All Products
Alphabetical Listing
Business Fin'l Tools
Business Forms
Human Resources
Personal Fin'l Tools
Plans & Reports
Sales & Marketing
Tools for Start-Ups

 

 

 

Find out the trade-offs between high and low contributions. 401(k) Forecaster can be used even by novice users. It only asks for the numbers it really needs to calculate the forecast...learn more

FastAnswer

401(k) Forecaster

For whom: Ideal for HR managers, employees, small business employers, entrepreneurs, HR consultants, MBAs, accountants, financial professionals, etc.

What it does: Asks for basic numbers and forecasts personalized projections. Considers contributions, accumulations, tax savings, and retirement income for all its forecasts and analysis.

Designed by: CPAs and underwriters with dozens of years of business and financial consulting experience. Design is based on expert financial models followed by thousands of successful financial consultants.

List price $89.95     you save $20 (22%)

Microsoft Excel 97 to 2003
$69.95
Buy Now

Requires Microsoft Excel

Click on the links to learn more

Screenshots Click here for samples

System Requirements Click here

Get Customization Click here

Product Description

The FastAnswer™ 401(k) Forecaster lets you prepare a hands-on, personalized projection of contributions, accumulations, tax savings, and retirement income. Fast and accurate, this expert retirement advisor can help you understand the real life trade-offs between high and low contributions. Embodying the experience of a chartered financial consultant and life underwriter with decades of experience, the 401(k) Forecaster gives you in-depth analysis of your 401(k) or 403(b) plan performance. Use the 401(k) Forecaster to calculate FICA, federal, and local taxes, and compute employer matching contributions - whether you're single, married filing jointly or separately, head of household, or widowed. As with all FastAnswers™, 401(k) Forecaster is completely button driven, and includes built-in comprehensive help and presentation-quality reports.

  • Use the 401(k) Forecaster for all your employees, whether they are single, married filing jointly or separately, head of household, or widowed.

  • Account for state and local income taxes so that your 401(k) results aren't distorted.

  • Over a dozen pages of content gives you in-depth analyses of your 401(k) plan's performance.

  • The "clear data" button makes creating another version simple. Just clear data, enter new data, and save. It's simple to try out different scenarios so that you can see which one is best for you

  • Easy installation lets you just jump right in and get started.

  • Automatically computes FICA, federal, state, and local taxes. All you need to do is update the tax tables annually.

  • The 401(k) Forecaster automatically computes the employer matching contribution for you.

  • Village Software, Inc.'s unique print dialog box lets you print anything in the program with just two button clicks.

  • Detailed built-in help is always just a click away to give you tips on the easiest way to complete a task.

  • No need to buy extra programs - the 401(k) Forecaster even handles 403(b) plans.

Extract from a product review as published in PC World Magazine

Maximize Your 401(k)'s Value!


401(k) Forecaster FastAnswer does the one thing overlooked by the big name, personal finance organizers: charts a course for saving for retirement with a 401(k) plan.

The 401(k) Forecaster is a retirement savings planner that can help everyone. It is equally as useful and important for 403(b) tax sheltered or tax deferred annuity (TSA or TDA) plans. In use by professional financial planners, large company benefits departments, small company owners, and thoughtful individuals, the 401(k) Forecaster calculates the immediate and long term benefits of saving for retirement on a tax deferred basis.

Most companies try to help their employees understand the value of 401(k) participation by providing a means for projecting 401(k) benefits. Benefits like tax savings, cash accumulations, and retirement income. Unfortunately, employees have to make their own projections by referring to charts or tables, lengthy worksheets, cardboard slide rules, or graphic calculators. These "tools" are widely available but generally inaccurate and misleading because they are impersonal, sometimes difficult to use, and overly simplistic. Few companies have access to anything better than these gadgets. Frankly, as important as 401(k) education is to one's current and future financial well being, employers are not able to do a very thorough job with these materials.

