Finance

The finance tools here fall into three groups. Borrowing covers what a debt actually costs you: the mortgage and amortization calculators break a loan into principal and interest over its full term, while the credit card interest and payoff calculators show how long a balance takes to clear and what carrying it costs.

Saving covers growth over time. The compound interest and daily compound interest calculators differ only in how often interest is added, which matters more than people expect over long periods. The future value calculator adds regular contributions to the picture, which is what a real savings or retirement plan usually looks like. The CD and CD ladder calculators handle fixed-term deposits, the ladder version splitting a sum across staggered maturities so part of it comes available each year.

Comparing rates is where most of the confusion lives, and it is worth understanding before comparing any two products. APR is the yearly rate before compounding is taken into account; APY and EAR describe the rate after compounding, which is why a savings account advertising 5% APY pays more than one advertising 5% APR. The APR to APY calculator converts between them so you can compare two products quoted on different bases — which is usually the only way to see which is genuinely cheaper or better paying.

Every calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere, so you can put real figures in. None of these tools are financial advice; they do not know your tax position, fees, or how rates may move.