Frequently asked questions
Answers describe what this site does today. They are not a privacy policy or a set of terms.
General calculator usage
Are the calculators free?
Yes. The published calculators open without an account and without a fee. Planned tools listed in the directory do not calculate anything yet.
Are the results financial advice?
No. Results are estimates from the numbers and assumptions on the page. They are not a recommendation to borrow, refinance, buy, or invest, and they are not a loan offer.
Are the interest rates live?
You type the rate or APR a scenario should use. The Rates page can load national averages from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Those figures show an observation date and are not a lender quote. On the mortgage calculator, “Use today’s average rate” fills the 30-year or 15-year rate only after you choose it. The 10-year mortgage figure stays an example. If the rates request fails, the last saved response is shown with its date.
How accurate are the estimates?
The schedules follow the formulas described on the methodology page, including cent rounding. A lender, servicer, or tax agency can use different dates, rounding, or fees. Program fees that are stored in the calculator carry a review date and are not current quotes.
Can I use the calculators on a phone?
Yes. Calculator pages stack the result, the inputs, and the charts on a narrow screen, and a bar at the bottom jumps back to the result.
Can I share a calculation?
Yes. Share copies a link whose query string contains the inputs. Anyone with that link can read those numbers. Nothing is uploaded to an account, because there is no account.
Housing and mortgages
Does the mortgage calculator include taxes and insurance?
Only when you leave those costs included. Principal and interest is calculated separately. Turning the costs off removes them from the monthly total.
Is an affordability result a preapproval?
No. It is a price that fits the income, debts, ratios, and cash you entered. It does not check credit, verified income, or a property.
Does a lower refinance payment mean I will pay less overall?
Not by itself. A longer term can lower the payment and raise total interest. The refinance page separates the payment change from the interest and the break-even measures.
Do extra payments change the scheduled mortgage payment?
On the payoff calculator, the scheduled principal and interest stays the same. Extra principal is applied after that payment and cannot exceed the remaining balance. Taxes, insurance, and mortgage insurance are not included. The payoff date is not a quote from a loan servicer.
Loans and debt
Does the auto loan calculator look up a rate?
No. The APR is the one you enter. A 72-month term can lower the payment and increase total interest compared with 60 months on the same vehicle.
How is a trade-in counted?
Equity is the allowance minus the payoff. Positive equity reduces the amount financed once. It is not also added as cash down. Negative equity is either financed or paid in cash, and the page says which.
Does the debt payoff calculator choose a payment plan?
No. It compares two orders for the balances, rates, minimums, and extra payment you enter. Avalanche sends the extra to the highest rate. Snowball sends it to the smallest balance. It does not contact a creditor or enroll a plan.
Investments and savings
Where are the investing and tax calculators?
The rental, compound interest, savings goal, inflation, retirement, 401(k), and Roth IRA calculators are published. The tax calculators are not. The Learn Center lists those shelves and does not show articles for tools that do not exist yet.
Privacy and saved scenarios
Are my calculations saved?
Only if you choose Save. The scenario is written to this browser’s local storage under the key mc-saved. It is not uploaded, and there is no account to sign in to. Clearing the browser’s site data removes it.
Do I need an account?
No. Nothing on the site asks you to create one.
Advertising and independence
Are the calculators affiliated with lenders?
No lender relationship is connected. Buttons that mention pre-approval or talking to a lender open a notice. They do not submit an application or send your numbers to a lender.
Are ads running?
No. The advertising switch is off, and pages do not load an ad network. A future ad would need its own disclosure and would sit outside the calculator’s inputs and results. Calculator math would stay independent of that placement.