User Guide
Complete documentation for every field, chart, and concept in ModernRetire.
ModernRetire is a retirement planning tool that models your financial life from today through life expectancy. It runs a year-by-year simulation covering accumulation (working years) and decumulation (retirement spending), incorporating Social Security, taxes, healthcare, real estate, and investment returns.
Each time you change an input, the app re-runs a simulation that:
- Accumulates balances year-by-year from today to retirement, applying contributions, match, and investment returns.
- At retirement, switches to drawdown mode: spends from accounts according to your withdrawal order, applies Social Security, pension, and other income sources.
- Calculates federal income tax, state income tax, IRMAA surcharges, RMDs, and Roth conversions each year.
- Tracks the surviving balance until death (or depletion, whichever comes first).
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Dashboard | Summary KPIs, alerts, and key decision timeline. First stop every session. |
| Profile | All inputs: Summary, Basics, Income, Expenses, Accounts, Investments, Benefits, Healthcare / ACA, Real Estate. |
| Projections | Visual analysis: balances, charts, Sankey cash flow, Monte Carlo, historical backtest. |
| Planning tools (top navigation) | Run Optimizer, Stress Test, Compare, Tax Plan, Tax Brackets, SS Optimizer, Optimizer Review — not Profile → Investments. |
| Legacy | Estate projections, heir tax impact, TCJA analysis, estate planning checklist. |
| Help | Tutorial and User Guide on modernretire.com/help (also linked from the profile menu as Help & Docs). |
Changes auto-save to your browser's localStorage. Use Save Scenario before making major changes so you can compare back to your original plan.
ModernRetire uses simplified models for planning purposes and is not financial or tax advice. All projections are estimates. Tax brackets shown are 2026 rates. Consult a qualified financial advisor, CPA, or CFP before making retirement decisions.