About PlainTally
What this site is, how the calculators are built and checked, and how it's funded.
What this is
PlainTally is a set of free, browser-based calculators for common personal-finance questions — mortgages, loans, retirement, budgeting, and more. There's no signup and no account. Nothing you type is ever sent to a server: every calculation runs locally in your browser and disappears when you close the tab.
Why it exists
The goal is to turn a financial formula you'd otherwise have to look up, or take on faith from someone else's spreadsheet, into something you can see and check yourself, in plain language, without a sales pitch attached. PlainTally isn't affiliated with any bank, lender, or financial institution — it doesn't sell financial products, and the calculators aren't built to steer you toward any particular one.
How the calculators are built
Every calculator uses standard, publicly documented formulas — the same amortization math a lender uses, the same debt-to-income thresholds used across mortgage underwriting, the same snowball/avalanche and DIME methods described in personal-finance guides. Nothing here is a proprietary black box. Where a calculator relies on an assumption — a default interest rate, a rule-of-thumb percentage — that assumption is stated on the page next to the result, not buried in a footnote. Before a calculator is published, its output is checked against a hand-worked example to confirm the math holds up.
Privacy
PlainTally collects no personal or financial data. There are no accounts, no saved history, and no analytics beyond what's described in the Privacy Policy for advertising. The numbers you enter exist only in your browser, for as long as the page stays open.
Not financial advice
Every calculator here produces an estimate, not a recommendation. None of it is financial, tax, or legal advice, and none of it replaces a conversation with a lender, accountant, financial advisor, or other licensed professional who can see your full situation. Treat the results as a starting point for that conversation, not the end of it.
How this site is funded
PlainTally is supported by display advertising (Google AdSense), which is what keeps every calculator free and signup-free. Ads don't influence which formulas are used or what a calculator's result shows — see the Privacy Policy for how those ads use cookies.
Corrections & contact
If a formula looks wrong, a description is unclear, or something on the site doesn't work the way it should, that's genuinely useful to hear. Reach out at [email protected] — corrections get made.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PlainTally financial advice?
No. Every calculator produces an estimate for planning purposes, not a recommendation specific to your situation. Confirm any real decision with a lender, accountant, financial advisor, or other licensed professional.
Does PlainTally sell my data or require an account?
No. There are no accounts, and nothing you enter is transmitted or stored anywhere — every calculation runs locally in your browser. See the Privacy Policy for details on advertising cookies.
Is PlainTally affiliated with a bank or lender?
No. PlainTally isn't affiliated with any financial institution and doesn't sell financial products, so the calculators aren't built to steer you toward any particular lender or offer.
How are the formulas chosen and checked?
Each calculator uses standard, publicly documented formulas — the same math used in mortgage underwriting, credit counseling, and personal-finance guides — and its output is checked against a hand-worked example before it's published.
What if I find a mistake?
Please report it at [email protected]. Corrections get made — several calculators on this site have been fixed after exactly that kind of report.