Methodology

CloserToDone analyzes financing structures and user-entered numbers. It does not determine whether a user qualifies for financing, and it does not predict approval. Every figure shown is derived from values you enter, using documented arithmetic.

Every result on CloserToDone falls into one of three states:

• Calculated — derived entirely from values you entered. Nothing external was assumed.
• Illustrative — would use an outside assumption or sourced range, with the assumption, source, and date shown. CloserToDone's tools currently do not use illustrative figures: there are no market-rate ranges or typical-rate estimates anywhere in the product today.
• Insufficient information — when the numbers needed for a calculation are missing, we say so and tell you exactly what's missing, rather than filling gaps with assumptions.

• Net proceeds = the amount you receive, minus any fees you marked as deducted upfront.
• Total financing cost = total repayment (including fees added to repayment) − net proceeds.
• Cost per dollar received = total financing cost ÷ net proceeds.
• Financing cost percentage = total financing cost as a percentage of net proceeds. This is a raw cost over the life of the offer — not an interest rate.
• Amortizing loan payment uses the standard level-payment formula: payment = P · r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)^−n), where r is the monthly rate (annual rate ÷ 12) and n is the term in months. At 0% interest the payment is simply principal ÷ term.
• Factor-rate repayment = amount received × factor rate. A factor rate is a multiplier, not an interest rate or APR.
• Payment burden = the approximate monthly payment as a percentage of the monthly cash amount you entered. This is arithmetic only — we do not label the result safe, risky, good, or bad.

To compare payment schedules, we convert them to an approximate monthly burden. The conversions are fixed conventions, not contractual amounts:

• Monthly payments are used as-is.
• Weekly payments are multiplied by 52 ÷ 12 (≈ 4.33).
• Business-daily (weekday) payments are multiplied by 252 ÷ 12 = 21, using a convention of 252 business days per year.

When — and only when — you enter a complete payment schedule (payment amount, number of payments, and payment frequency), the Compare My Offer tool can show an estimated annualized cost:

• Net proceeds are treated as the initial cash received.
• The future payments you entered form the cash-flow series.
• A periodic internal rate of return (IRR) is solved from that exact schedule.
• The periodic rate is annualized using the entered payment frequency (12, 52, or 252 periods per year).

This is an analytical annualization of the numbers you entered. It is not the lender's or provider's disclosed APR, it is not an offer, and it should not be quoted as a rate a provider has offered you. If the schedule is incomplete or the offer has no positive financing cost, the figure is not shown and we explain why.

The Check My Options tool analyzes the situation you describe and the financing structures designed for that purpose. It does not predict eligibility or approval, and there is no hidden qualification score:

• Financing structures are shown because of what they're designed to do — your time in business, revenue, and credit are never used to include or exclude a structure.
• Timing affects which structures may be practical for your deadline — a timing observation, not a qualification judgment.
• No lender criteria are used. Any future criterion would have to be directly sourced and shown.
• Exact payment calculations require explicit terms (rate, term, or payment schedule). Without them, the tool shows no payment figure — we don't invent one.

• Whether you qualify for any financing
• Actual lender or provider underwriting criteria
• Whether another provider would offer different pricing
• Facts about your business you haven't entered
• Agreement terms you haven't entered
• The legal consequences of signing a contract

Your numbers stay in your browser. Both tools run entirely on your device: no account is required, nothing you enter is stored on our servers, and no financial values are sent to partners. Refreshing the page clears what you entered.