The boring path wins

Personal finance without the noise.

Most money advice is designed to sell you something. Simple Money Advice isn't. Plain-language articles and free tools from a CPA with 15 years in corporate finance, covering debt, investing, and building income the slow way.

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Find the articles that fit your situation.
💳

I'm in Debt

Student loans, credit cards, and the math on whether to pay down debt or start investing. The order matters more than the amount.

6 articles →
🚀

I'm Starting from Zero

First paycheck to first investment. Bank accounts, budgets, emergency funds, credit, and salary negotiation, in the order that makes sense.

17 articles →
📈

I Have Money

You have income left over. Now what? Index funds, 401(k)s, Roth vs Traditional, and the math on renting versus buying.

13 articles →
💍

I'm Getting Married

Combining finances with a partner, what weddings actually cost, and the conversations worth having before the ring.

Coming soon →
🏠

Buying a First Home

What you can actually afford, what a rate lock really means, and the math nobody shows you at the open house.

2 articles →
🔍

I Lost My Job

Severance, COBRA, unemployment, and what to actually do with your old 401(k) after a layoff or a leap.

Coming soon →
🏗️

I Want to Start a Business

Side income, passive income, and course sellers. What the math actually looks like, and what's worth your time versus what isn't.

4 articles →
🏪

I Have a Business

You already own or run something. What ownership actually looks like financially, margins, owner pay, and the real numbers.

5 articles →
👶

I Have Children

Term life insurance, a will and trust, and a 529 plan. The 3 moves that matter most, done early and in the right order.

3 articles →
🤝

I'm Caring for Aging Parents

Having the money conversation with parents early, understanding real costs, and knowing what to ask before a crisis.

Coming soon →
🪙

I Received an Inheritance

What to do in the first 90 days, house vs. cash, and the tax basics nobody explains upfront.

Coming soon →
🌅

I'm Ready to Retire

Retirement is a number, not an age, except for Social Security and Medicare. The math and the 2 real deadlines.

5 articles →
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MA
About the author

Michael Azzolina, CPA, MBA

I'm a Corporate Finance Executive with 15 years in corporate finance. I've spent my career across publicly traded companies, private family businesses, and venture-backed startups, scaling teams, running financial planning, and making the same kinds of decisions most people only face once or twice in their lives. I built this site because most personal finance content is designed to sell you something, not to help you.

The same principles that run a company's finances apply to yours. The math isn't complicated. Most of the time the answer is boring. That's the point.

Read my full background →