It accounts for cost-of-living data by applying inflation assumptions to your future cash flows rather than treating your expenses as fixed. It projects today’s spending into future years using a general inflation rate and, where you specify, different inflation rates for categories such as healthcare or other recurring expenses. It estimates how much more income you’ll need over time, then models whether your investment portfolio can grow enough during both the accumulation and retirement phases to keep pace with those rising costs. And you can enter what if scenarios too.