Russell 2000 index saw a 2% uptick, fueled by small-cap investors using personal finance tools to track earnings surprise trends, particularly in regional manufacturing firms. In contrast, Salahi noted that a wealth-builder would consider the after-tax returns and structure their finances to minimize tax liabilities legally. Budgeting can be a tedious task, but a good budgeting tool can make the process a lot easier. It could be an app, a website or even a calculator. Nasdaq index climbed 1.4% this week as investors leveraged personal finance tools for real-time portfolio optimization. Strong earnings forecast from semiconductor firms suggest a potential 10% rally in the tech-heavy segment by September, driven by AI and automation trends.