Frequently asked questions

HoldingCost is an ownership cost intelligence platform. It models the long-term cost of owning and operating assets — loans, property, vehicles, investments, inventory, equipment — using standard financial mathematics on the inputs you provide. Every calculator is built on a versioned, tested engine that shows its working instead of hiding behind a single headline number.

The platform is built for data-driven people who want to see the numbers before they commit capital. That includes buyers modelling a mortgage, investors comparing asset strategies, operations teams sizing inventory, and finance teams evaluating equipment purchases. If you prefer auditable calculations over sales copy, it is built for you.

Yes. Every calculator, guide, and glossary entry is free and requires no account. You can run unlimited scenarios, share them, and reference the methodology at no cost.

Each engine uses standard financial formulas — amortisation, compound interest, present value, depreciation — implemented with arbitrary-precision decimal arithmetic to avoid the rounding errors of native floating point. Results are exact for the inputs provided; real-world accuracy depends on how well those inputs reflect your situation. Every engine is required to hit 100% branch test coverage before it ships.

Every input you change is encoded into the URL in real time. Share this scenario copies that URL to your clipboard so you can paste it into an email, a document, or a chat. When the recipient opens it, they see the same inputs and the same outputs. Nothing is stored on our servers to make this work.

Yes, by bookmarking or sharing the URL. Because the full input state lives in the address bar, bookmarking is saving — there is no account to create, no password to remember, and no server-side record that can be lost if you switch devices or clear your browser.

Defaults are illustrative starting points — typical round numbers chosen so the result card populates on page load and the shape of the output is visible immediately. They are not forecasts, benchmarks, or recommendations. Replace them with figures that match your own situation before drawing any conclusions.

No. The site is statically served, calculations run entirely in your browser, and your inputs are never transmitted to or stored on a server. The only place your scenario exists is in your URL and, if you choose to share it, wherever you paste it.

If a result looks wrong, open the methodology section on the calculator page to see the exact formulas and assumptions in use, then visit our contact page at /contact/ to send us the URL that reproduces the issue along with the result you expected. Because the URL encodes the full input state, the scenario is fully reproducible on our end without any further information.

Guides explain the concepts behind each calculator — what the formula does, which inputs matter most, and where the common traps are. The glossary gives concise, neutral definitions of financial terms so you can check a meaning without losing your place. Both link back to the calculators they relate to.

No. HoldingCost publishes mathematical models, not personal advice. A calculation cannot know your tax position, risk tolerance, or wider financial picture. For decisions that depend on those, speak with a licensed adviser in your jurisdiction.