Personal Financial Planning Scenario Planner

Educational workshop demo

Explore a simplified, transparent model of your financial future. Change any number and watch the results update instantly.

⚠ Educational demonstration only. This tool is for learning purposes and workshop demonstration only. It is not financial, tax, investment, or legal advice. All calculations use simplified assumptions and cannot predict real markets, taxes, or your personal circumstances. Always consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions. No data you enter is transmitted, stored, or saved anywhere — everything happens locally in your browser and disappears when you close the tab.

1. Choose a Scenario

Each scenario sets starting assumptions for investment return, income growth, and inflation. You can fine-tune any of these afterward.

Assumptions used (editable)
What's this?

The average yearly percentage your invested savings might grow, before inflation. Real markets vary widely year to year — this is a simplified long-term average.

What's this?

How much your income (and, in this model, your monthly savings contribution) is assumed to grow each year, e.g. from raises or promotions.

What's this?

The rate at which prices rise over time. Used to project your expenses and major future costs in future ("nominal") dollars.

2. Your Basic Information

What's this?

Your total yearly spending today. Shown for context and comparison — it is not directly used to calculate retirement savings.

3. Savings & Contributions

What's this?

How much you add to savings each month. This model assumes your contribution grows each year at the same rate as your income growth assumption.

4. Retirement Spending

What's this?

How much you expect to spend per year in retirement, expressed in today's dollars. The tool automatically adjusts this for inflation to estimate your actual first-year retirement spending.

5. Optional Major Future Expense

Example: education, a home purchase, or a big trip. Leave the amount at 0 to skip this.

Results

Estimated savings at retirement —
Savings after major expense —
Estimated first-year retirement spending —
Is the plan on track? —
Estimated gap / surplus at retirement —

How is "on track" decided?

This tool uses a common simplified rule of thumb: the "4% rule." It assumes you could safely withdraw about 4% of your retirement savings in your first year of retirement, then adjust that amount for inflation each year after. If 4% of your projected savings at retirement covers your estimated first-year retirement spending, the plan is shown as "on track." This is a widely used educational approximation, not a guarantee — real safe withdrawal rates depend on markets, taxes, life expectancy, and other factors this tool does not model.

Year-by-Year Projection

Savings balance by age, for your selected scenario. The shaded region marks retirement.

View chart data as a table (accessible alternative)
AgeEstimated Balance

Scenario Comparison

How Conservative, Moderate, and Optimistic assumptions affect your outcome, using your other inputs unchanged.

Scenario Savings at Retirement First-Year Spending Need Gap / Surplus On Track?