True Cost Tools™ is operated by Connected Freedom Media Pty Ltd (ABN 20 620 654 266).
This page explains the general approach, assumptions and limitations that apply across the True Cost Tools™ collection.
Individual tools may also include additional information about assumptions and methodology specific to that tool.
True Cost Tools™ are designed to make financial assumptions visible rather than hide them behind an answer.
There is no way to know exactly what property prices, investment markets, interest rates, inflation, household costs or other financial variables will do in the future.
So we don't pretend that we do.
Instead, our tools model hypothetical scenarios using information you provide together with assumptions relevant to the calculation.
Where practical, important assumptions can be changed so you can see how different inputs affect the result.
The goal isn't to predict your future.
It's to help you understand what your decision depends on.
Some True Cost Tools™ may include default assumptions to make the tool easier to use.
Depending on the tool, these could relate to things such as inflation, growth rates, investment returns, interest rates, increasing expenses or other variables required to perform a calculation.
We aim to use reasonable assumptions informed, where appropriate, by historical data, government information, industry data or other relevant sources.
Default assumptions are provided as starting points for modelling — not predictions or recommendations.
Where practical, you can change important assumptions to reflect a different scenario or test how sensitive your result is to them.
The assumptions relevant to an individual True Cost Tool may be explained within that tool or in its accompanying methodology information.
Any future values shown by our tools are hypothetical estimates.
Financial markets, property markets, interest rates, inflation and other variables do not move at constant rates and cannot be predicted with certainty.
Where historical information is provided, it is intended to provide context for an assumption — not to suggest that past performance will continue.
Actual outcomes may differ significantly from modelled scenarios.
Unless specifically stated otherwise, projected figures may be expressed as future dollar amounts rather than today's purchasing power. Where this materially affects the interpretation of a result, this will be identified within the relevant tool.
Mathematical models need rules.
Real people don't always follow them.
Depending on the tool, a model may assume things such as:
Your actual behaviour may be very different.
These assumptions don't predict what you will do. They allow us to model what could happen under a defined scenario.
That's also why we encourage you to test different assumptions rather than treating one result as an answer.
Not everything that matters belongs in a spreadsheet.
Depending on the decision being explored, a True Cost Tool may not be able to assign an objective financial value to things such as:
Those things can matter enormously.
They're simply yours to value, not ours.
True Cost Tools are designed to make the financial trade-offs easier to see — not to decide which trade-offs are worth making in your life.
A True Cost Tool may show that one hypothetical scenario produces a higher projected financial result than another.
That does not make it a recommendation.
Someone may reasonably prefer a scenario with a lower projected financial result because it provides something else they value more.
Likewise, a financially attractive scenario may depend on assumptions, behaviour or risks that you aren't comfortable accepting.
The maths is one input into the decision. It isn't the decision.
We encourage you to change assumptions where the tool allows and see what happens.
What happens if returns are lower?
What happens if costs rise faster?
What happens if an important assumption changes?
If a relatively small change significantly alters the result, that's useful information.
It tells you something about what your decision depends on.
Unless expressly stated within an individual tool, True Cost Tools™ should not be assumed to account for every possible tax, legal, regulatory or financial consequence of a scenario.
Taxation and other financial outcomes can vary significantly depending on factors such as income, ownership structures, residency, location, eligibility, personal circumstances and changes in law.
Where these matters could materially affect a decision, consider obtaining advice from an appropriately qualified professional.
True Cost Tools™ are educational scenario-modelling and decision-support tools.
Results are hypothetical estimates based on information and assumptions used in the relevant model.
Results are not predictions, guarantees, recommendations or personal financial advice.
Connected Freedom Media Pty Ltd does not know your complete financial circumstances, objectives or needs.
Our tools are not intended to tell you whether you should buy, sell, rent, borrow, invest or make any other particular financial decision.
Actual outcomes may differ materially from modelled scenarios.
You remain responsible for assessing your own circumstances and decisions. Where appropriate, consider seeking advice from a suitably qualified and, where required, licensed professional before making significant financial decisions.
Connected Freedom Media Pty Ltd
ABN 20 620 654 266
Suite 44140
3/2237 Gold Coast Hwy
Mermaid Beach QLD 4218
Australia