Important Disclaimer

Purpose and decision warning

Plan in Decades is for exploring numerical what-if scenarios. Its outputs are estimates, not forecasts, recommendations, or guarantees.

Do not rely on this calculator to make a decision about a financial product. Consider obtaining advice from an Australian financial services licensee before making financial decisions.

See Australian super assumptions for the calculation-specific settings and limitations.

Assumptions and their impact

Results use the values in each scenario, including inflation, capital growth, dividend yield, tax, asset costs, interest, income and expense growth, contribution limits, pension or account access rules, and drawdown order. Country-specific tax, contribution, and access settings may reflect statutory rules, but the model simplifies those rules and they can change.

You can review and change non-statutory assumptions in the scenario settings and relevant account, asset, income, expense, debt, and cashflow-rule forms. A higher assumed return generally increases projected balances; higher inflation, costs, tax, or spending generally reduces their purchasing power or duration. Small changes can compound into materially different long-term results.

The model does not capture every law, fee, market event, product term, eligibility rule, household circumstance, or behavioural change. Data, defaults, and software may be incomplete, outdated, or wrong. Actual outcomes may differ materially.

For Australian super, only the fee model configured on the account is deducted. Omitted fixed administration, investment, advice, or insurance costs will overstate the projected balance. Tax, preservation-age, and condition-of-release rules are simplified. Users aged 67 or older should review the separate calculation retirement age because the model does not separately record whether they are already in the retirement phase.

Present value and future value

Amounts labelled today’s dollars are inflation-adjusted values using the scenario’s inflation assumptions. Amounts labelled future dollars or nominal dollars show the money amount in the future year and are not present values.

For Australian superannuation, use the separately labelled Australian super present value shown with the account result. It uses the scenario’s wage-inflation setting before the account’s calculation retirement age and consumer-inflation setting after that age. The calculation retirement age does not start or alter the scenario’s Retirement milestone and does not replace the account’s separate access rule.

Financial Advice Authorities

If you need professional financial advice, please contact a registered advisor in your country:

• New Zealand - Financial Markets Authority
• USA - Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
• UK - Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Why we are careful

Financial decisions can have life-changing consequences. While our tools can help you think through scenarios and understand concepts, they:

• Make simplified assumptions about tax, inflation, and returns
• Cannot account for your complete personal situation
• May contain errors or bugs
• Should never be your sole source of financial calculations

Consider qualified financial, tax, and legal advice before making financial decisions. In Australia, check that a financial adviser is authorised to provide the advice you need.