Questions worth asking before you trust a calculator with your numbers

Is my data really not stored anywhere?

Yes. RetiSquare runs the entire calculation in your browser — nothing you enter is sent to a server, because there's no server involved in the calculation at all. Close the tab and your numbers are gone. There's no account, so there's nothing tied to your identity to begin with. See the full Privacy Policy for the exact detail.

If nothing's stored, how do I save a plan?

On the free tier, you don't — each session starts fresh. Save-and-compare is a Premium feature that's coming soon; until it ships, the free tier's real, complete single-scenario projection is what you get each time you open the calculator.

How is RetiSquare different from other retirement calculators?

Most retirement calculators give you a final number without showing the math behind it. If you've ever run the same numbers through two different tools and gotten two different answers, with no way to tell which one's right, that's the actual problem RetiSquare is built to solve — every formula is inspectable on the Methodology page, and anywhere the model simplifies something, it says so next to the number.

Why does RetiSquare give me a different answer than another calculator I tried?

Almost always because the two tools are making different assumptions somewhere — a different RMD start age, a different capital-gains treatment, a different state tax method, different Social Security taxation thresholds. Since RetiSquare shows its exact assumptions on the Methodology page, you can compare them line by line against whatever else you've used, instead of just picking whichever number you like better.

Is this financial advice?

No. RetiSquare is a planning and modeling tool, not a substitute for a licensed financial planner, and it says so at the specific points where a decision depends on something the model can't fully capture — cost basis precision, state-specific credits, Roth conversion timing, couple-level claiming strategy. See the full Terms of Service for the complete disclaimer.

What if my state isn't in the curated list?

You'll get a flat-rate estimate instead of real bracket math — enter your best estimate of your effective state tax rate, or leave the default. The Methodology page lists exactly which 13 states have full bracket support today.

I don't have my Social Security statement handy — can I still use this?

Yes. Enter a single estimated benefit at full retirement age (67) and RetiSquare derives your reduced or increased benefit at every other claiming age from that one number. The full 62–70 table is there if you do have your statement and want to enter it directly.

Do I need to know my cost basis exactly?

No — cost-basis tracking is an optional, advanced input. Leave it at the default and RetiSquare uses a reasonable estimate; refine it later if you want more precision on the capital-gains portion of your plan.

What does Premium actually add?

The short version: couple mode, unlimited Monte Carlo runs, survival-probability modeling, long-term care and debt modeling, full state tax brackets, and cost-basis tracking — with save-and-compare and PDF export coming soon. The full breakdown, with why each one matters, is on the Pricing page.

Is Premium worth it if I'm single with a simple situation?

Possibly not, and that's a fair conclusion to reach — the free tier's single-scenario projection is a complete, real answer on its own. Premium earns its price mainly for couples (spousal claiming math) and anyone near a Medicare or tax cliff (IRMAA/peak-tax-year detection), where a wrong assumption costs real money.

How much does Premium cost?

$60/year for early Beta1 members; $99/year standard. See Pricing for current details.

I found something that looks wrong — what do I do?

Please tell us. This is a public beta specifically so real numbers from real situations can surface exactly this kind of thing. Go to Feedback or use the "tell us" link at the bottom of the calculator.