FIRECalc improvement suggestion

[Grumpyretirement]

It would be nice if you had the ability to add several more lines of other income or off chart spending. Just provide the option to add up to 10 or more lines of changes. And for each change, have a start and end date. Would allow more flexibility for including when mortgage is paid off, etc.

If anyone knows how to add more than the 3 lines provided, let me know, please.

Thanks.

 

[REWahoo]

If anyone knows how to add more than the 3 lines provided, let me know, please.

Thanks.

You can accomplish unlimited income/spending entries - including start/stop dates - by utilizing the optional "Manual Entry of Spending Changes:" feature on the Spending Models tab (decreased spending is used to represent added income). This option only appears to supporters who have made a donation and are logged in.

 

[Fishingmn]

I agree.

There's another planner that shall remain nameless as some here consider it a direct ripoff but I use that planner precisely because of the additional lines (+ the ability to save different scenarios). I've got a wife's pension, end of house payment, the cost of extra travel for a set period (age 55-70), rental income, future hiring of property manager cost and a line for additional taxes once I start IRA withdrawals.

 

[Grumpyretirement]

Thanks, I did make a donation a few weeks ago.....but I did it from this forum, not the actual calculator site. How do you get to the "Manual Entry of Spending Changes"? Thanks so much.

 

[REWahoo]

It should show up as the last option on the Spending Models tab, providing you are logged in:

 

[Grumpyretirement]

Ok, great, I see it.....I can't wait to play around with it. MANY thanks.

 

[Tom52]

I am a Firecalc contributing member and am having some problems related to the above same issues. When I enter the following information on the first screen
yearly spending $100,000
portfolio $2,000,000
number of years 35


I get a success rate of 63.3%. When I go to the spending model tab and select manual entry of spending changes, then enter -10000 into the year one box only, then submit button it returns 100% success rate. I must be missing something because I am trying to see the change the result of a one time only increase in income. (I am assuming a -(minus) number would represent income and a +number would represent spending? I must be doing something wrong since a one time infusion of $10,000 would not change success rate from 63.3% to 100%.


What am I doing wrong?


I have an inherited 15 year annuity that I would like to factor into my calculation but am having problems figuring out how this is accomplished.

 

[REWahoo]

Tom, the minus is the problem - the program doesn't interpret a negative number as income.

You need to enter in the actual spend number in the appropriate year/box. The -1 tells the program "same as the previous year" so, as the instructions say "You only need to enter changes".

For example, if you entered 100,000 in the the spending box on the first screen and want to show the effect of a 10,000 annual annuity for 15 years, you would enter 90,000 in the first box of the manual spending option, and 100,000 in box sixteen. IOW, you need to show income as reduced spending.

 

[Tom52]

got it, thanks!

 

[big-papa]

I'm sure this has been asked before - but can intermediate govt bonds be added as a an investment choice? There are sources of historical returns available.