How to Read the CPI Report: A Beginner’s Guide
A step-by-step walkthrough of the monthly BLS CPI release: headline vs core, MoM vs YoY, SA vs NSA, category weights, and how to avoid common misreadings.
investing basics
How Social Security COLA Is Calculated: The CPI-W Formula
How SSA turns the CPI-W into next year’s Social Security raise: the Q3 formula, the no-cut rule, and when the number lands.
The 4% Rule Explained: Bengen, Trinity, and Reality
What the 4% rule is, where it came from, the math, the assumptions that do the work, and where it breaks down.
How Mortgage Rates Are Set: 10-Year Treasury + Spread
30-year mortgage rates aren’t tied to the Fed’s rate. They track the 10-year Treasury plus a mortgage spread. Here’s how the math works.
How an IPO Actually Works: S-1, Bookbuilding, Greenshoe
From S-1 to first trade: how underwriters price an IPO, run the roadshow, use the greenshoe, and why the 7% spread refuses to move.
The Cash Flow Statement Explained: CFO, CFI, and CFF
The cash flow statement shows how a company actually generates and spends cash. How to read the three sections, with a worked example from Apple’s FY2024.
Options Greeks Explained: Delta, Gamma, Theta, Vega, Rho
The five options Greeks — delta, gamma, theta, vega, and rho — explained with OCC definitions, worked examples, a cheat-sheet table, and two visual guides.
T+1 Settlement: How Stock Trades Now Clear in One Day
T+1 settlement means US stock trades settle one business day after execution. Here’s the mechanics, timeline, and what changed for investors.
What Is the P/E Ratio – and When Does It Mislead?
The price-to-earnings ratio is the most-quoted valuation metric on Wall Street. Here’s the formula, trailing vs forward, and when it breaks.
Options Explained: Calls, Puts, Strikes & Expiry Basics
Beginner-friendly guide to stock options: how calls, puts, strike price, expiry, and premium actually work, with worked examples and payoff diagrams.