Plain-English explanations of paychecks, taxes and salaries.
Paychecks
Gross pay vs net pay: what is the difference?
Why the salary on your offer letter is not what you see on payday, and what sits in between.
5 min readTaxes explainedWhat is FICA? Social Security and Medicare explained
The 7.65% payroll tax on almost every US paycheck, the 2026 wage base and the extra Medicare tax.
6 min readStatesThe 9 states with no income tax on wages (2026)
Where your paycheck skips state income tax, and what those states charge instead.
7 min read