Calculator Dude is a free reference site for U.S. consumers. Many of the topics we cover, retirement, mortgages, taxes, health metrics, fall into what Google calls "Your Money or Your Life" content categories: information where a wrong answer can hurt someone. We take that seriously. This page documents the editorial standards behind every published calculator.
Math validated against authoritative sources
Every calculator ships with a suite of automated tests that pin its arithmetic to published formulas (the Flutter source-of-truth widgets, textbook references, and IRS or other government publications). New code cannot be merged unless those tests pass at six-decimal precision.
Authoritative sources only
Citations link to .gov pages (IRS, BLS, SSA, DOL), large institutional publishers (Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard research), and peer-reviewed studies where applicable. We do not cite content farms, forum posts, or affiliate-driven aggregator sites.
Updated when the underlying data changes
Each calculator has a visible "Reviewed" date. We refresh the math and prose when the IRS publishes new contribution limits, when tax law changes meaningfully, or when our reference institutions update their guidelines. Outdated calculator pages are corrected, not just back-dated.
Named ownership
Every published calculator page lists its author and (where applicable) a reviewer. Where a calculator touches medical or financial topics covered by Google's Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) guidelines, we work with subject-matter reviewers to verify claims before publication.
No paid placements, no affiliate links
Calculator Dude is funded by its founder. We do not accept payment to feature, rank, or recommend any product or institution. The calculators and their content are designed to be useful, not to drive revenue from referrals.
How we verify the math
Every calculator on this site is backed by a pure-JavaScript compute library with a corresponding test suite. The test suite pins each formula to at least five traced scenarios computed independently and verified to six decimal places. Where a calculator mirrors an existing implementation (for example, the original Flutter source widgets that some pages were ported from), tests cross-check the web output against that reference output input-for-input. New code cannot be merged unless these tests pass.
We publish the test suites alongside the calculators. If you find an arithmetic mismatch with an authoritative reference, please report it via the contact link below and we will treat it as a high-priority correction.
How to report a mistake
If you spot a factual error, an outdated reference, or a calculator output that does not match a reliable source, get in touch via the button below. Include the page URL, the specific claim or number in question, and the authoritative source you believe to be correct. We respond to verified corrections within seven business days and update the page with a revised "Reviewed" date.
Last reviewed: May 2026.