User Guide
Complete documentation for every field, chart, and concept in ModernRetire — including sample plans (blank local plan required) and Dashboard KPI unlock rules.
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 | Welcome, Plan Setup progress, and (after Basics is complete) overview KPIs, alerts, and quick actions. 10-Year Action Plan summarizes withdrawals, conversions, MAGI, and brackets from your committed plan (not unsaved Tax Plan experiments). On a blank signed-in plan, Plan setup offers Not sure yet? Explore a sample plan under Start Basics when samples are enabled. |
| Profile | Summary (completion + shortcuts), Basics, Income, Expenses, Accounts, Investments, Benefits, Healthcare / ACA, Real Estate. |
| Projections | Projected Balances, Portfolio Chart, Cash Flow (Sankey), Monte Carlo, Black Swan, Historical Backtest. |
| Plan analysis (top nav) | Premium: Run Optimizer, Stress Test, Compare (Roth + saved snapshots), Review, Tax Plan, Survivor Tax Impact (married), Tax Brackets, SS Optimizer. Included for Beta testers. |
| Legacy | Premium: Inheritance, Heir Tax, TCJA, Estate Checklist, Legacy Summary. |
| Guided setup (wizard) | Signed-in users with a blank plan may open an 8-chapter wizard (Basics → Real Estate). In guided mode, Projections unlock after Basics + Expenses + Accounts; Plan analysis after Benefits + Healthcare. Resume from Dashboard → Continue setup. Switch to full planner anytime to skip locks. Explore a sample plan may appear on the wizard entry screen. |
| Guided mode | Staged Profile unlocks as above. Avatar menu → Switch to full planner opens all nav immediately. |
| Cloud ▾ | Cloud sync actions plus Clear plan (erase local plan on this device). After a clear, restore with Use cloud backup if you need your remote snapshot. |
| Plan name pill | Tap the plan title next to the logo to rename your active plan (syncs to cloud when signed in). Sample plans are prefixed with Sample: until you Keep & customize. |
| Export / import JSON | User menu (⋯) or Settings → Export plan (JSON) for a full backup; Import plan (JSON) restores on this device. |
| Help & Docs | Tutorial and User Guide at modernretire.com/help; Methodology and limitations linked from the user menu. |
Changes auto-save locally. Signed-in users with cloud backup enabled sync the active plan to the cloud (watch for ✓ Synced). Use Save Scenario for named snapshots — free accounts get 3 cloud-synced slots; Premium is unlimited.
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.