a lower quote again.</description><pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>What Your Index Funds Really Cost: Expense Ratio Math</title><link>https://planpenny.com/what-your-index-funds-really-cost-expense-ratio-math-5fc80</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/what-your-index-funds-really-cost-expense-ratio-math-5fc80</guid><description>Learn the simple formula to find the blended expense ratio across all your index funds, see what it costs in dollars, and spot the fund worth replacing.</description><pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Rent Increase? What to Cut, Shift, and Renegotiate First</title><link>https://planpenny.com/rent-increase-what-to-cut-shift-and-renegotiate-first-1dd0f</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/rent-increase-what-to-cut-shift-and-renegotiate-first-1dd0f</guid><description>Your rent just jumped and the numbers don&#x27;t fit anymore. Here&#x27;s a step-by-step plan to cut, shift, and renegotiate so your budget works again.</description><pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Paying Off Debt? How Credit Utilization Moves Your Score</title><link>https://planpenny.com/paying-off-debt-how-credit-utilization-moves-your-score-62cd8</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/paying-off-debt-how-credit-utilization-moves-your-score-62cd8</guid><description>Paying down cards changes your utilization month by month. Learn the 30% and 10% lines, why balance transfers can backfire, and which card to pay first.</description><pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Will One Claim Raise Your Insurance Rates? What Changes</title><link>https://planpenny.com/will-one-claim-raise-your-insurance-rates-what-changes-3717d</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/will-one-claim-raise-your-insurance-rates-what-changes-3717d</guid><description>How long a claim follows you, which claims hurt most, when insurers drop you, and a simple break-even test to decide whether filing is worth it.</description><pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Find Hidden Annual Fees on Your Bank Statement</title><link>https://planpenny.com/how-to-find-hidden-annual-fees-on-your-bank-statement-89ff3</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/how-to-find-hidden-annual-fees-on-your-bank-statement-89ff3</guid><description>Annual fees hide because they bill once a year under odd names. Pull 13 months of statements, sort by payee, and use five steps to find and cancel them.</description><pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Co-Signed a Credit Card? What to Do When Debt Piles Up</title><link>https://planpenny.com/co-signed-a-credit-card-what-to-do-when-debt-piles-up-c093d</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/co-signed-a-credit-card-what-to-do-when-debt-piles-up-c093d</guid><description>As a co-signer, the debt is legally yours. What to check first, how to talk to the cardholder, your payoff options, and how to get your name off the card.</description><pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Find Forgotten Subscriptions in Your Bank Statement Fast</title><link>https://planpenny.com/find-forgotten-subscriptions-in-your-bank-statement-fast-dcc7a</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/find-forgotten-subscriptions-in-your-bank-statement-fast-dcc7a</guid><description>A one-hour method to find recurring charges you no longer use: pull three months of statements, highlight repeats, decode odd merchant names and cancel.</description><pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Premiums vs. Out-of-Pocket Costs: What You Actually Pay</title><link>https://planpenny.com/premiums-vs-out-of-pocket-costs-what-you-actually-pay-63977</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/premiums-vs-out-of-pocket-costs-what-you-actually-pay-63977</guid><description>The premium is what you pay every month; out-of-pocket costs hit when you file a claim. See how deductibles, copays and coinsurance add up with real math.</description><pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Pay a Surprise Tax Bill Without Your Emergency Fund</title><link>https://planpenny.com/how-to-pay-a-surprise-tax-bill-without-your-emergency-fund-fb775</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/how-to-pay-a-surprise-tax-bill-without-your-emergency-fund-fb775</guid><description>Got an unexpected tax bill? Learn the order to pay it, what IRS payment plans really cost, and how to keep your emergency fund intact for real emergencies.</description><pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Budget for Subscriptions Before They Drain Your Account</title><link>https://planpenny.com/budget-for-subscriptions-before-they-drain-your-account-1d80a</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/budget-for-subscriptions-before-they-drain-your-account-1d80a</guid><description>Streaming, apps, gym: small monthly charges add up fast. A 30-minute method to list every subscription, set a cap, and cancel without regret.</description><pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Life Insurance With Several Beneficiaries: Who Gets What</title><link>https://planpenny.com/life-insurance-with-several-beneficiaries-who-gets-what-d31ba</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/life-insurance-with-several-beneficiaries-who-gets-what-d31ba</guid><description>Named two or more beneficiaries on a life insurance policy? How the insurer splits the payout, what happens if one dies first, and how each files a claim.</description><pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Debt-to-Income Ratio for a Personal Loan: Do the Math</title><link>https://planpenny.com/debt-to-income-ratio-for-a-personal-loan-do-the-math-5fb7c</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/debt-to-income-ratio-for-a-personal-loan-do-the-math-5fb7c</guid><description>Lenders check your debt-to-income ratio before approving a personal loan. The exact formula, what counts as debt, common limits, and how to lower it fast.</description><pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>3-Month Emergency Fund on a Tight Budget: A Realistic Plan</title><link>https://planpenny.com/3-month-emergency-fund-on-a-tight-budget-a-realistic-plan-8ef6f</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/3-month-emergency-fund-on-a-tight-budget-a-realistic-plan-8ef6f</guid><description>Find your real survival number, pick a weekly transfer you can keep, and follow a 12-month schedule to build a 3-month emergency fund on a tight budget.</description><pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>