This tool gives no investment advice. It does one thing: translate "how soon will I need this money" and "can I accept the principal becoming another coin" into a product type.

How the result is reached, and what each line means

The logic is simple, deliberately

Of the four questions, the first sets the horizon, the second decides how much more conservative to be, the third decides whether products that can convert your coins are on the table, and the fourth is a precondition. No complex algorithm and no scoring model: this kind of decision shouldn't rest on a complex model. It rests on laying out the obvious.

Why "emergency money" is ruled out immediately

Emergency money is by definition money you need in your hands the moment you need it. Between redeeming from an Earn product and having spendable money there are still two steps (selling and withdrawing) each with timing and limits. You don't feel it on ordinary days; you feel it very clearly on the day. So that money belongs somewhere you can reach immediately, not on a path with three gates on it.

Why it asks about security settings

Because losses from account takeover are far more likely than a platform failing, and they're irreversible. Two-factor and a withdrawal whitelist take under ten minutes together and are a precondition for everything else. Before they're done, discussing which tier to use isn't worth much. How to set them up is in the security section of how to set up account security.

How to use the "suggested lock-up"

It gives a ceiling, not a recommendation. It means "don't lock for longer than this", not "lock for exactly this". When actually choosing a term, also check whether that term's APY is worth it, convert the spread into an amount and then decide.

Why Dual Investment gets its own row

Because it isn't the same category as Flexible and Locked. Its return comes from you committing to take delivery at a set price; it's selling an option. Unless you can calmly accept being converted into another coin, that high APY isn't yours to earn. Expanded in Dual Investment isn't savings.

What it doesn't judge

It doesn't judge whether a platform is safe, whether an APY is a good deal, and it doesn't predict the market. Those either need you to read the disclosures yourself, or can't be predicted by anyone. This tool handles the liquidity-and-risk-tolerance layer only.

A reminder: the result is a starting point. No Earn product is principal-protected, and platform trouble, security incidents and stablecoin depegs can all cause losses. Don't put everything in just because the tool said "you could lock for a year".

The full rule comparison across tiers is in the full rule comparison across tiers; the detail on the redemption end is in what early redemption costs.