Monthly budget
List what you spend each month. This becomes the spending baseline your retirement projections are built on. You can keep several budgets per client and pick which one a plan uses.
Household
Who is this plan for?
Savings today
Current balances by account type.
Annual contributions
What you add each year while still working. Include employer match in pre-tax.
Social Security & pension
Enter benefit estimates from ssa.gov (today's dollars, per year).
Retirement target
Baseline outlook
Updates live as you type. Low / medium / high reflect weak, average, and strong markets — see the Assumptions tab.
Glide path
What-if scenarios
Each scenario starts from your baseline plan — change only what you want to test.Compare scenarios
Pick two or more to see them side by side. Lines show the medium-case portfolio balance.
How GlidePath does the math
Everything runs locally in your browser. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.
Return assumptions (and where they come from)
Historical long-run averages, 1926–2024 (nominal, before inflation): U.S. large-cap stocks ≈ 10.2%/yr, intermediate government bonds ≈ 5%/yr, inflation ≈ 2.9%/yr. A 60/40 blend has historically returned roughly 8%/yr nominal.
| Mix | Stocks/Bonds | Low | Medium | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 30 / 70 | 3.5% | 5.0% | 6.5% |
| Balanced | 60 / 40 | 4.5% | 6.5% | 8.5% |
| Growth | 80 / 20 | 5.5% | 8.0% | 10.5% |
Medium cases sit about 1–1.5% below the historical blend average — deliberate caution to cover fees, sequence-of-returns risk, and the possibility that future returns run cooler than the past. The low case approximates a persistently weak market; the high case approximates a strong one. Real outcomes are bumpier than any smooth line.
Taxes
- Federal income tax uses the 2025 brackets and standard deduction ($15,750 single / $31,500 joint), with brackets indexed to your inflation assumption each year. State tax is not modeled — add ~3–6% mentally if your state taxes retirement income.
- Pre-tax withdrawals, Roth conversions, and pension income are taxed as ordinary income. 85% of Social Security is treated as taxable (the common case for retirees with meaningful savings).
- Brokerage withdrawals assume half of each dollar is realized gain taxed at the 15% capital-gains rate (≈7.5% effective).
- Pre-tax withdrawals before age 59½ incur the 10% early-withdrawal penalty — unless the Rule of 55 toggle is on and you're 55+ (separation from your employer at 55 or later allows penalty-free withdrawals from that employer's 401(k)).
Required minimum distributions
RMDs start at age 73 (born before 1960) or 75 (born 1960 or later), per SECURE 2.0, using the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. RMD money you don't spend is reinvested in your brokerage account.
Other mechanics
- Withdrawal order: cash → brokerage → pre-tax → Roth (a common tax-efficient default).
- Spending and Social Security grow with your inflation assumption. Pension/part-time income is flat (no COLA).
- The readiness score: High (70–100) means even the low-return case lasts to your planning age; Medium (40–69) means the medium case lasts but the low case runs dry; Low (0–39) means the medium case runs dry.
What this is not
GlidePath is an educational model, not financial, tax, or legal advice. It uses smooth average returns, simplified tax rules, and your own estimates. Before acting on a plan — especially Roth conversions or early retirement — talk it through with a qualified financial planner or CPA.