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What is this?
Hazy but Hopefully helps you explore possible futures for your finances — ballpark maybes, not a verdict. You enter your age, income, expenses, and investments; the app projects year-by-year balances and runs hundreds of random simulations to show a range of outcomes, not a single guaranteed number.
How it works
- Create a scenario — After logging in, go to My scenarios and create a new plan, or click an existing plan in your list.
- You can choose from templates of various income levels that you can edit or
- start from scatch and enter it all yourself.
- Household — Enter your age, how far to plan (e.g. to age 95), and spouse or children if applicable.
- Finances — Add income and expenses one at a time using the guided forms. When you save and view preview, the app may show a finances review if anything looks unintentional (e.g. a short investment duration).
- Preview — Review a single spreadsheet using average values. Edit until it looks right.
- Generate results — Run hundreds of simulations with random returns and variable expenses. See a bar chart of possible ending balances.
Example: upper-middle-class family
This family lives in a mid-size or large U.S. city (think Denver, Atlanta, or suburban Chicago — not Manhattan). Both parents work, they own a home with a mortgage, drive two cars, and have two teenagers in high school. They have about $500,000 in retirement and brokerage accounts and want to plan from today through age 95.
Illustrative only — not a recommendation. Dollar amounts are rounded for clarity.
Household
- You (primary)
- Age 48, retire at 65
- Spouse
- Age 46, retire at 65
- Plan through
- Age 95 (47-year horizon)
- Child 1
- Age 16, supported through 22 (college start)
- Child 2
- Age 17, supported through 22
- Home
- Owned; $3,500/mo mortgage (principal & interest), 15 years remaining
- Cars
- Two vehicles — entered as one “Auto & transport” expense line
- Investable assets
- $500,000 combined (401(k), IRA, taxable brokerage)
Income
| Line item | Category in app | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your salary | Employment (You) | $142,000 / yr | Until your retirement age; optional 2%/yr raise |
| Spouse salary | Employment (Spouse) | $105,000 / yr | Until spouse retirement age |
| Retirement accounts | Investments (Joint) | $500,000 balance | Balanced preset (stocks & bonds) |
| Dividends & interest | (automatic) | ~$14,000 / yr | Added by the engine from your balance — not a separate line |
| Employment subtotal | $247,000 / yr | ||
| With estimated dividends (year 1) | ~$261,000 / yr | ||
Expenses & debts
| Line item | Category in app | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgage | Mortgage / rent | $3,500 / mo | 15 yr remaining; inflation off |
| Groceries, utilities, household | Living costs | $4,800 / mo | Food, utilities, internet, upkeep; inflation on |
| Health care | Medical | $7,000–$18,000 / yr | Varies year to year; age-linked + inflation |
| Teen 1 — school & activities | Child-related | $1,200 / mo | Child 1; through support age |
| Teen 2 — school & activities | Child-related | $1,200 / mo | Child 2 |
| Two cars | Other expense | $1,750 / mo | Payments, insurance, fuel, maintenance |
| Property tax & home insurance | Other expense | $950 / mo | Fixed annual total spread monthly |
| Vacations & gifts | Other expense | $450 / mo | Discretionary |
| Approximate annual total (midpoint medical) | ~$186,000 / yr | ||
| Range (low–high medical year) | ~$181,000 – $195,000 / yr | ||
Annual snapshot
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Total income (employment + estimated dividends) | ~$261,000 / yr |
| Total expenses (midpoint medical) | ~$186,000 / yr |
| Estimated income tax (24% on cash income) | ~$62,000 / yr |
| Surplus after estimated taxes & before extra retirement savings | ~$13,000 – $27,000 / yr |
That surplus is plausible for an upper-middle household still saving for retirement and college. Set your tax rate on the household step; Social Security and pensions use simplified estimates.
To build something similar: enter each row on the Finances step using the categories shown. The app will add portfolio dividends automatically, apply inflation where you check it, and may prompt you to double-check entries on finances review before preview.
Key ideas
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Scenario key | Random bookmark for a plan (/scenario/<key>/). Copy from the list or hub. Useful across devices. |
| My scenarios | List of plans you created — click to open without pasting a key. |
| Preview | One deterministic projection (midpoints for variable items). Use this to check your data. |
| Monte Carlo | Many random trials; shows spread of possible ending balances. |
| Fixed amount | Same dollar amount every year (e.g. salary, mortgage). |
| Varies year to year | A dollar range each year (e.g. medical $2k–$8k). Each simulation picks a value in that range. |
| Investment return | Random % each year within a preset range based on US stock/bond history — you pick the mix (e.g. mostly stocks), not the percentages. |
What this is not
- Not financial advice — Educational projections only. Consult a qualified advisor for decisions.
- Not a tax or benefits calculator — Social Security and taxes are simplified estimates you provide.
- Not a guarantee — Past market ranges do not ensure future results.
Tips
- Your scenarios appear on My scenarios after you log in.
- Save your scenario key if you want a direct bookmark to one plan.
- Use Preview to sanity-check before running Monte Carlo.
- Add separate line items for each job, account, or major expense.
- For investments, pick an asset mix preset (e.g. balanced stocks & bonds) — the app sets historical return ranges; you enter the balance only.