What is the 20 10 rule?

Asked by: Iva Davis  |  Last update: July 9, 2025
Score: 4.6/5 (20 votes)

Quick Answer. The 20/10 rule of thumb tells you to keep your debts below 20% of your annual take-home pay and below 10% of your monthly take-home pay. The purpose of this guideline is to keep debts at a manageable level and build financial stability.

How does the 20/10 rule work?

According to the 20/10 rule, you should avoid using more than 20% of your annual income toward paying off debt (aside from housing) and avoid spending more than 10% of your monthly take-home income on debt payments. While not for everyone, strategies like the 20/10 rule can help you make and keep a budget.

Which is better, 50/30/20 or 70/20/10?

It can work well if your essential expenses are within 50% of your income and you want a balanced approach to spending and saving. 70/20/10 Rule: May be better if you aim to save more aggressively or have higher essential expenses that exceed 50% of your income.

What is the 70/30/10 rule money?

It's an approach to budgeting that encourages setting aside 70% of your take-home pay for living expenses and discretionary purchases, 20% for savings and investments, and 10% for debt repayment or donations.

What is the 70 20 20 rule?

That's why we really like the idea of a 70-20-10 rule for your money. Applying around 70% of your take-home pay to needs, letting around 20% go to wants, and aiming to save only 10% are simply more realistic goals to shoot for right now.

How Much Car Can I Afford (20/4/10 Rule)

25 related questions found

What is the 80 20 spend rule?

According to this rule, 80% of overall value comes from 20% of the most important items. Procurement has embraced this principle to prioritise its purchases using three categories: A, B and C also named Tail spend. However, appearances can be deceptive.

How would a person use the 50-30-20 rule?

Do not subtract other amounts that may be withheld or automatically deducted, like health insurance or retirement contributions. Those will become part of your budget. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings.

What is the 40 rule money?

The 40/30/20/10 rule is a budgeting framework that separates what you earn into categories for spending your after-tax income: 40% for needs. The biggest category for most people is day-to-day needs. This includes housing, utilities, transportation, health care and groceries.

How much should I save if I make 70k a year?

Most experts recommend putting 10 to 15% of your income into a retirement account each year.

How to budget $3,000 a month?

Here's an example: If you make $3,000 each month after taxes, $1,500 should go toward necessities, $900 for wants and $600 for savings and debt paydown. Find out how this budgeting approach applies to your money.

Is 70:20:10 outdated?

70-20-10 Is Good In Theory, But Nobody Does It

The 70-20-10 model is aspirational, but it's not being implemented. The Association for Talent Development concedes that on-the-job learning is difficult to track and measure.

What is the 80 20 rule for retirement?

Using the 80/20 budgeting method, 80% of your income goes toward monthly expenses and spending, while the other 20% goes toward savings and investments.

What is the 60 20 20 rule?

If you have a large amount of debt that you need to pay off, you can modify your percentage-based budget and follow the 60/20/20 rule. Put 60% of your income towards your needs (including debts), 20% towards your wants, and 20% towards your savings.

What are the four C's of credit?

Character, capital, capacity, and collateral – purpose isn't tied entirely to any one of the four Cs of credit worthiness. If your business is lacking in one of the Cs, it doesn't mean it has a weak purpose, and vice versa.

What is the 203040 rule?

The most common way to use the 40-30-20-10 rule is to assign 40% of your income — after taxes — to necessities such as food and housing, 30% to discretionary spending, 20% to savings or paying off debt and 10% to charitable giving or meeting financial goals.

What is the 20 4 rule?

To apply this rule of thumb, budget for the following: 20% down payment: Aim to make a 20% down payment on your new car. 4-year repayment term: Choose a repayment term of four years or less on your auto loan. 10% transportation costs: Spend less than 10% of your total monthly income on transportation costs.

Is $1500 a month enough to retire on?

We've asked financial experts to weigh in and many have emphasized that with careful planning and well thought out strategies, it's entirely possible to live on this amount during retirement.

Is $70 000 a good salary for a single person?

$70K can be a good salary for a single person, depending on your circumstances. But if you'd like to stretch your income as much as possible, here are a few ideas: Determine your monthly budget. A budgeting and spending plan that works for your lifestyle and long-term goals is essential.

What is the 3000 dollar rule?

Funds Transfer and Travel Rule Requirements

Treasury regulation 31 CFR Section 103.33 prescribes information that must be obtained for funds transfers in the amount of $3,000 or more.

What is the fire 4 rule?

The 4% rule states how much you can withdraw from your nest egg the first year of retirement. Every subsequent year is that amount, adjusted for inflation. For example, let's say your nest egg for you and your spouse is $2 million. The first year of retirement, you would be able to withdraw a maximum of $80,000.

What is the 100 dollar rule?

The $100/24 Hour Rule

It's when you can't afford it that you need to stop, think and come up with a plan. The $100/24 Hour rule is so good if you're tempted to buy something: if it's more than $100, wait 24 hours before buying it. Then, if you still need it or really want it, think about how you can afford to get it.

How much money should you have left after bills?

Ideally, you want to have 20% of your take-home pay left over after paying all of your bills. Track spending using an app or spreadsheet to determine why there isn't more money left over after bills. Consider cutting unnecessary bills (like cable, streaming networks, gym memberships) to save money.

What is the best time to start saving for retirement?

It's best to start saving as early on in your career as you can, but no one has a time machine to go back and begin stashing away money earlier if they procrastinated a little longer than they should have.

How much should rent be of income?

It is recommended that you spend 30% of your monthly income on rent at maximum, and to consider all the factors involved in your budget, including additional rental costs like renters insurance or your initial security deposit.