Frequently Asked Questions

Our name comes from "Occam's Razor," the 14th-century philosophical principle attributed to William of Ockham saying that the simplest explanation—the one requiring the fewest assumptions—is usually the best one. This timeless concept has guided scientific discovery, medical diagnosis, and problem-solving across centuries.

Financial planning is no different: complexity often hides the truth rather than revealing it. So, we've built financial modeling tools fit to be Occam's Model.

Your Freedom Number is the additional monthly income you need to achieve your financial goals and live the lifestyle you want.

Instead of vague advice like "save more money," your Freedom Number gives you a specific, actionable target. For example, you might discover you need an extra $2,847 per month to reach financial independence in 10 years.

This clarity transforms financial planning from wishful thinking into strategic action. You'll know exactly what income level to target, whether through career advancement, side businesses, or investments.

Blueprint is our business modeling tool that helps you design and validate business ideas that can actually hit your Freedom Number.

Use Blueprint when you:

• Have a business idea and want to know if it's financially viable
• Need to understand pricing, costs, and cash flow for your venture
• Want to model different growth scenarios and timelines
• Are deciding between multiple business opportunities

Blueprint transforms your business idea from a concept into a comprehensive financial model with realistic projections, helping you make informed decisions before you invest time and money.

Absolutely! Blueprint is valuable whether you're starting from scratch or already have an established business.

For existing businesses, Blueprint helps you:

• Optimize current operations: Identify areas for cost reduction or revenue growth
• Plan expansions: Model new products, services, or markets
• Set realistic targets: Determine what growth you need to hit your Freedom Number
• Evaluate new opportunities: Compare potential initiatives side-by-side

Blueprint can take your existing business to the next level and achieve your personal financial goals faster.

While you can use the tools independently, we strongly recommend starting with Freedom Number for the best results.

Here's why the sequence matters:

• Clear Target: Freedom Number gives you a specific income goal to aim for
• Personal Context: Understanding your current finances helps you make better business decisions
• Realistic Planning: You'll know exactly what your business needs to generate
• Better Evaluation: You can objectively assess whether a business idea meets your needs

Think of Freedom Number as defining your destination, and Blueprint as designing the journey to get there. Knowing where you're going makes planning the route much more effective.

Our tax calculations are designed to be highly accurate for typical situations, using current federal, state, FICA, and local tax rates and rules.

What we cover comprehensively:

• Federal income tax with standard and itemized deductions
• All US states and territories (including no-tax states)
• Major cities with local income taxes
• FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare)
• Self-employment taxes and business deductions

Important note: Our calculations are estimates based on current tax law and typical situations. For highly complex tax situations or final tax preparation, we recommend consulting with a qualified tax professional.

However, for financial planning and business modeling purposes, our calculations provide the accuracy you need to make informed decisions.

Most people complete their Freedom Number setup in 15-30 minutes, depending on the complexity of their financial situation.

Typical timeline:

• Simple situation: W2 employee, basic expenses - about 15 minutes
• Moderate complexity: Multiple income sources, homeowner - about 25 minutes
• Complex situation: Business owner, rental properties, investments - about 30-45 minutes

Our step-by-step wizard guides you through each section, and you can save your progress at any time. Many users find the process surprisingly quick and enlightening.

Note: You do NOT need any documentation, like a pay stub or tax return, to quickly determine your Freedom Number.

We ask for basic information about your current financial situation, including:

• Financial goals: Desired savings rate or lifestyle targets
• Income details: Pay amount and frequency across common categories (W2, self-employment, etc.)
• Monthly expenses: Rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries.
• Irregular expenses: Vacation budget, seasonal maintenance, annual fees
• Work-related expenses: As applicable according to your income sources (e.g., withholdings for W2, business expenses for self-employment)
• Tax information: Filing status, state of residence, dependents

Privacy note: We never ask for identifiable information like account numbers, SSN, or banking credentials - just the amounts and categories. You also are never asked to disclose your actual place of work, business name - everything is kept generalized.

Opt-out note: You can skip any step or enter only the information you'd like - this might reduce the accuracy of your results, but you have full control.

Yes, absolutely. We take your financial privacy and security very seriously.

What we protect:

• Bank-level encryption: All data is encrypted in transit and at rest
• No sensitive credentials: We never store banking passwords, account numbers, or SSN
• Minimal data collection: We only collect what's necessary for calculations
• Your control: You can delete your data and account at any time

What we never do:

• Sell your data to third parties
• Share your information with advertisers
• Store banking credentials or account access
• Connect to your financial accounts without explicit permission

For complete details, see our Privacy Policy.

Yes! Scenario modeling is one of our most powerful features.

Freedom Number scenarios:

• Income changes: How does your Freedom Number change if you quit your job to go full-time on your idea or sold rental / investment assets for starting cash?

Blueprint scenarios:

• Growth rates: Conservative vs. aggressive expansion plans
• Pricing strategies: Impact of different price points
• Cost structures: Fixed vs. variable cost models
• Market conditions: Best case, worst case, and realistic projections

We walk you through all of these with simplicity and clarity. This flexibility helps you plan for uncertainty and make confident decisions based on multiple possible futures.

We recommend updating your Freedom Number whenever significant changes occur in your financial life.

Update triggers:

• Income changes: New job, raise, new income source, or loss of income
• Major expenses: Moving, buying a home, having children
• Life events: Marriage, divorce, retirement
• Goal changes: Different timeline or lifestyle targets
• Tax law changes: We update rates, but you may need to update your situation

Routine review schedule:

• Quarterly: Quick review to ensure accuracy
• Annually: Comprehensive update with tax season information
• Before major decisions: Job changes, large purchases, business decisions

Your Freedom Number automatically recalculates when you make changes, so you'll always have current projections.

Yes! We support all 50 US states, Washington DC, and US territories for comprehensive tax calculations.

Complete coverage includes:

• No-tax states: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming
• State income tax states: All states with varying rates, brackets, and deductions
• Local tax jurisdictions: Major cities like New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco

We stay current with:

• Annual tax rate changes
• New legislation and tax law updates
• Standard deduction and bracket adjustments
• State-specific deductions and credits

Whether you live in California with high state taxes or Texas with no state income tax, we'll calculate your taxes accurately for precise Freedom Number planning.