A checker answers the question before the calculator question: not how much, but whether — and which method, target, or rule applies to your situation. Each checker below asks four to seven short questions, applies the published rules to your answers in plain words, and gives a verdict — appears eligible, likely not, or borderline — with the number the rules produce where they produce one. Every checker ends in the existing calculator that runs the full calculation for your situation, so the verdict is never a dead end.
The four checkers
How a verdict works
Each checker page states its rules before it applies them: the How this verdict works section puts the rules in plain words and names the primary source for each one, with the date it was checked. The verdict logic on the page implements exactly those stated rules — no more, no less — and the wording is deliberately short of a guarantee: appears eligible, likely not, or borderline — check the edge case, with the reason attached. Three of the four checkers apply IRS rules. The emergency fund checker applies a widely used planning rule of thumb instead, and its page labels it as guidance, not law.
Estimates for planning only. Checker verdicts apply published rules to the answers given and are not determinations by the IRS or any agency. They are not professional tax or financial advice. For a decision that affects a filing or a plan, confirm with a qualified professional.