Does RetireConfident store any of my data?
Nothing leaves your browser. Every calculation runs on your own device, nothing is sent to any server, there is no account, and we never see your figures. Your data
is kept locally though, and it is worth knowing which: everything you type is written to this browser's storage automatically, not only the scenarios you deliberately save. That is why your figures are still there when you come back. See
Saving and clearing your data for how to wipe them.
How do I clear what I have entered and start again?
Use ↺ Start over in the Scenario Manager. It returns every input to the worked example a first-time visitor sees, after asking you to confirm. Named scenarios you have saved are not affected, so save the current figures first if you might want them back. To delete a single entry instead — one windfall, one-off expense or extra contribution — use the Remove button on that row.
How does the handoff from the Projection Calculator work?
Click "Take to Retirement Calculator" in the Projection Calculator's right panel. Your projected super balance, return assumptions, couple details, and non-super balance transfer automatically. You'll still need to enter income streams, spending, and Age Pension settings.
How do I model a PSS or MSBS pension?
Enter your annual pension (after tax) under "Defined benefit pension (after tax)" in the Income Streams card. The model treats it as a guaranteed, CPI-indexed income stream for life. Once you enter a pension amount, a scheme selector and an Income test deductible amount field also appear. Choose your scheme, then enter the deductible amount your fund reports — for PSS, CSS and other civilian schemes the calculator caps it at 10% of your pension, as Services Australia does, while military schemes keep the full amount. Leave it at $0 if you don't know it; the result will be a conservative estimate.
What is the income test deductible amount for a DB pension?
When Services Australia applies the Age Pension income test to a defined benefit pension, they reduce your assessable income by a deductible amount — the tax-free component of the pension. There is a ceiling: since 1 January 2016 it is capped at 10% of the gross pension for PSS, CSS and other civilian schemes, so on a $60,000 pension at most $6,000 is deducted. Military schemes (MSBS, DFRDB and DFRB) are exempt from the cap. Enter the figure your fund reports, choose your scheme, and the calculator applies the cap. Without it, the income test runs against your full pension and tends to understate your Age Pension.
How do I know what percentages to set for care at home?
Use the three buttons rather than the sliders. They ask what kind of help you expect, which is something you can answer: nursing, allied health and personal care are clinical and cost you nothing, while cleaning, laundry, meals, gardening and transport are everyday living and carry the highest rates. Higher-level packages tend to include more personal and nursing care, so more of them is free. Being straight about it: there is no published data on the typical mix of services, so this is the least certain input in the card — and one of the largest. That is why the preview shows the whole range your cost could span, from nothing if all your care were clinical, up to the full everyday-living rate if none of it were. If you already have a care plan, use the services it actually lists.
How much should I enter for the annual value of services?
The value of the care, not what you pay — your contribution is a share of it. Government spending averaged about $29,800 a year per home care package in 2024-25, ranging from roughly $9,300 at the lowest level to $50,500 at the highest, so those are reasonable anchors. If you have been assessed, use your package level's budget. The median stay on a packaged program is around 16 months, although lighter support often runs for years beforehand.
What's the difference between carry-forward and bring-forward?
Carry-forward lets you use unused concessional cap space from the prior 5 years — extra pre-tax contributions above the $32.5k annual cap (if your TSB is below $500k). Bring-forward lets you front-load up to 3 years of non-concessional cap ($390k) in a single year, locking the NCC cap to $0 for the following 1–2 years.
I've entered carry-forward amounts but the projection isn't using them — why?
Carry-forward space is only consumed when Maximise concessional is active. Enable it in the Superannuation card (applies every year) or on a specific Career Phase (applies to that period only). A warning appears in the Carry-Forward card if amounts are entered but maximise is not enabled anywhere. Also note: if you hold a defined benefit pension (PSS, CSS, MSBS), your ATO total super balance includes the notional value of that pension — typically annual pension × 16 — which may push your TSB above the $500k carry-forward threshold even if your accumulation account is small.
Monte Carlo shows different results each time — is that a bug?
No — expected. Each run uses a new set of randomly generated return sequences. Small variation is normal. For reproducible results, use a Historical period or Formal Stress Test.
Can I save my scenario and come back later?
Yes. Use the Save/Load button in the toolbar to keep a named scenario you can return to. Auto-save separately preserves your live inputs without you doing anything, so closing the tab loses nothing. For a copy that survives clearing your browser or moving to another device, use the JSON export. To go the other way and wipe what has been kept, see
Saving and clearing your data.