Question 1

What is TALLY Insights?

Accepted Answer

An independent public-interest educational project that helps people understand inflation, price changes, and the cost of living across the United States. It uses publicly available economic data presented in a more accessible way.

Question 2

Is TALLY Insights a company?

Accepted Answer

No. It is an independent educational project, not a company or commercial service. Everything on the platform is free and requires no account.

Question 3

Where does the data come from?

Accepted Answer

From publicly available US government sources including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), USDA, the Federal Reserve, the Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. During beta, some figures are illustrative composites based on these sources.

Question 4

How often is data updated?

Accepted Answer

Government inflation data is published monthly. We update our pages to reflect new releases as they become available. Product prices and city cost-of-living indices are updated when new source data is published.

Question 5

What is shrinkflation?

Accepted Answer

Shrinkflation is when a manufacturer reduces the amount of product in a package while keeping the shelf price the same. The result is a hidden price increase — you pay the same amount for less product.

Question 6

What is the cost-of-living index?

Accepted Answer

The cost-of-living index (COLI) compares each city to the US national average, which is set at 100. A score above 100 means that city is more expensive than average; below 100 means more affordable.

Question 7

Is this financial advice?

Accepted Answer

No. TALLY Insights is an educational resource. Nothing on the site is financial advice. We do not provide personalized recommendations or budgeting tools.

Question 8

Do I need an account?

Accepted Answer

No. The entire platform is free and accessible without registration or login.

Question 9

Which browsers do you support?

Accepted Answer

The latest two versions of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. Mobile Safari and Chrome on Android are fully supported.

Question 10

How do I contact TALLY Insights?

Accepted Answer

Email tallyinsights@usa.com for press, partnerships, corrections, or general questions. We reply within a few business days.

Frequently asked questions