Purpose. Simple, transparent retirement drawdown model you can share as a single HTML file. Deterministic (no market randomness). No tax/fees.

Version 3.0 Features (NEW)

• Spending Calculator: Simple tool to calculate your average monthly spending needs from monthly and annual expenses. Compare this to your withdrawal amount to ensure your plan covers your costs
• Visual Comparison: Bar chart showing your monthly spending need vs monthly withdrawal to instantly see if you're on track
• Backup/Restore Settings: Save all your settings to a JSON file and reload them later. Backup automatically captures any unsaved changes in forms. Perfect for saving scenarios or reloading after calculator updates
• Clearer withdrawal methods: "Fixed annual amount" vs "Flexible annual amount" with practical examples
• Full dollar displays: Start balance, Withdrawn, Income, Extra, and Aged Pension columns show exact amounts with commas (e.g., $82,500 instead of $82k)
• Color-coded spending phases: Active (green), Moderate (amber), Reduced (blue) for easy visual scanning
• Smart income handling: Average field now shows only recurring income; one-off lump sums excluded from average but still included in projections
• Income migration: Simple income field auto-populates into Income Details modal
• Clear/Reset tools: Easy buttons to clear income or reset all inputs
• Aged Pension terminology: Properly labeled throughout for Australian context

Previous Features (v2.x)

• Simple/Detailed modes: Toggle between basic and advanced views
• Compound interest: True monthly compounding from APY (not simple division)
• Post-depletion simulation: Continues calculating Age Pension after balance reaches $0
• Visual indicators: Depleted years in red, pension-only years highlighted in green
• Interactive sliders: Live "what-if" analysis with instant chart updates (detailed mode)
• Spending phases: Go-go, slow-go, no-go lifestyle spending patterns (detailed mode)
• Risk indicators: Traffic light system showing financial security level (detailed mode)

Simple Mode

Simplified interface for quick projections:

• Uses standard Age Pension settings automatically
• Shows only essential table columns
• Hides advanced features like spending phases and risk assessment
• Perfect for basic "what-if" scenarios

Detailed Mode

Full-featured interface with all capabilities:

• Age Pension configuration with assets test
• Spending phases for lifecycle modeling
• Interactive sliders for real-time exploration
• Risk indicators and comprehensive analytics
• All table columns including inflation-adjusted values

Calculation order

1. Annual withdrawal taken in your chosen month
2. Extra withdrawals taken in specified month(s)
3. Age Pension paid fortnightly (if eligible)
4. Secondary income added monthly
5. Interest calculated monthly (base+bonus conditional on withdrawals)

Age Pension model

Applies both the Centrelink assets test ($3/fn per $1,000 over full limit) and income test (deeming on financial assets at 0.25%/2.25%, minus income free area, 50¢ taper). The lower of the two results is paid each fortnight. Dynamic means-test recalculates eligibility each fortnight; non-dynamic latches on first eligibility. For exact entitlements use the Services Australia online estimator.

Limitations & assumptions

• No tax modeling (e.g., super fund earnings, PAYG on income)
• No franking credits on dividends
• Deterministic; no market volatility or Monte Carlo
• Work Bonus ($300/fn) not modelled; add it to Other Annual Income if working
• No account fees or transaction costs

Disclaimer: Informational only. Not financial advice. Consult licensed advisors.

Version 3.5

• APRA Super Fund Data: 1,038 Australian super fund investment options embedded directly from the APRA Choice Heatmap (as at 30 June 2022)
• Fund Selector: Search and select your fund by name with cascading RSE → Product → Investment Option filters
• Return Scenarios: One-tap Conservative (3yr), Base (5yr) and Optimistic (8yr) historical return pre-fills for your projection
• Fee Integration: Automatically interpolates total fees at your balance tier and applies them to the MER field
• Benchmark Health Check: Traffic-light indicators showing performance vs Simple Reference Portfolio and SAA Benchmark over 3, 5 and 8 years
• Fund Comparison: Side-by-side comparison of up to 3 funds — returns, fees, and projected balances at 10/20/30 year horizons
• Risk Profile Alignment: Flags growth allocation mismatches based on your years to retirement

Version 3.4

• Typical Data Presets: Load a fully populated single or couple scenario in one tap from Settings
• Decluttered landing page: Eight clear tiles replace the crowded header buttons
• Settings panel: Presets, wizard and reset all in one place
• Backup & Restore tile: Scenario management accessible from the home screen

Version 3.0

• Spending Calculator: Monthly budget planner with ASFA benchmark comparison
• Visual Comparison: Bar chart — spending need vs monthly withdrawal
• Backup/Restore: Save all settings to JSON and reload them later
• Clearer withdrawal methods: Fixed vs flexible with practical examples
• Color-coded spending phases: Active (green), Moderate (amber), Reduced (blue)
• Smart income handling: Average shows only recurring; one-offs still included in projections

Previous (v2.x)

• Simple/Detailed mode toggle
• True monthly compounding from APY
• Post-depletion Age Pension simulation
• Interactive what-if sliders
• Spending phases: go-go, slow-go, no-go
• Traffic-light risk indicators

Getting Started

Choose your mode:

• Simple Mode: Basic inputs with streamlined display. Great for quick estimates.
• Detailed Mode: Full control over all parameters, including Age Pension, spending phases, and risk assessment.

