Jamie Reeves
Personal Finance Writer
6+ years at NerdWallet and The Penny Hoarder
About
Jamie Reeves paid off $78,000 in student loans on a $52,000 salary — an experience that turned them into a personal finance obsessive. After six years at NerdWallet and The Penny Hoarder, Jamie went independent because they got tired of financial content that treats money like an abstraction. Jamie writes about money the way real people experience it: stressful, emotional, and full of trade-offs that spreadsheets don't capture. Every article shows the math AND the feelings, because financial decisions are never purely rational.
Areas of expertise
- debt payoff strategies
- salary negotiation
- mortgage optimization
- budgeting frameworks
- retirement planning
- student loan strategies
- financial psychology
Articles by Jamie Reeves (30)
- What Is Imputed Income on My Paycheck? (With the IRS Table)2026-08-06 · Paycheck Basics
Imputed income is the taxable value of a non-cash benefit — nine times out of ten, employer-paid group-term life insurance above $50,000. The taxable amount is NOT what the policy costs your employer: it comes from IRS Table 2-2 and depends on your age, rising roughly forty-fold from $0.05 per $1,000/month under 25 to $2.06 at 70+. The IRS worked example ($200k cover at 45 = $170 of wages), why it appears in both box 1 and box 12 code C, and why employers MAY decline to withhold federal income tax against it — the mechanism behind surprise tax bills.
- Why Hasn't My Paycheck Deposited Yet? (Direct Deposit Timing)2026-08-03 · Paycheck Basics
Direct deposit moves over ACH, which only settles on days the Federal Reserve is open — no weekends, no federal holidays. The Fed's own rule on the awkward cases (a Sunday holiday closes the following Monday), why your colleague at another bank was paid first, why some banks release pay a day early as a lending decision, and the four-step order for diagnosing a genuinely late paycheck.
- How Much Should I Contribute to My 401(k)?2026-07-30 · Paycheck Basics
A common target is 15% of gross pay including the match, but the ORDER matters more: capture the full employer match first (an instant guaranteed return), clear high-interest debt, build a small emergency fund, then work toward 15%. The 2026 IRS limits are $24,500 in elective deferrals, $8,000 catch-up at 50+, $11,250 at ages 60-63, and $72,000 total annual additions. Plus the nuance most people miss: a traditional 401(k) lowers income tax but NOT FICA, so a $200 contribution costs about $156 of take-home rather than $200. By-age benchmarks flagged as industry rules of thumb, and the excess-deferral trap after a mid-year job change.
- Do I Have to Pay Taxes on Social Security? (Combined Income Explained)2026-07-28 · Paycheck Basics
Only if your combined income is high enough. Under $25,000 single ($32,000 joint) none of your benefits are taxable; above $34,000 ($44,000 joint) up to 85% can be. What combined income actually is (AGI + tax-exempt interest + HALF your benefits), why '85% taxable' is a share and not an 85% tax rate, why no age exempts benefits, and the levers that genuinely reduce the bill. Sourced from IRS Publication 915 and Topic 423.
- Why Is My Paycheck Lower Than Expected?2026-07-26 · Paycheck Basics
A smaller paycheck almost always traces to one changed line, not the whole check: a benefits or 401(k) auto-escalation change, the January reset of the Social Security wage base ($184,500 for 2026) and IRS withholding tables, crossing the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax threshold at $200,000, a new W-4, supplemental-wage withholding on a bonus, or simply different hours. Includes a symptom-to-cause diagnostic table and the one case that is a real payroll error — Social Security withheld past the wage base after a mid-year job change.
- Which Paycheck Deductions Are Pre-Tax? (Pre-Tax vs After-Tax)2026-07-25 · Paycheck Basics
Pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA, FSA, Section 125 premiums) come out before taxes and lower your taxable income; after-tax deductions (Roth, garnishments, union dues) don't. The full list, what each one saves, and the 401k-vs-FICA nuance most people miss.
- How Much of My Paycheck Can Be Garnished?2026-07-20 · Guides
For ordinary debts, federal law caps garnishment at the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount over 30x the federal minimum wage ($217.50/week). Child support runs to 50-60%, federal student loans 15%, and IRS levies follow an exemption table. The protected-floor math, a limit-by-debt table, and why several states protect more.
- When Do I Get My Final Paycheck After I Quit or Am Fired?2026-07-20 · Guides
Federal law requires final wages by the next regular payday, but many states require them faster and treat being fired differently from quitting. A state-by-state deadline table (fired vs quit), whether unused PTO must be paid out, employer withholding limits, and late-pay penalties.
- Salary vs Hourly Pay: Differences, Pros and Cons, and Which Is Better2026-07-16 · Pay
Salary is fixed annual pay split into equal checks; hourly pay is per hour worked with 1.5x overtime over 40 hours. The FLSA exemption rules (salary basis, $684/week level, duties test), why taxes are identical for both, a full pros-and-cons table, and the 2,080-hour conversion math.
- How to Read a Pay Stub: Every Line Explained2026-07-16 · Guides
A pay stub reads in four blocks — gross pay, pre-tax deductions, taxes, and post-tax deductions — ending in net pay. What OASDI, FICA, YTD, EE/ER and every abbreviation mean, plus a line-by-line $75K biweekly example.
- What Is the Difference Between Gross Pay and Net Pay?2026-07-12 · Guides
Gross pay is your total earnings before deductions; net pay is your take-home after taxes and withholdings. The three layers between them — pre-tax deductions, federal/state/FICA taxes, and post-tax deductions — the formula, and a gross-to-net table from $40K to $250K.
