Test hypothetical withdrawal and contribution strategies to evaluate retirement income planning, dollar cost averaging, dividend strategies, and distribution scenarios.
Accessing Cash Flow Scenarios
From any eligible portfolio:
- Navigate to the Performance tab
- Click the Analyze dropdown menu (located below the performance chart)
- Select Cash flow scenarios
Portfolio Eligibility
Custodial portfolios with real performance history (Schwab, Fidelity, Altruist, and Betterment) cannot be used for cash flow scenarios. If you attempt to access an ineligible portfolio, you'll see: "This portfolio has real history and cannot be used for a hypothetical simulation."
Scenario Types
Withdraw Dividends - Withdraw only dividend income while reinvesting capital gains
Withdraw Dollars - Fixed dollar withdrawals at regular intervals
Withdraw % - Percentage-based withdrawals from current portfolio value
Contribute Dollars - Regular contributions over time
Configuring a Scenario
Amount & Frequency
- Enter dollar amount or percentage
- Select frequency: monthly, quarterly, or yearly
- Quarterly withdrawals occur in March, June, September, and December
Adjust for Inflation (Dollar scenarios only)
- Automatically increases dollar amounts annually based on CPI data
Start Value
- Initial portfolio value (defaults to $100,000 value)
Date Range
- Quick select: 1y, 3y, 5y, 10y, 15y, 20y, 25y, 30y
- Custom start/stop dates
- Model portfolios with history: Cannot begin before the model's inception date
Assumptions
- Strategy: Rebalancing frequency (from portfolio settings)
- Advisor Fee: Annual fee percentage (from portfolio settings)
Viewing Results
Portfolio Comparison Use the dropdown to cycle between your portfolio, model portfolios, and benchmarks
Performance Chart Shows portfolio value over time with cash flow strategy applied
Summary Metrics
- Total withdrawn/contributed
- Average withdrawal rate (withdrawal scenarios)
Analysis Contextual insights about the scenario, such as how withdrawal rates compare to traditional guidelines
Cash Flow Detail
- Bar chart showing annual cash flows
- Data table with Date, Amount, Cumulative, and Portfolio value
- Export to Excel available
Generating a PDF Report
Click the PDF button to create a report including scenario details, charts, metrics, and compliance disclosures.
Key Features
- Minimum cash threshold: Portfolio rebalances automatically to fund withdrawals
Compliance Notes
Cash flow scenarios are hypothetical simulations based on historical performance. Results do not represent actual performance or predictions of future results.