Any good Planning software or service?

[mikebh]

Are there any better software vs eMoney, vs Quicken?
The eMoney suppose to accommodate my needs to build a model and scenarios, but "Realization Model" just isn't working for my needs, use cases.
The Quicken is limited and can't help to plan for Roth Conversions, and can't accommodate DCP distributions in it Long Term Planning
The newretirement.com looks good, but can't accommodate my situation ether, while it has moved into right direction IMHO.

I need to accommodate those:
1. plan Roth Conversion - what year and how much to be with in Fed tax bracket. Every year also gets some taxable income that has to be counted
2. DCP (Deferral plan) distribution - specific schedule. Also to track market value to adjust distribution total for each distribution moving forward, or manual yearly adjustment. It has several distribution schedules
3. To relocate from California and to where for Roth and DCP ? how much could be tax savings?
4. Tax guides for muni vs TBills vs CD, ladders to be tax efficient, while to have some income. This is on top of Stocks and Funds in 401k, Roth and after tax
5. Tax guidance in what year to draft and from which account? 401k, Roth or after tax?
6. Accommodates Social Security scenarios for total return based on current assets - to start at 62, 65, 70 or etc ?
7. Concentrated Stock positions - guidance and plan, also to be tax aware and plan aware for taxes and income stream
8. More specific Roth Conversions , scenarios for tax payments

What do you use and what do you recommend?

thanks

[Parkinglotracer]

Check out Pralana gold mentioned on forum. I have not used it but it sounds like a powerful tool.

[stan1]

In several places you ask for "guidance" and a lot of what if analysis.

It may be terminology, but I would not say that Pralana Gold (spreadsheet) and NewRetirement (website) provide a lot of guidance. They let you enter your data and assumptions then give you a result. If you change the data and assumptions you get a different answer. What you are asking for in your list is complex and can be very specific to personal situations. You will need to put in many hours with any tool or hire someone for several thousand dollars to customize something for you. You will need to vary the data entry and just as importantly the assumptions to do most what if analysis.

Realistically a $100-200 piece of software is not going to easily solve this for you. You'll need to put 100 hours in learning how to do it, or hire an expert who will put in 10-20 hours for you. I don't think any software is going to deal with concentrated stock positions for example. That requires a person to do some analysis and choose the best assumptions. You'd want to manage your expectations going into this especially if you are not prepared to invest a lot of time into it.

[mrb09]

For Pralana Gold and Newretirement (the ones I happen to be familiar with) , quite a lot is covered.

The exceptions I'm aware of (might be more)

- For tax accounts, newretirement sets an account type for tax purposes, for example a DCP is "other tax deferred". You can set the amount of capital gains in a taxable account, but I don't think you can set the muni vs. treasury etc. Dunno about Pralana Gold, my copy is out of date.

- Neither one handles concentrated stock positions that I know of.

- On the DCP: both Pralana Gold and Newreitement have options for "additional income" for a set number of years. I've never tried to model it as an investment account, just as an income stream. I'm pretty bond heavy in my deferred comp account and hoping it stays fairly stable.

Also on your DCP, if your payout is less than 10 years, you pay taxes to the state where you earned it. There are some threads on that in this forum.

[KiwiBobs]

Pralana Gold. There is a bogglheads youtube video on it.

[seugene]

Are there any better software vs eMoney, vs Quicken?

Assuming you are not a financial advisor, not affiliated with one, and not a client of one, I'm surprised you even have access to eMoney. It's a financial planning software targeted at financial advisors. Our firm pays ~$4,400 a year for it. (They have different pricing tiers.) It's one of the most popular financial planning software packages for financial advisors, along with MoneyGuide and RightCapital.

I'm looking at eMoney's Realization Model choice, and it seems pretty robust to me, including the ability to fully customize it. Talk to their support, see what they say in response to what you want to do. They might have features you need at a higher price level than your current one.

At another firm I worked for before, I've also worked with MoneyGuide ("Elite" was our pricing / feature tier), but I do not recall the details of their realization model choices. Both eMoney and MoneyGuide are ridiculously "bells and whistle"y software packages, with so many variables that it becomes dizzy pretty fast.

I have not seen RightCapital. It's a relative newcomer to the field, apparently gaining market share fast. It's often used by younger smaller financial advisors and firms, typically with younger client base. Apparently it has fewer features than the other two, which may not be a bad thing generally, but sounds like it might be a bad / limiting thing for you.

[bsteiner]

Excel.

[mikebh]

Are there any better software vs eMoney, vs Quicken?

Assuming you are not a financial advisor,
...

I'm looking at eMoney's Realization Model choice, and it seems pretty robust to me, including the ability to fully customize it. Talk to their support, see what they say in response to what you want to do. They might have features you need at a higher price level than your current one.
...

Apparently it has fewer features than the other two, which may not be a bad thing generally, but sounds like it might be a bad / limiting thing for you.

thank you for the reply
no, I'm not FCA / FCP / CPA or etc professional, I got access to eMoney via my financial advisor.
No, I can't make all changes for eMoney, but some, the rest my financial advisor can do to some extend.

Yes, my financial advisor asked several times eMoney support and SME about the "Realization Model" that we can't configure for my situation or use cases.
Maybe my financial advisor doesn't have access to everything that eMoney provides?
But, he just can't customize any Realization Model for any my account.
We see just 4 choices with eMoney predefined values.

As example - one account has just single stock, but eMoney can't extract correct info for the stock and forces incorrect values, like absurd dividends, or forced distribution with gains and higher taxation.

As result it distorted resulting analyses and planning.

Maybe it's just "basic" knowledge of eMoney?
I can't get direct talk with eMoney support , just my financial advisor can, so it's going back and forth ...

eMoney support created Custom Realization Model for one account, but it isn't correct, and we can't change it, again back to eMoney support.

I need to have optimized (tax and gains) distribution schedule for all my investment accounts, then only to go to Roth Conversion planning
I can provide more details for this matter over private message, pls.

the good part of eMoney - many my accounts are linked and eMoney loads online updates
the bad part - eMoney doesn't understand Fidelity 401k account, where I have Roth and before Tax assets. it sees it as single and only choice to select ether Roth type or before Tax with some adjustments. Yes, those adjustments have to be done every time manually to get to my current state, otherwise linked feed provides incorrect split between Roth and before Tax.

BTW - I'm not aware of any software that understand Fidelity account Sources, are the any?

[mikebh]

Excel.

I don't think I can compete with Palana , I've learned about.
I'm considering Palana Excel macro, and need to learn how to import data or link balances or positions from my accounts.

but, thank you anyway