Methodology

Around shows its working. This page explains how every page on the site is made, calculated and kept honest.

Numbers are computed, never written

Every figure on Around — calculator results, worked examples, tables — comes from deterministic, unit-tested code. No number is ever produced by a person typing or an AI model guessing. Our calculators run entirely in your browser: nothing you enter is sent to a server or stored.

The compound interest engine uses the standard formula FV = P(1 + r/n)^(nt), with monthly contributions treated as end-of-month deposits compounding at the effective monthly rate. Each tool's assumptions are stated on its page.

Claims trace to sources

Factual claims must trace to a named source, and sources are ranked: official and primary sources (legislation, regulators, central banks, statistical offices) outrank everything else. Every page lists its sources at the bottom. Where reputable sources disagree, we say so rather than picking a side quietly.

How AI is used — and how it isn't

AI models help draft explanations on Around, working from structured briefs that contain the facts, figures and sources each page must use. AI is the writer, never the authority: models are not allowed to introduce facts, invent numbers, or cite sources that weren't supplied. Drafts pass automated validation — claim-to-source checks, numeric verification against our engines, style rules — and a separate review before publishing. Pages touching money decisions get stricter human review.

Education, not advice

Around explains how things work. It does not know your situation and does not give personal financial, legal, tax or medical advice. Where decisions carry real stakes, we say plainly that a qualified professional is the right next step.

Freshness and corrections

Every page shows when it was last reviewed, and review dates change only when the content is actually re-checked. Pages that depend on rates, thresholds or rules carry review schedules matched to how fast those things change. When we get something wrong, we correct the page and note the correction — quietly rewriting history isn't how trust works.

The graph is public

Around's knowledge graph — the nodes and relationships behind the site — is published at /graph.json, and a machine-readable site inventory lives at /llms.txt. If you're building something that needs reliable, source-backed knowledge, you're welcome to read it.