Methodology & trust

How our calculators work

No black boxes. Every SumWize calculator uses a standard, published financial formula, and here we show you exactly which one, what we assume, and a worked example you can check by hand.

Private by default

Every calculation runs in your browser. Your numbers are never sent to a server or stored anywhere.

Standard formulas

We use the same time-value-of-money math taught in finance courses and used by lenders, nothing proprietary or hidden.

Assumptions in the open

Each tool states what it assumes and what it leaves out, so you know exactly what the number does and doesn't include.

Checkable

Every worked example below can be verified with a basic calculator. If our math is off, we want to hear it.

The building blocks

Most of our tools are built from three classic formulas. Everything else is these, applied to a specific question.

1 · Loan payment (amortization)

The fixed monthly payment that pays off a loan over n months at monthly rate r:

payment = P × r / ( 1 − (1 + r)^−n ) P = amount borrowed · r = annual rate ÷ 12 · n = years × 12
2 · Future value (savings + contributions)

What a starting balance plus a regular monthly deposit grows to:

FV = PV × (1 + i)^n + PMT × ( (1 + i)^n − 1 ) / i PV = starting amount · PMT = monthly deposit · i = annual return ÷ 12 · n = months
3 · Annual percentage yield (compounding)

The true yearly return once compounding is counted, for a stated rate compounded m times a year:

APY = (1 + rate / m)^m − 1
An important limit. These calculators are educational tools, not financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. They use simplifying assumptions and standard formulas, and their results are estimates, real outcomes depend on details specific to you and on markets, rates, and rules that change over time. For decisions that matter, talk with a qualified professional.

See the math in action

Open any calculator and the numbers update as you type, with the reasoning a click away.

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