RetirePlan

This is worse than just a spreadsheet using basically excel calculations. No Monte Carlo, no sequence of returns, no configuration of failure modes. Huge ripoff, avoid

This was a great app 10-15 years ago when I bought it. Easy to use, didn’t require an account (wherein my data can be stolen) and didn’t lose my spreadsheets. This latest revision undid all that. Numbers I’d entered years ago are lost and now I can’t see how that plan worked out. Navigating is more difficult; I can’t just type in a number but have to use their goofy and uncontrollable slider. The y-axis scale changes as I enter new data. This app just keeps getting worse with every revision and it’s time I found a new one. You should, too.

I made a previous, positive review of this app, but now that I have had an opportunity to play more with it I owe it to the author to expand my review. This app allows you to factor in market corrections, major crashes, and changes in portfolio rates of return as one gets older. In addition, it allows the user to factor in a variety of future expenses and income streams. For the small cost this planning app is an essential tool for evaluating risk tolerance scenarios and life changes. I recommend it to everyone.

I use to love this app and found it very useful. I wish I had not downloaded the update. The new version is terrible and not user friendly.

After using this app and loving it for several years, the visual layout and functionality was totally redesigned last year. At that time, the app took 10 steps backward, IMO, and I gave it a one star review and began looking for another retirement app. >>> UPDATE: I also sent an email to the developer stating my complaint. To his credit, he responded quickly and communicated the reasoning behind the update AND addressed some of the issues that I had. The most recent update is a much improved version, I am updating my review to four stars. I still like the previous version (prior to the redesign) better, but for now, this is a very good app.

I wrote the previous review, lamenting the fact that the initial revision of this app did not show all the variables on the left-hand column the way the previous one did. That’s been updated and now I would say this is about as good as it gets. Thank you developers!

Yay, now on my iphone not just ipad, thank you.

Read some of the reviews and felt compelled to add my own. Firstly, you should ignore most of the reviews that are years old, as they include complaints that have long since been addressed. More recent complaints seem to be the app lacking the ability to address RMD’s or different retirement dates for spouses. This appears to be true, however, I would counter that this is well beyond the intended scope of this app. This is a great tool for simple “what if’s?” to assess the feasibility of various saving or spending scenarios. Simply put, it can get you in the ballpark. Expecting a $5 iPad app to calculate a comprehensive retirement plan is simply unreasonable - the real world is far too complex. If you want to have some fun and noodle around with savings levels, retirement dates and the like, have at it, you won’t be disappointed. I have been using it for years in this way. Poke around the drop down list when you select “+” and you be able to concoct some workarounds to help with your specific situation. ****Jan 2024 Update**** Late 2023 provided a clunky update that moved all input to tiles along the bottom of the screen. Another update in Jan 2024 has already addressed this, moving the inputs back to the left side of the screen where they started. Note that at some point (not sure when), RMD’s were added, but it is still not possible to designate different retirement dates for spouses. Still the best five bucks I ever spent.

Wonderful until now. The upgrade ruined it.

Previously this was a great app and very easy to use.

However there’s been a recent update that makes it clunky and significantly more difficult to input data.

Also prompts to “create an account” when you never needed to do this before.

Deleted the app after having had it for a couple years or so.

Sad.

I purchased this app approximately 4 years ago and utilized it quite a bit especially in the 2 years leading up to my retirement. I’ve been retired now for 2 1/2 years and only look at it maybe once or twice a year. The problem with the app once in retirement is that it forces the distribution of your non tax deferred investments down to zero before allowing distributions from tax deferred accounts such as IRA’s or 401k’s. Nobody in retirement withdraws this way in real life. It is much more common in retirement to maintain a sum in non tax deferred accounts for emergency and/or for planned major expenses while beginning distributions from IRA’s and/or 401k’s. The app does not allow this.

App was just a tool and was useful. Latest update requires signing in and associated information with account. Data is stored in cloud which no matter what is said is a risk. Financial data should never be put in cloud that can be used in any way for analysis. As a former natwork engineer and familiar with firewalls and infrastructure keep what you can off the cloud. AI will eventually find a way to find it . Too bad they ruined the tool and updated it without my consent with no warning. That alone is a privacy violation. Give me my old tool back.. will look and see if they post this….

Ease of use and a unique user interface make this financial planner a joy to use. Excellent use of graphical displays give one the overall picture in seconds. We only have one problem, which is determining where we enter our employer pension? Where do we enter this? (For instance Public Employees Retirement System anticipated pension?) Otherwise very highly recommended!

Love the latest version. I have been using this app for several years and the new upgrades make it even better to project your retirement goals. Other retirement planning apps are tied to commercial financial companies that want you to invest in their securities. Retirement Plan is independent and not tied to any financial institutions. Great job with this version.

I was really happy to see the latest update. I am always worried that Apple might make some iOS change that breaks something and I really don't want to use anything else.

My only request is if you might be able to either come up with some sort of web based application or native Mac OS app to run on my Macbook? I know I can run the iPad app on MacOS now but it still has sizing issues and artifacts. I would love a web app to be able to have the same functionality from the iPad app in the browser. I know this is not a minor undertaking and would require some sort of subscription to pay for the hosting and data storage.

Anyway, thanks again for your great application!