Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about CapitalLab's personal finance simulator. Can't find your answer? Reach out to our team — we're happy to help.
Getting Started
What is CapitalLab?
CapitalLab is a personal finance simulator where you practice buying real estate, investing in stocks and bonds, managing debt, and navigating life events across 20 simulated years. Every decision has realistic consequences, helping you build wealth-building instincts without risking real money.
How does the simulation work?
Each turn represents one month. You make financial decisions — buy property, invest, take loans, handle expenses — and the simulation advances. Markets fluctuate, life events happen, interest rates change, and your net worth evolves based on your choices over 240 months.
How long does a simulation take?
A full 20-year simulation typically takes 2–4 hours, though you can save and resume anytime. Each monthly turn takes 30–90 seconds depending on how many decisions you make. You can also run faster by focusing only on key decisions.
Do I need financial knowledge to start?
Not at all. CapitalLab is designed to teach you as you play. The simulation provides context for every decision, explains financial terms when they appear, and lets you learn through experience rather than prerequisite knowledge.
Features
What can I invest in?
You can invest in 12 real-world stock tickers (including VOO, AAPL, NVDA, TSLA), index funds, and 6 types of bonds ranging from US Treasury to high-yield corporate. Each has realistic growth rates, volatility, dividends, and expense ratios.
What property types are available?
The real estate market includes single-family homes, apartments, condos, multi-family properties, commercial buildings, and raw land. Each has unique pricing based on square footage, condition (7 levels), and neighborhood quality (5 grades).
How realistic is the market?
Very. Property values respond to inflation and federal reserve rate changes. Stock prices compound monthly with realistic volatility. Interest rates shift over time. The simulation is built on economic models, not random number generators.
What life events are included?
Marriage, children, medical emergencies, promotions, side businesses, car breakdowns, natural disasters, college tuition, elderly parent care, and more. Each event has realistic financial impacts based on actual cost data.
What types of loans are available?
Conventional mortgages with various down payments, HELOCs, auto loans, and personal loans. Each comes with realistic terms, interest rates, and amortization schedules that respond to your credit score and debt-to-income ratio.
Pricing
How much does CapitalLab cost?
CapitalLab is $10/month with a 7-day free trial. That’s $120/year — less than a single hour with a financial advisor, and far less than the cost of one bad financial decision.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. You get a full 7-day free trial with complete access to all features. No credit card required to start. If you love it, your subscription begins automatically after the trial period.
Can I cancel anytime?
Absolutely. Cancel with one click from your account settings. There are no cancellation fees, no long-term contracts, and no questions asked. Your access continues through the end of your current billing period.
Are there hidden fees or upsells?
None. $10/month gets you everything — unlimited simulations, all property types, all investment options, all life events, all tracking tools. There are no premium tiers, no in-app purchases, and no locked features.
General
Is my data safe?
Yes. We use industry-standard encryption for all data in transit and at rest. We never sell your data to third parties. Your simulation data is private and only accessible to you.
Can I run multiple simulations?
Yes. Run as many simulations as you want, simultaneously or sequentially. Many users run 5–10 simulations testing different strategies — aggressive real estate vs. index fund investing, for example — then compare results.
Who is CapitalLab for?
Anyone who wants to build financial literacy through practice. Students learning the basics, young professionals planning their first investments, parents teaching kids about money, and educators bringing finance to life in the classroom.
Can I use CapitalLab on mobile?
CapitalLab is a web-based application that works on any device with a modern browser. While it’s optimized for desktop and tablet for the best experience with charts and property maps, it’s fully functional on mobile.
Still have questions? Try it free.
The best way to understand CapitalLab is to experience it. Start your 7-day free trial and see for yourself why simulation beats theory.