<?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>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><item><title>Settled a Debt for Less? How to Rebuild Your Credit Now</title><link>https://planpenny.com/settled-a-debt-for-less-how-to-rebuild-your-credit-now-e8fd7</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/settled-a-debt-for-less-how-to-rebuild-your-credit-now-e8fd7</guid><description>You settled a debt for less than you owed. Here is what it does to your credit report, how long it stays, and a month-by-month plan to rebuild.</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Switching Jobs? What Happens to Your Life Insurance Policy</title><link>https://planpenny.com/switching-jobs-what-happens-to-your-life-insurance-policy-d45e1</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/switching-jobs-what-happens-to-your-life-insurance-policy-d45e1</guid><description>Work life insurance usually ends when you leave. Learn how conversion and portability work, the 31-day deadline, and how to avoid a coverage gap.</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Savings Rate on a Tight Budget: How to Find Yours in 5 Min</title><link>https://planpenny.com/savings-rate-on-a-tight-budget-how-to-find-yours-in-5-min-bb580</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/savings-rate-on-a-tight-budget-how-to-find-yours-in-5-min-bb580</guid><description>Living paycheck to paycheck? Learn the simple savings rate formula, what really counts as saving, a worked example, and 7 ways to raise it slowly.</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Pay Cut and Credit Card Debt: What to Do First, and Next</title><link>https://planpenny.com/pay-cut-and-credit-card-debt-what-to-do-first-and-next-748f2</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/pay-cut-and-credit-card-debt-what-to-do-first-and-next-748f2</guid><description>Hours or pay cut for a while? Protect your minimums, ask your card issuer about hardship programs and build a bare-bones budget before you fall behind.</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Audit Utility Bills and Find the Fees You Can Cut</title><link>https://planpenny.com/how-to-audit-utility-bills-and-find-the-fees-you-can-cut-21742</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/how-to-audit-utility-bills-and-find-the-fees-you-can-cut-21742</guid><description>Pull 12 months of bills and check rates, fees, usage and expired promos. A step-by-step audit plus a script for calling your provider to lower the bill.</description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Life Insurance With a Health Condition: How Approval Works</title><link>https://planpenny.com/life-insurance-with-a-health-condition-how-approval-works-ef6ee</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/life-insurance-with-a-health-condition-how-approval-works-ef6ee</guid><description>Diabetes, cancer history or high blood pressure? See what insurers check, how rate classes and table ratings work, and how to apply with fewer surprises.</description><pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>