Basic Inputs

• Start balance: Your initial super/savings balance
• Starting age: Your age at the start of projections
• Withdrawal rate: Annual percentage to withdraw
• Years: Number of years to project
• Inflation rate: Expected annual inflation
• Withdrawal month: Month when annual withdrawal occurs
• Base/Bonus interest: Interest rates earned on balance

Withdrawal Methods

• % of starting balance: Fixed dollar amount (can be indexed to inflation)
• % of current balance: Amount varies each year based on remaining balance

Extras & Trips

Model one-off or recurring expenses like:

• Annual overseas trips
• Car replacement every N years
• Home renovations

Secondary Income (Detailed Mode)

Click "Income Details" to set up detailed income schedules:

• Enter different income for each year
• One-off: Enter lump sum amount (e.g., $10,000 inheritance in June Year 3 = single $10,000 payment)
• Recurring: Enter monthly amount (e.g., $2,000/month pension from July Year 5 = continues every month onwards)
• Name each income source for clarity
• Specify which month payment occurs/starts
• System uses precise timing and type in projections

Age Pension (Detailed Mode)

The calculator applies both Centrelink tests and pays the lower result:

• Assets test: Full pension below asset limit; reduces by $3/fn per $1,000 over limit; zero above cut-off
• Income test (deeming): Financial assets deemed to earn 0.25% up to threshold, 2.25% above. Free area: Single $212/fn, Couple $372/fn. Pension reduces 50¢ per $1 over free area
• Both tests run each fortnight; Centrelink pays whichever gives the lower pension
• Dynamic recalculation each fortnight (optional)
• Homeowner/non-homeowner presets with 2024-25 Centrelink values
• "Other annual income" field for non-asset income (e.g. part-time work, rental)

Spending Phases (Detailed Mode)

Model changing spending patterns:

• Go-Go years: Active retirement (e.g., 110% of base)
• Slow-Go years: Moderate activity (e.g., 100%)
• No-Go years: Reduced mobility (e.g., 80%)

Interactive Sliders (Detailed Mode)

Experiment with key variables without changing your base inputs:

• Adjust sliders to see instant impact on projections
• Chart updates in real-time
• Click "Apply" to save slider values to inputs
• Click "Reset" to restore original input values

Risk Assessment (Detailed Mode)

Traffic light indicator shows:

• 🟢 Safe: Strong buffer, low depletion risk
• 🟡 Caution: Limited buffer, moderate risk
• 🔴 High Risk: Depletion likely, adjust strategy

Understanding the Table

Simple Mode columns:

• Year, Age, Start Balance, Withdrawn, End Balance

Additional Detailed Mode columns:

• Extra, Income, Pension, Interest (all nominal)
• Withdrawn (today's $) - inflation-adjusted
• End balance (today's $) - inflation-adjusted
• Cumulative withdrawn - total to date

Color Coding

• Red highlight: Years after balance depletion
• Green highlight: Pension-only years (no withdrawals, living on pension)
• Phase tags: Active/Moderate/Reduced spending phases

Charts (Detailed Mode)

• Balance over time: Track your balance trajectory
• Components: See all cashflows (withdrawals, extras, income, pension, interest)
• Cumulative withdrawn: Total amount withdrawn over time
• Toggle "today's $" to see inflation-adjusted values

Backup & Restore Settings

Save and reload your complete scenario:

• Backup (💾): Downloads a JSON file containing all your settings, including inputs, income details, and spending data.
• Restore (📂): Loads settings from a previously saved backup JSON file
• Use cases: Back up your scenario, reload after calculator updates, or share detailed setups with others
• File format: JSON files are saved with the date in the filename (e.g., myretirementcalculator-2025-11-11.json)
• Note: Export captures everything, including categories you've added to spending - no need to click Save first

Sharing Scenarios

Your inputs are automatically saved in the URL (after the # symbol in your address bar). This means:

• You can bookmark a scenario for later
• Share the URL with others to show your exact setup
• If you see unexpected values (like $10K income), check if you loaded a shared URL
• To start fresh, reload the page without the URL parameters

Tips

• Start in Simple Mode to get familiar with basics
• Switch to Detailed Mode when you need Age Pension modeling
• Use the sliders to quickly test sensitivities
• Try different withdrawal methods (base vs current balance)
• Model conservative, moderate, and optimistic scenarios
• Consider spending phases for realistic lifecycle planning
• Use Income Details to model variable income over time

One-off = single lump sum (e.g., $10,000 inheritance). Recurring = monthly income that continues forever (e.g., $800/month pension). Click ✕ to remove an entry.