Do Your Finances Add Up? The Top 7 Online Calculators You Need

When it comes to financial health, knowledge is power. Fortunately, there’s a calculator for nearly everything and if you’re smart about your finances, you should be using one to compute how you’re doing and where you can make changes. Here are our top picks to help you determine how your finances add up.

Rent vs Buy

At the New York Times, this calculator is one of the most widely interactive features. It takes every cost of buying into account and helps consumers determine whether to rent or buy. If you decide to buy, try CNN’s calculator to find out how much house you can afford.

Billshark’s Savings Calculator

To predict monthly savings, try Billshark’s Savings Calculator. By entering your monthly bill payments on services like cable, wireless, satellite TV, and home security, you can estimate your annual savings after Billshark negotiates your bills.

Mortgage Calculator

Estimate your monthly mortgage payment including your principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and PMI with this easy-to-use calculator from NerdWallet.

Retirement Calculator

The Ultimate Retirement Calculator is one of the most comprehensive ones out there. It goes a step further than typical retirement calculators with more functionality. For example, you can add phased income, part-time business income, real-estate income and more. For something more basic, try the Vanguard Retirement Nest Egg Calculator.

Home Budget Calculator

Knowing how much to spend based on your income is critical for any budget. Try Bankrate’s calculator to determine whether you’re overspending and where you can tighten the belt.

Debt Snowball Calculator

Use this calculator to accelerate your debt payoff. Once the first debt is paid, use the freed up amount to pay the next debt even faster (and so on).