About
Small tools for clearer money decisions.
Simple Signal HQ turns one personal-finance question at a time into a visible number, a plain-language range, and the math connecting them.
Who runs the site
Simple Signal HQ is made and maintained by an independent maker. It is not a bank, brokerage, lender, financial-planning firm, or lead-generation business.
Why it exists
Many financial tools ask for a long list of details, hide the useful number, or turn a calculation into a sales funnel. This site takes a narrower approach: ask only for the inputs needed to answer one question, calculate in the browser, and explain the result without pretending it settles the whole decision.
Methodology
The thresholds come from common personal-finance rules of thumb. They are deliberately simple and are stated on each calculator page so you can judge whether they fit your situation.
- Emergency Fund Signal uses the common three-to-six-month cash-buffer range, increased by 50% for variable or seasonal income.
- Rent vs. Buy Quick Signal uses common price-to-rent bands of under 15, 15 through 20, and over 20.
- Savings Rate Signal uses 10% and 20% of take-home income as simple reference points. Its illustrative table uses the common 4% withdrawal rule.
- Debt Load Signal uses 10% and 20% of take-home income as budgeting reference points for non-mortgage debt payments.
These signals do not account for every household constraint, risk, goal, tax rule, or local cost. They are prompts for a closer look, not recommendations.