Free Programs
All of these programs require Microsoft Excel version 97 or later.
Some people report that they use OpenOffice 3.0, Sun Microsystem’s open source software successfully. Link: www.openoffice.org
Free Retirement Planner. ( Previously named Free Pre Retirement Planner + program.) Now helps retirees too--and adds Social Security alternatives!
This free program helps you decide how much you should be saving for retirement or can spend if already retired, when you may be able to retire, how allocation of stocks, bonds and cash may affect retirement, and whether new savings should go into taxable, deferred-tax or tax-exempt investments. The Free Retirement Planner has a unique option that will give you an historical perspective that you won’t find in any other free planning program nor in any professional planning program. Link to the Free Retirement Planner. This is a great program to give to your adult children that are likely not saving enough. You can get a copy on CD with all of the other free programs by going to the Order Information link
“Should I convert my IRA to a Roth?” Free program helps answer.
An IRA conversion can be a benefit or a mistake, depending on what happens both in your future needs for money as well as what happens to inflation, tax rates and investment returns, among other things. Link to Should I convert my IRA to Roth?
Free program to decide if a single person should take Social Security early.
You can download this program free, but you must have Microsoft Excel 97 or later, and you must be under 62. If you are planning to retire early, this program shows whether it’s better to take Social Security at 62 or 66 or 70.
It also lets you determine if you want to start Social
Security at 62, and, when you reach 66, payback all of your previous Social
Security receipts and start again with much
larger Social Security payments at 66. This is legal, but entails the
risk that the Social Security Administration or IRS might change the rules
before you reach 66.
To download this free program: Netscape users left click on link and follow instructions. Internet Explorer users right click and then select "Save Target As" from the menu. Link to Should You Start Social Security Early
Free program to decide if a married couple should take
Social Security at 62, 66 or 70.
You can download this program free, but you must have Microsoft Excel 97 or
higher to use it. You must be under 62 (spouse can be older). If you are
planning to retire early, this program shows whether it’s better to take Social
Security at 62, 66, or 70. As you might suspect, the major benefactor of
delaying the start of Social Security is usually the surviving spouse. This
point is often neglected by professional advisors who often suggest taking
Social Security at the earliest possible date in case you would die before the
“breakeven” age of about 84. However, this is often poor advice for those who
are in the 50% of the population that will live longer than the breakeven age. This
program also lets you try the major alternatives that are currently being
considered to put Social Security on a sounder financial basis. See if any of
these would change your mind about when you should start taking Social
Security.
To download this free program: Netscape users left click on link and follow instructions. Internet Explorer users right click and then select "Save Target As" from the menu. Link to Social Security at 62, 66 or 70.
Free program gives
new insight and control of your investment results.
This remarkable program helps you with asset allocation and reallocation; getting information in the right categories for retirement planning; tabulates investments in different tax categories; and helps you understand how the ownership of your investments (joint, self, spouse) may affect your will and estate. It includes a ledger that allows you to see the totals of your withdrawals summed for different purposes. Also there is an investment history log that automatically calculates what your annual return was for previous years. Finally, it allows you to see your bond ladders and even estimates the current value of your savings bonds.
To download this free program: Netscape users left click on link and follow instructions. Internet Explorer users right click and then select "Save Target As" from the menu. Link to Investment Manager
Free Program Quantifies How Saving Income Now Can Add Income in Retirement.
This simple program demonstrates the retirement income benefits from
diverting some more of your current working wages
to savings for Roths, 401(k)s, IRAs, taxable
accounts, etc. Everyone should consider whether they really need all of the
things that are fueling our record personal debts and national consumerism
binge. Do you really need the latest electronics, software, cell phones, music
recorders, high-speed internet, daily lattes, dining out, a large home, etc. if
you can't afford a decent life-style in retirement?
To download this free program: Netscape users left click on link and follow
instructions. Internet Explorer users right click and then select "Save
Target As" from the menu. Link to It Pays To Save
Now!
Free Program to Evaluate Immediate Annuities of Various Types
If you are thinking seriously about buying an immediate annuity or converting your employee savings plan to a pension, you can use this program to determine if that is in the best interest of you and, if married, your spouse. The program lets you compare a number of types of immediate annuities including ones with fixed payments, payments that increase a certain percentage each year, and ones that increase each year with inflation. You can further compare the results with how you might do without the immediate annuity. If you have a variable annuity, you might want to consider using a 1035 tax-free exchange to get into one of the new inflation adjusted immediate annuities. The program calculates results for both qualified and non qualified accounts considering ordinary income tax and taxes on returns.
To download this free program: Netscape users left click on link and follow instructions. Internet Explorer users right click and then select "Save Target As" from the menu
Link to Evaluating Immediate Annuities - Simplified
Link to Evaluating Immediate Annuities - Comprehensive
Free Return Calculator
This Return Calculator program is a wonderful way to find out how your investments actually performed even when you had numerous deposits and/or withdrawals during the year--not how someone would like you to believe they performed. Many financial professionals have ways of hiding costs, fees, and kickbacks that may be a serious drain on your portfolio. If so, or if you are not doing as well as some of the common market indexes, you should probably make some changes. This download is FREE. Many users have found that they can do much better using index funds from low-cost mutual fund because they have discovered the severe penalties from some excessive professional fees and hidden costs in many mutual funds.
This small (only 20 KB) program for MSExcel 97 or later may be very valuable to you. For your free download: Netscape users left click on link and follow instructions. Internet Explorer users right click and then select "Save Target As" from the menu. Link to Return Calculator
Free Budgeting Planner
This easy-to-use program helps you establish a budget that fits within your
income, whether still working or already retired. It is Excel based, but you do
not have to know how to use Excel to use it.
To download the free version: Netscape users left click on link and follow
instructions. Internet Explorer users right click and then select "Save Target
As" from the menu.
Link to Free Budgeting Planner
Free Program to compare TIPS with I Bonds
If you are contemplating buying some government inflation-adjusted bonds, you should compare TIPS with Savings I Bonds to see which is better at the present time. It's largely dependent of the relative value of fixed interest between the two as well as your expectations for future tax rates and inflation rates. Link to Compare TIPS with I Bonds
Free Program for Replacement Budgeting
By the time you get to retirement, you should not be buying items on credit. In fact, the earlier you start saving for items before you buy them, the larger will be your retirement resources. It just costs too much of precious resources to pay all of that interest instead of earning interest. Use this simple calculator to show how much you should be saving each year. Link to Replacement Budgeting program.
Copy of all free programs on a CD. You can get a copy of all of the free programs above on a CD using an Order Form or simply mailing a check, cash or money order for $14 to Analyze Now, P.O., Box 9504, Kent, WA 98064. Be sure to enclose your name and mailing address. If you also enclose your email address, we can notify you of important updates.