About OwnFinancialPlanning

Our story

It started with a simple question: how much do we actually need to save each month to buy a house in five years, pay off our loans, and still afford that car — without guessing? We had goals. We had debt. And we had no clear picture of whether we were on track or falling behind. Inflation made it even harder — saving for a house at today's prices meant nothing if we didn't know what it would cost tomorrow. So I looked for a free online tool that could do the math. Just enter your income, expenses, goals, and debts — and get a clear answer: save this much, invest this way, you're on track. There wasn't one. Everything was either a spreadsheet, a sales funnel, or buried behind a paywall. So we built it ourselves.

Who's behind this

Jyotimoi Hazarika

BI & Analytics Consultant @ Eli Lilly

I'm a BI & Analytics Consultant working with data and business intelligence at Eli Lilly. I specialize in designing and delivering scalable, enterprise-grade BI solutions across Pharma, Healthcare, Sales, Marketing, and Finance domains.

I built OwnFinancialPlanning because I believe basic financial planning should be free, private, and free of sales bias. No account, no upsells, no data harvesting — just a tool that works backward from your real goals and tells you what to do next.

The site's design and user experience was brought to life by Shilpi Saikia, whose thoughtful work made a complex tool feel clear and approachable. You can find me on LinkedIn or reach out via the contact page.

Why this exists

Most people don't have a financial plan — not because they don't care, but because the tools meant to help them are either intimidating spreadsheets or sales funnels dressed up as advice. Banks and brokerages offer "free" planners that quietly steer you toward the products they earn commissions on.

OwnFinancialPlanning was built to be the opposite: a clear, jargon-free planner that works backward from your real goals to tell you exactly how much to invest each month — with nothing to sell you and no data to harvest. It's designed for ordinary people, not finance experts. If a term needs explaining, we explain it on the spot.

How our method works

Our planner uses a goal-based, time-horizon approach that mirrors how fee-only financial planners think:

• Goals first. You define what you're saving for, how much, and by when. Each goal is planned independently so a short-term need isn't exposed to long-term market risk.
• Time horizon drives the mix. Money you need soon is held in stable instruments (high-yield savings, T-Bills, I-Bonds); money with years to grow leans into low-cost index funds. The allocation glides automatically based on each goal's deadline.
• Inflation is built in. We grow your targets to their future cost so the plan reflects real purchasing power, not today's dollars.
• Math, not opinions. Monthly contributions are calculated with a standard future-value (growing annuity) formula, the same math behind any retirement calculator.

Our assumptions are transparent

Return estimates are based on long-run US historical averages — ~10% per year for broad equity index funds (a 30-year average that already includes major downturns), and ~4–5% for bonds and short-term instruments. These are guides, not guarantees. Every assumption we use is spelled out in our Disclaimer, and you can adjust key inputs like inflation and timelines yourself.

How we stay free & independent

The site is supported by display advertising, which lets us keep the planner completely free with no login and no paywall. We have no financial relationship with any bank, brokerage, or fund company, and we earn nothing from the instruments our tool mentions — they're unsponsored examples only. Advertising revenue and product recommendations are kept entirely separate, so the plan you get has no sales bias.

US-market focus

The return assumptions, account types (401(k), Roth IRA), and instruments (T-Bills, I-Bonds, HYSA) referenced throughout the planner are based on US markets and US tax-advantaged account structures. If you're outside the US, the planning method still applies, but you may need to adapt the specific account types and vehicles to what's available in your country.

Important note

OwnFinancialPlanning is an educational tool, not a registered investment advisor, and nothing here is personalized financial advice. Before making significant financial decisions, please consult a qualified, licensed professional. Questions or feedback? Reach us on our contact page.