Calculated withdrawal amount for non-inflation adjusted pension

[Smitty700]

I am modeling a scenario with a non-inflation pension by checking the "Inf-adjusted?" box. When I download the spreadsheet showing the calculations, the calculated withdrawal for the pension is inflation adjusted whether or not the "Inf-adjusted?" box is checked.

Am I missing something or is this a bug?

 

[Sunset]

It might help if you explained what you are talking about, which downloaded spreadsheet.

 

[audreyh1]

I assume it is Firecalc.

 

[Nature Lover]

Just uncheck the box. Checked means adj for inflation; unchecked means no COLA.

 

[cathy63]

Yes, I think this is a bug in Firecalc. I reproduced it as follows:
- Other Income/Spending tab - add a 10000 pension starting in 2030 and uncheck inflation adj
- Investigate tab - check the box to provide data in spreadsheet
- Submit
- On the Results page open the "single-year" spreadsheet

See image below. It has the correct $10K in the input row at the top of column F, but it's been inflation adjusted to $14K by the time the income starts in year 12. The results are the same if you check the inflation adj box or don't, so it seems to be broken.

 

[Nature Lover]

Hmmm, I wonder if it affects the basic calculations not pulled into a spreadsheet.

Just checked, and it looks like checking/unchecking the inflation adj box does have an impact on the site generated outputs using the investigate tab....so maybe the bug is just in the download to spreadsheet process?

 

[Smitty700]

It might help if you explained what you are talking about, which downloaded spreadsheet.

Good point.

It's fairly easy to create.

• Create a 30 year Firecalc scenario with everything zero ($0 spending, $0 portfolio)
• Under "Other Income / Spending", enter $10,000 pension beginning in 2025, with the inflation adjusted box unchecked.
• Click the Investigate tab and check the box for "provide data and formulas in a spreadsheet format".
• Hit submit.
• On the results page, download and open the "single year" spreadsheet showing the year-by-year results for the default period beginning in 1960.
• Open the downloaded spreadsheet. The withdrawal change column shows inflation adjusted amounts, with the first withdrawal change in 1963 of $10546.

Doing this with or without the inflation adjusted box checked gives the same results for withdrawal change.

I'm thinking that if the pension is not inflation adjusted, then the withdrawal change should be $10,000 each year.

Where am I going wrong?

 

[Smitty700]

Hmmm, I wonder if it affects the basic calculations not pulled into a spreadsheet.

Just checked, and it looks like checking/unchecking the inflation adj box does have an impact on the site generated outputs using the investigate tab....so maybe the bug is just in the download to spreadsheet process?

You are on to something. There's definitely a bug in the downloaded spreadsheet. See the attached screenshot with some rows hidden. From the description in the comments, the upper half is the calculated results from Firecalc, and the lower part is the same with the calculation in the spreadsheet. The comments say the upper and lower calculations should match, but they don't.

Both sections should reflect a $10,000 pension with no inflation adjustment, but I can't tell if either does.

Hmm..