by Jasper Saunders • From current reality to worry-free security
By Jasper Saunders · Educational only
I built this site to teach the path, not to take it over. The Learning library is original writing on habits, late starts, sequence risk, and how to read a plan without treating a model as a promise.
Education only - not personalized financial, tax, or legal advice. The optional calculator runs in your browser. No account. No upload of your balances.
Original articles - read first, then test a number if you want
I earned a bachelor’s degree in finance. I understood balance sheets, time value of money, and the basic theory of investing. On paper, I was equipped. In the early years of marriage, that paper knowledge did not stop the same conversation from happening again and again at the kitchen table.
Read the article →You did not start at 25 with a clean spreadsheet and a 40-year runway. Maybe it was debt, kids, a late career start, a divorce, a decade of hoping it would sort itself out, or a finance degree that did not produce the habit. You are here now. That is the only starting line that matters.
Read the article →When you run a Monte Carlo simulation on a retirement plan, one number often grabs all the attention: the success rate. You see 72%, or 88%, or 96%, and you immediately want a verdict - safe or not safe. That is understandable. It is also incomplete.
Read the article →Paychecks have stopped. The market drops 20%. Groceries, insurance, and housing still need to be paid. If those dollars come from selling shares you just watched fall, that sale is how sequence risk becomes a permanently smaller portfolio. Later recoveries have less capital to work with.
Read the article →Growth Projection estimates how a starting balance, monthly contributions, and time can compound under an assumed average return. Test Your Retirement Plan stress-tests spending against market uncertainty - including Social Security timing - using either a smooth path or a Monte Carlo simulation of 1,000 random market sequences.
A success rate is how often the plan lasted across those simulated paths under the rules you entered. It is not a guarantee, a score of your character, or a prediction of next year’s market. Around 70% usually means the plan is under pressure; around 85% is a practical comfort zone for many base cases; 95%+ looks resilient on paper - still check the 10th percentile and whether spending funds the life you want.
This site is educational only - not personalized financial, tax, or legal advice. Numbers stay in your browser. Change one input at a time so you can see what actually moves the plan.
How to use the calculator · What success rate means · How Monte Carlo works · All Learning
Starting balance, contributions, and compounding over time
Risk assessment & sustainability analysis
Married mode supports different retirement ages and Social Security claim ages for each spouse. This is for planning only - not tax filing status.
Long-term average you think is realistic - not last year’s return. Try 6-7% for a stricter test.
Year-to-year bounce around the average. Higher vol usually lowers the success rate. 15% is a common stock-heavy starting point.
A success rate is not a verdict. It is how often the plan lasted across 1,000 simulated market paths under the rules you entered.
How to interpret your success rate · Flexible spending & guardrails · If markets fall early in retirement
If you’re new to investing, starting later than you wanted, unsure how to budget for contributions, or trying to decide when retirement is realistic, this tool is built for you. It won’t replace discipline or a conversation with someone you trust-but it will replace vague worry with a clearer picture.
Growth Projection shows how a starting balance, monthly contributions, and time can compound. Use it for retirement or a longer legacy horizon.
Test Your Retirement Plan stress-tests spending against market uncertainty-including different retirement ages and Social Security claim ages for one person or a couple.
Enter numbers you can defend, not numbers that only look good on a chart. Run the growth section first, then import the result into the retirement test. Change one input at a time so you can see what actually moves the plan.
I built this after learning-sometimes the hard way-that a finance background doesn’t automatically create good money habits. Knowledge helps. Behavior and a shared plan matter more. This site is free, runs in your browser, and is for education only-not personalized financial advice.
Numbers stay in your browser. No account required to run the calculator.
29 Learning articles explain success rates, sequence risk, spending rules, and more - free.
Optional coaching for accountable learners. Free tools stay free either way.
I built this for people who want clarity without handing every decision to someone else. The calculator replaces vague worry with a testable plan. The articles teach the ideas behind the numbers. Read my money story.
Educational tools only - not personalized financial advice.
Is this free?
Yes. The calculator and Learning library are free. Coaching is optional and clearly priced.
Do you manage my money?
No. This site teaches and stress-tests plans. You keep control of accounts and decisions.
What does a success rate mean?
It is how often the plan lasted across simulated market paths - not a guarantee. Plain-language guide.