Advanced User Guide

Dashboard Layout

The interface is divided into two sections:

  • Left panel: This collapsible list contains Client details, Incomes, Expenses, Assets and Settings. Each section displays existing items with edit and delete icons and has a + button for adding new entries.
  • Main panel: Tabs across the top provide different chart views (e.g., Income and Wealth, Monte Carlo Bands, Income vs Expenditure, Wealth Over Time and Success Rate %). Buttons above the chart area let you Generate Chart, Calculate Stochastic Data and Generate Report.

Creating a Client Profile

  1. In the Client details section, click the pencil icon to open the edit menu.
  2. Enter the client’s name, select their sex from the dropdown, and choose their date of birth by selecting a month and entering the year.
  3. Click Save to store the details. The client’s name and date of birth will appear in the left panel.

Adding Income

  1. Click the + button next to Incomes to open the Add Income menu.
  2. Enter a descriptive Name for the income (e.g., “Salary”).
  3. Choose an Income Group Type from the dropdown: Salary, State Pension, Other Pension or Other Income.
  4. Enter the annual Amount (the tool automatically formats the currency). You can select monthly if you go into advanced settings.
  5. Specify the Start Age and End Age using the “years” and “months” fields to indicate when this income begins and ends. For example, a salary might run from age 46 to 65.
  6. Click Save Income. The income appears in the list with edit and delete icons.

Adding Expenses

  1. Select the + button in the Expenses section.
  2. Provide a Name for the expenditure (e.g., “Living costs”).
  3. Enter the yearly Cost. Use the age fields to set when this expense starts and ends (e.g., from age 46 until the end of the projection period).
  4. Click Save Expense. The expense will be listed beneath the Expenses header.

Adding Assets

  1. Click the + icon next to Assets. This opens the Add Asset menu.
  2. Enter an Asset Name (e.g., “Stocks” or “Pension Pot”).
  3. Provide the current Value.
  4. Specify a Growth Rate % (expected annual growth) and choose a Risk Level from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
  5. Optionally, enter a Start Age if the asset becomes available in the future. You can also tick Exclude from drawdown if this asset should never be used to cover shortfalls.
  6. Click Save Asset. The asset will appear in the list beneath Assets.

Generating Charts

Once client details, incomes, expenses and assets are entered, click Generate Chart. The tool calculates projections and displays the chosen chart in the main panel.

Income and Wealth Chart

This default tab overlays bars for income, and drawdown with a line representing total asset values over time. Use it to understand when income covers expenses and when assets are drawn down.

Monte Carlo Bands

The Calculate Stochastic Data button runs 1,000 simulations based on asset growth rates and risk levels. The Monte Carlo chart shows percentile bands (e.g., 10th, 50th and 90th percentile lines) to illustrate how volatile markets might affect asset values over time.

Income vs Expenditure

This tab compares total income (blue bars) to total expenses (red bars) for each year. It highlights years when expenses exceed income and helps identify when drawdown from assets is required.

Wealth Over Time

Displays the projected value of assets (purple bars) across the time horizon. Use this chart to see whether assets grow or decline and to gauge the sustainability of the plan.

Success Rate %

Shows the probability of not running out of money at different retirement ages or spending levels.

Group Incomes & Drawdowns

When there are multiple income sources or several assets, toggling Group incomes & drawdowns consolidates them into aggregated bars for easier interpretation.

Customising Settings

Open the Settings (gear) icon in the left panel to adjust global parameters:

  1. Global indexation % – sets a default inflation rate applied to incomes and expenses.
  2. Interactive chart preview – This disables or enables the interactive chart.
  3. Colours – customise the colour of each chart series by clicking its colour swatch
  4. Risk ratings – view the standard deviation for each risk level on the 2–10 scale.
  5. Click Save to apply your changes or Close to exit without saving.

Generating Reports

After completing your model, click Generate Report to download a word summary. The report includes client details, tables of incomes, expenses and assets, and the key charts.