- How Is a PTO Payout Taxed?2026-07-12 · Taxes
A PTO payout is taxed as supplemental wages — flat 22% federal withholding plus FICA (7.65%) and state tax — not at a higher rate. Why the withholding looks steep, a worked $3,250 example, and the state-by-state rules on whether unused PTO must be paid out at all.
- How Much Taxes Are Taken Out of My Paycheck?2026-07-08 · Taxes
A typical US worker keeps 70–85% of gross pay. Exactly what comes out of every paycheck — federal income tax (10–37%), Social Security (6.2% to the $184,500 wage base), Medicare (1.45%), and state tax — with 2026 rates and a take-home table by salary from $40K to $250K.
- How Is Overtime Pay Calculated?2026-07-08 · Pay
Overtime is 1.5× your regular rate for hours over 40 a week under the FLSA. The formula, the regular-rate rules (bonuses count), salaried non-exempt overtime, state daily-overtime rules, and worked examples at every hourly rate from $15 to $50.
- Average Take-Home Pay by US State (2026): All 50 States Ranked2026-06-11 · Data
We computed 2026 take-home pay on a $75,000 (and $100,000) single-filer salary for all 50 states + DC using federal + state income tax + FICA — the same engine as the take-home calculator. Ranked table, highest take-home first.
- Cost of Living Index Sources Compared: C2ER vs BLS vs Numbeo (2026)2026-05-21 · Guides
Which cost of living index should you actually trust for a 2026 US city comparison? Full methodology comparison of C2ER ACCRA, BLS Regional CPI, Numbeo, and the licensed wrappers (BestPlaces, Bankrate). Basket composition, update frequency, sample sizes, and where each one breaks.
- Stock Bonus vs Cash Bonus Tax 2026: Full Side-by-Side With Real Math2026-05-18 · Guides
How a stock bonus is taxed compared to a cash bonus in 2026 — same 22% federal supplemental withholding, different mechanics. RSU sell-to-cover, the 10-point withholding gap, the phantom-income trap, and multi-state RSU allocation. With $50K, $100K, and $250K worked examples.
- Freelance Day Rate vs Hourly Rate 2026: When to Use Each (with Math)2026-05-11 · Guides
Day rate vs hourly rate for freelancers — when to convert, industry benchmarks, the bundle premium math, and how taxes and retainers fit into the calculation in 2026.
- How Bonuses Are Actually Taxed: Federal + State Breakdown (2026)2026-05-08 · Guides
Federal 22% supplemental withholding plus a state-by-state table for all 50 states + DC. Real take-home math on $10K bonuses in CA, NY, TX, FL, IN, and beyond.
- Side-Hustle Quarterly Estimated Taxes 2026: Deadlines, Safe Harbor, and How Much to Pay2026-04-20 · Guides
2026 quarterly estimated tax guide for side hustlers and freelancers. Four deadlines, 15.3% SE tax, safe harbor rule, and exactly how much to set aside.
- Paycheck Withholding: When to Update Your W-4 in 2026 (The Complete Trigger List)2026-04-20 · Guides
The life events, tax law changes, and paycheck signals that should make you update your W-4 in 2026. Includes a step-by-step walkthrough of the new five-step W-4.
- HSA vs FSA for Dual-Income Families 2026: The Coordination Playbook2026-04-20 · Guides
How two-earner households should split HSA and FSA contributions in 2026. New $4,400/$8,750 HSA limits, $3,350 FSA cap, and the dependent care FSA rules that trip up most couples.
- Roth vs Traditional 401(k) in 2026: Contribution Limits, Tax Math, and When Each Wins2026-04-20 · Guides
Full 2026 Roth vs Traditional 401(k) comparison with $24,500 limit, enhanced age 60-63 catch-up of $11,250, tax math at every bracket, and which to pick.
- How to Read a W-2 in 2026: Every Box Explained with Real Examples2026-04-20 · Guides
Complete 2026 W-2 guide. What each of the 20+ boxes means, common codes (D, DD, W, AA), why Box 1 and Box 3 differ, and how to use your W-2 to file accurately.
- How Biweekly Pay Works (And Why 2026 Delivers 27 Paychecks for Some)2026-04-18 · Guides
Biweekly pay explained with 2026 calendar math: why a 27th paycheck happens, how employers handle it, the tax impact, and how it compares to semi-monthly pay.
- W-2 vs 1099 Take-Home on $75K: The Exact 2026 Side-by-Side Math2026-04-18 · Guides
Line-by-line comparison of a $75K W-2 employee vs. a $75K 1099 contractor in 2026. Self-employment tax, QBI deduction, and the break-even point on expenses.
- FICA vs Federal Income Tax: What Actually Comes Out of Your Paycheck in 20262026-04-18 · Guides
The difference between FICA and federal income tax, with 2026 rates, real paycheck examples, and the bracket-by-bracket math that determines your net pay.
- Texas Take-Home Pay 2026: Why $100K Keeps $79,180 Here2026-04-18 · State Guides
Exact 2026 breakdown of Texas take-home pay on $100K. No state income tax, but real property and sales tax costs. Income-level table through $500K.
- California Take-Home Pay 2026: What $100K Actually Becomes After Taxes2026-04-18 · State Guides
Exact 2026 breakdown of California take-home pay on $100K. Federal brackets, CA's 9 brackets, FICA, and SDI computed in full.
- State-by-State Take-Home Pay: How a $100K Salary Ranges from $71,446 to $78,3462026-03-27 · Guides
We calculated take-home pay for all 50 states plus DC on a $100K salary using 2026 federal and state tax brackets. See the complete ranking, hidden local taxes, and how the gap changes at different income levels.