The 401(k) Forecaster was developed by a professional financial planner in the 401(k) service business. The 401(k) Forecaster combines the power and convenience of the personal computer with the popularity and simplicity of the spreadsheet. The result is fast and accurate personalized answers about income tax savings, cash accumulations over various time periods (including company matching contributions) and projected retirement benefits.

Use the 401(k) Forecaster with your Lotus 123, Quattro Pro, or Excel spreadsheet to make projections easy. Open the 401(k) Forecaster file and select Plan Setup. Enter basic information about your 401(k) plan. This information is available from your employer and is found in the Summary Plan Description. Enter the name of your 401(k) plan, the normal retirement age for receiving benefits, the company matching contribution rate, and how often you are paid. Then enter the expected investment rate of return on your 401(k) investments and how much your wages will increase in the future (these are supplied if you don't want to speculate), and whether or not your wages are subject to state or local income taxes. Your 401(k) or 403(b) plan is now set-up and ready to use. Save the 401(k) Forecaster in a separate file so it can be used over and over with this set of information.

Next, select Input Personal Data. Enter your name, current age, annual wages or compensation, federal tax filing status and number of exemptions (a table is provided), the percent of compensation you wish to contribute, your current 401(k) account balance (if any), and the local income tax rate (if any).

Next, select Results and examine a personalized forecast according to four different savings scenarios. The first scenario, saving for retirement on an after-tax basis without a 401(k). The second scenario, 401(k) retirement savings based on the percentage you entered.. And, the third and fourth scenarios using the percentage you entered plus saving 1% and 2% more each year. Each scenario is divided into three sections. The first section, How Taxes Affect Your Savings, includes information about:

  • The amount of your 401(k) savings contribution.

  • Your estimated social security and income taxes.

  • The amount of income tax actually deferred as a result of contributing to your 401(k).

  • The actual cost of your 401(k) contribution after factoring in your tax savings.

(This section is so accurate, the Author uses the 401(k) Forecaster throughout the year just to estimate his annual income taxes and make sure his tax withholding is sufficient to provide a small refund)!
The second section, How Steady Savings Will Grow, includes additional information about:

  • Your current retirement plan balance.

  • The amount of your company matching contribution.

  • The projected balance in your 401(k) account in 5, 10 and 20 years.

  • The lump sum payment from your 401(k) account at retirement.

  • The monthly income the lump sum with provide over your life expectancy.

The third section, Additional Information, lists:

  • How much your retirement lump sum payment will be reduced if you do not contribute this year.

  • Your actual income tax rate before and after your contribution.

  • Information from Plan Set-Up used to make the projections, like the plan's retirement age, the investment rate of return, and the rate your wages will increase in future years.

Run the 401(k) Forecaster over and over to explore the benefits of saving more for retirement. Create different scenarios by simply entering new information in the Input Personal Data window. Create a letter-size printout, in either text or graph form.
The 401(k) Forecaster is a good investment because it is designed for use with any 401(k) or 403(b) plan, year-after-year. As new tax rates are announced each year, the user can update the easily accessible federal and state tax tables. And, choose from three different matching contribution tables that support every matching contribution formula in use today. To get you started and keep you going, follow the step-by-step Help and Instructions, containing numerous examples.
 

System Requirements

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP/NT

Spreadsheet Software: Microsoft Excel 95/97/2000/XP/2003 or Lotus 1-2-3 or Quattro Pro (select the appropriate version)

RAM: 32 MB or more

Free disk space: 3 MB (appx.)

Processor: Processors with 300MHz or higher speed

List price $89.95     you save $20 (22%)

Microsoft Excel 97 to 2003

$69.95

Buy Now

Buy Now to

Save Money & Time

back to the top

Screenshots

These are actual screens of the product. Click the image for an enlarged view.

Main menu

Plan information setup

Personal data input

Forecasted results

Results graph and analysis

Social security and federal tax input

State income tax input

One of the matching modules

Life expectancy table

back to the top

 

Get Customization

We specialize in customizing Microsoft Office to your unique specifications. If you can't find what you need in our small business products store then send us a request for customization. We will send you a FREE quote and proposal document.

                                              © 1991-2011 Village Software, Inc. All rights reserved