diff --git a/docs/contributing/dependencies.md b/docs/contributing/dependencies.md
index 39091d701..efc71b8d3 100644
--- a/docs/contributing/dependencies.md
+++ b/docs/contributing/dependencies.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 ## Python
 
 Tax-Calculator currently runs on Python 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12.
-We generally support at least three of the latest major Python releases.
+We generally support at least the three latest major Python releases.
 
 Updating the Python version requires modifying the following files:
 * `.github/workflows/*.yml`
diff --git a/taxcalc/calculator.py b/taxcalc/calculator.py
index 3481afb80..af2abbd84 100644
--- a/taxcalc/calculator.py
+++ b/taxcalc/calculator.py
@@ -120,21 +120,17 @@ def __init__(self, policy=None, records=None, verbose=False,
                     print('  ' +
                           var)
         current_year_is_data_year = (
-            self.__records.current_year == self.__records.data_year
-        )
-        extrapolating = self.__records.current_year > self.__records.data_year
+            self.__records.current_year == self.__records.data_year)
         if sync_years and current_year_is_data_year:
             if verbose:
                 print('You loaded data for ' +
                       str(self.__records.data_year) + '.')
             while self.__records.current_year < self.__policy.current_year:
                 self.__records.increment_year()
-            if verbose and extrapolating:
-                print(  # pragma: no cover
-                    'Tax-Calculator startup automatically ' +
-                    'extrapolated your data to ' +
-                    str(self.__records.current_year) + '.'
-                )
+            if verbose:
+                print('Tax-Calculator startup automatically ' +
+                      'extrapolated your data to ' +
+                      str(self.__records.current_year) + '.')
         else:
             if verbose:
                 print('Tax-Calculator startup did not ' +
diff --git a/taxcalc/growfactors.py b/taxcalc/growfactors.py
index 70e5f6b3b..336d8ae74 100644
--- a/taxcalc/growfactors.py
+++ b/taxcalc/growfactors.py
@@ -165,7 +165,6 @@ def update(self, name, year, diff):
             msg = 'cannot update growfactors after they have been used'
             raise ValueError(msg)
         assert name in GrowFactors.VALID_NAMES
-        assert year >= self.first_year
-        assert year <= self.last_year
-        assert isinstance(diff, float)
-        self.gfdf.loc[year, name] += diff
+        if year >= self.first_year and year <= self.last_year:
+            assert isinstance(diff, float)
+            self.gfdf.loc[year, name] += diff
diff --git a/taxcalc/records.py b/taxcalc/records.py
index c5a6fce88..01c4e87e6 100644
--- a/taxcalc/records.py
+++ b/taxcalc/records.py
@@ -227,6 +227,7 @@ def cps_constructor(data=None,
 
     @staticmethod
     def tmd_constructor(data,  # path to tmd.csv file or dataframe
+                        gfactors=TMD_GROWFACTORS_FILENAME,
                         exact_calculations=False):  # pragma: no cover
         """
         Static method returns a Records object instantiated with TMD
@@ -241,7 +242,7 @@ def tmd_constructor(data,  # path to tmd.csv file or dataframe
         weights = os.path.join(Records.CODE_PATH, Records.TMD_WEIGHTS_FILENAME)
         return Records(data=data,
                        start_year=Records.TMDCSV_YEAR,
-                       gfactors=Records.TMD_GROWFACTORS_FILENAME,
+                       gfactors=gfactors,
                        weights=weights,
                        adjust_ratios=Records.TMD_RATIOS_FILENAME,
                        exact_calculations=exact_calculations)