About Smart Money
Smart Money is a financial education project dedicated to making financial knowledge accessible to everyone, regardless of background or prior experience. We believe that understanding basic financial concepts is a right, not a privilege.
Project Founder
Amiel Riss
Amiel Riss is a digital marketing expert, entrepreneur, and founder of multiple educational and test-prep platforms. Drawing on extensive experience in making complex knowledge simple and interactive, Amiel created Smart Money — a platform that enables anyone to understand the long-term impact of everyday financial decisions.
Our Mission
We develop interactive tools that turn complex financial concepts — like compound interest, inflation, and management fees — into simple, clear visual insights. Every calculator is built on proven financial models and presents results through intuitive charts.
Our Principles
- Accessible Education — All tools are completely free, no signup required, available in 6 languages
- Full Transparency — We clearly state that this site does not constitute investment advice
- Research-Based — Every calculator is based on established financial models and principles
- Community-Driven — Share results with friends and encourage healthy financial discussions
Methodology & Sources
Our calculators are based on widely accepted financial principles: the 4% rule for FIRE calculations, David Bach's Latte Factor principle, standard compound interest formulas, and historical return data from major stock market indices.
Data Sources
- Stocks & Indices: Yahoo Finance — split-adjusted historical prices, updated daily.
- Crypto: CoinGecko API — real-time Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana prices.
- Commodities (Gold, Silver, Oil): Yahoo Finance — futures data, updated daily.
- Exchange Rates: open.er-api.com — current exchange rates with 24-hour cache.
- Financial Formulas: 4% rule (Trinity Study), Latte Factor (David Bach), standard compound interest.
Want to Get in Touch?
Have a question, suggestion, or idea for a new calculator?
Why I Built SmartMoney77
I spent years asking myself "what if" — what if I had invested in Bitcoin in 2015, or Tesla in 2017, or Amazon before it took off. Like many people, I ran the numbers in my head and felt the sting of missed opportunities.
Over time, I learned the real lesson: you can't predict the future. What you can do is save consistently, invest in regular amounts across diversified assets, and let time do the work. The problem is, nobody taught me this when I was a teenager, or in my twenties. I had to figure it out on my own — from books, from the internet, from conversations with friends — only in my early thirties.
That frustration is why SmartMoney77 exists. I wanted to build the tools I wish I'd had at 18 — simple, visual, and honest. Not tools that tell you what to do, but tools that show you what your choices actually mean over time.
My background is in technology and digital marketing — I've spent nearly 20 years in the field, and I've built several educational platforms before this one, including test prep for gifted programs, multiplication tables for kids, and reading tools for children in Hebrew and English. SmartMoney77 is the same mission applied to personal finance: make important knowledge accessible to everyone.
That's also why this site is available in 6 languages with 22 currencies — because financial literacy shouldn't depend on where you were born or what language you speak.
How We Ensure Accuracy
- Data sources
- Stock and commodity prices come from Yahoo Finance (split-adjusted closing prices). Crypto prices come from CoinGecko. Exchange rates come from open.er-api.com. All data updates daily.
- Financial formulas
- We use standard, peer-reviewed financial models — compound interest, the 4% safe withdrawal rate (Trinity Study), and fee-adjusted growth projections. No proprietary or "secret" formulas.
- Cross-checking
- Calculator results are regularly compared against independent sources (broker platforms, financial planning tools) to verify accuracy. When discrepancies are found, we investigate and document the cause.
- Transparency
- Every calculator page shows its data source and last update date. For a full explanation of our methods, assumptions, and limitations, see our Methodology page.
What This Site Is — and Isn't
Education, not advice
SmartMoney77 is a financial education platform. We help you understand concepts like compound interest, inflation, and management fees through interactive tools. We do not recommend specific investments, strategies, or products.
Scenarios, not predictions
Our calculators model "what if" scenarios based on historical data and standard formulas. They show what could have happened or what might happen under certain assumptions — not what will happen. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
A starting point, not the final word
Use our tools to build your understanding, then consult qualified professionals for decisions involving real money. A certified financial planner or tax advisor can account for your personal circumstances in ways no calculator can.
How SmartMoney77 Is Funded
SmartMoney77 is free for everyone — no subscriptions, no paywalls, no data selling.
We earn revenue through affiliate partnerships with regulated investment platforms. When you click a "Start Trading" or "Start Investing" link and sign up, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. These partnerships are clearly labeled on every page where they appear.
This model means our incentives are aligned with yours: we only succeed when we help you take action on your financial education. We never recommend a platform we wouldn't use ourselves, and affiliate relationships do not influence calculator results or educational content.