Learn
The accounting decisions behind Marked Money, in plain English. Why a single number on your statement is often more than one thing, and what changes when you record it that way.
Is your mortgage payment an expense? Mostly, no
A mortgage payment is principal, interest and escrow in one number, and only one of the three is money you spent. How to split yours, and what it changes.
Read it →Is moving money to savings spending? No, and why it matters
Moving money between your own accounts isn't spending, but many apps count it as if it were. What that does to your numbers, and how to record it right.
Read it →Is a refund income? No, and here's why it isn't
A refund gives back money you already spent, so it lowers your spending, not your income. Why the difference quietly wrecks your savings rate.
Read it →Is a rise in my house's value income? No, here's why
When your house gains value on paper, your net worth rises but you earned nothing. Why a paper gain isn't income, and how to record it honestly.
Read it →Does money already in an account count as savings? No
Money already in your accounts when you start isn't something you saved. Why opening balances shouldn't count toward goals, and how a baseline helps.
Read it →Is a pension an asset? Usually not, and why that's honest
A pension that pays a set amount for life isn't a balance you own, so it isn't an asset. Why some apps inflate it, and why leaving it off is honest.
Read it →Why a good money app asks instead of guessing a number
When an import can't read a date or a transaction won't balance, the safe move is to ask, not guess or drop it. Why silent guesses corrupt a ledger.
Read it →Which net worth numbers are exact, and which are estimates?
Your checking balance is exact; your house is your best guess. Both belong in your net worth, but you should always know which kind you're looking at.
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