The Reise Report
Updates, insights, and the math behind the tools.
Weekly dev logs, financial education posts, and the thinking behind what we build — from Mitch Reise.
Building in Public: Week One
Why I built 50+ calculators that show their work, where this is going, and what I've learned about making tools people actually trust.
April 9, 2026
Why You Need a Separate Business Bank Account (And Which One to Get)
Mixing personal and business money is an audit red flag and pierces your LLC protection. Here's how to fix it in under an hour.
April 9, 2026
7 Contract Red Flags Every Contractor Should Know Before Signing
Most contract problems are visible before you sign. Here are the clauses that should make you pause — and what to ask for instead.
April 9, 2026
5 Tax Mistakes Every New Contractor Makes (And How to Fix Them)
From skipping quarterly payments to missing the home office deduction — here's what trips up first-year 1099 workers.
April 9, 2026
Contractor vs. Employee: What Rights You Actually Have
W-2 employees and 1099 contractors live under completely different legal frameworks — here's what that means for you in practice.
April 9, 2026
Health Insurance for Self-Employed: Your Options and the Tax Break You're Missing
1099 workers can deduct 100% of health insurance premiums. Most don't know how.
April 9, 2026
The Home Office Deduction: What Contractors Actually Qualify For
IRS rules are stricter than most freelancers realize. Here's what counts, what doesn't, and how to calculate it correctly.
April 9, 2026
How to Handle Late-Paying Clients Without Burning the Relationship
A payment is 30 days overdue. Here's the exact email sequence — and when to escalate.
April 9, 2026
Invoicing Best Practices for Freelancers: Get Paid Faster
Late payments are a cash flow problem, and most of them are caused by invoicing habits that are easy to fix.
April 9, 2026
LLC vs Sole Proprietorship: The Real Difference (It's Not What You Think)
Most freelancers form an LLC for the wrong reasons. Here's what it actually protects — and what it doesn't.
April 9, 2026
The Mileage Deduction: A Contractor's Most Underused Tax Break
At 67 cents per mile, most contractors leave $1,000+ on the table every year. Here's exactly what counts, what doesn't, and how to document it.
April 9, 2026
Can Your Idle Computer Actually Pay Your Electric Bill?
A realistic look at what ad-supported compute sharing and browser earnings can actually generate — and what it takes to hit meaningful numbers.
April 9, 2026
How to Raise Your Rates Without Losing Clients
The psychology of rate increases is predictable — here's the 90-day framework that protects relationships while protecting your income.
April 9, 2026
How to Raise Your Rates Without Losing Clients
Most clients won't leave when you raise your rates. Most contractors never raise them because they assume the opposite. Here's the framework.
April 9, 2026
Retirement Accounts for the Self-Employed: Which One Actually Wins
Solo 401k, SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA, Roth IRA — here's exactly how to stack them when you're your own boss.
April 9, 2026
How to Set Your Freelance Rate Without Underselling Yourself
The math behind pricing your services — accounting for taxes, benefits, downtime, and profit margin.
April 9, 2026
The Solo 401(k): Why It's the Best Retirement Account You're Probably Ignoring
You can shelter up to $69,000 per year as a self-employed contractor. Most people are leaving most of that on the table.
April 9, 2026
Home Office Tax Deductions: The Complete Guide for 1099 Contractors
Most self-employed workers leave hundreds of dollars in home office deductions on the table every year — here's what you can actually claim.
April 9, 2026
Why We Show Our Work
Most calculators give you an answer. We give you understanding.
April 9, 2026
How to Set Your Freelance Rate (Without Guessing)
Most freelancers undercharge by 40%. Here's the formula that fixes it — and how to have the rate conversation with confidence.
April 7, 2026
W-2 vs 1099: The Hidden Costs Your Offer Letter Doesn't Show
What your employer pays on top of your salary — and what a 1099 contractor needs to charge to actually match an $80k W-2 job.
April 5, 2026
Quarterly Taxes Explained: Why You Owe Them and How to Stop Getting Surprised
Got hit with a tax bill and penalties at the end of the year? Here's how the quarterly estimated tax system works and how to never be surprised again.
April 3, 2026
1099 vs W-2: The Real Math Behind the Pay Gap
A $90/hr contractor rate sounds better than a $65/hr salary — until you do the math.
April 2, 2026