Free Agent FinanceRun your finances like the business they already are.
Free Agent Finance is the personal finance guide for freelancers and self-employed professionals in the US — quarterly taxes, business banking, health insurance, and retirement, explained without the corporate-employee assumptions baked into everyone else's advice.
Why freelancers read us
Finance advice that assumes you're the boss
Every guide is written around variable income, self-paid taxes, and the absence of an HR department — not retrofitted from advice meant for salaried employees.
Built for irregular income
Budgets, savings targets, and tax math that work when your paycheck changes every month.
Plain-English, not jargon
No acronym soup. We define every term the first time it shows up, then get straight to what to do.
Free interactive calculators
Estimate self-employment tax, quarterly payments, and more — no signup, no paywall.
Sourced, not guessed
Figures are checked against the IRS, SBA, and Healthcare.gov, with a "last reviewed" date on every guide.
Explore by topic
Twelve categories. One financial life.
Start wherever your question is — every hub links to the guides, tools, and reviews underneath it.
Taxes
Quarterly payments, deductions, and forms — demystified.
3 guidesBusiness Structure
Sole prop, LLC, or S-Corp — what actually changes.
1 guideBusiness Banking
Accounts, cards, and keeping money separated properly.
1 guideHealth Insurance
Marketplace plans, subsidies, and HSAs for the self-employed.
1 guideRetirement
SEP IRA, Solo 401(k), and building a plan without a match.
1 guideBookkeeping
Track income and expenses without a spreadsheet meltdown.
1 guideBudgeting
Frameworks that hold up when your income doesn't repeat.
1 guideTools
Free calculators for taxes, rates, and cash flow.
InteractiveSoftware Reviews
Independent comparisons of the tools freelancers pay for.
1 reviewGuides
Cross-topic checklists for the moments that matter most.
ChecklistsCalculators
Self-employment tax and quarterly payments, worked out live.
InteractiveResources
Official .gov links every freelancer should bookmark.
CuratedStart here
Our most useful guides
Ten deep, practical guides to start solving the financial questions freelancers ask most.
Quarterly Estimated Taxes for Freelancers: The Complete Guide
How to calculate, schedule, and pay without penalties.
The Freelancer Tax Deduction Checklist: 25 Write-Offs
Every legitimate deduction, organized by category.
How Much to Save for Taxes as a 1099 Contractor
A simple percentage method, plus a free calculator.
LLC vs S-Corp for Freelancers: Which Saves You More
Taxes, paperwork, and payroll compared side by side.
Best Business Bank Accounts for Freelancers
Why separating accounts matters and how to choose.
Health Insurance Options for the Self-Employed
Marketplace plans, subsidies, and alternatives compared.
SEP IRA vs Solo 401(k): Retirement Plans for Freelancers
Contribution limits and how to decide between the two.
Bookkeeping Basics for Freelancers
A monthly system for tracking income and expenses.
How to Budget on Irregular Freelance Income
The baseline-income method for a paycheck that changes.
Best Accounting Software for Freelancers, Compared
QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Wave, and more.
Try it live
See your quarterly tax number in under two minutes.
Our Self-Employment & Quarterly Tax Calculator estimates your SE tax, federal liability, and quarterly payment from your net income — free, no email required.
Open the calculatorFrequently asked
Questions freelancers ask before they start
What early readers say
"Finally, a finance site that doesn't assume I have a fixed paycheck or an HR department handling everything for me. Their budgeting guide for variable income is pure gold for those of us who work for ourselves."
"What convinced me was that the calculator breaks down your self-employment tax instantly, and it's free. Other sites make you fill out an endless form just to ask for your credit card at the end. Here, you get straight to the point."
Not sure where to start? Take the two-minute quiz your future accountant will thank you for.
Actually — just start with the guide everyone reads first.