Boldin vs Retireator

Boldin is a financial planning platform for shaping a household plan around resources, goals, values, and priorities. Its Planner covers income and spending alongside Social Security, benefits, taxes, real estate, and other parts of household finances. Users can model alternatives, review projections, and stress-test plans with Monte Carlo analysis. Connected accounts use Plaid, MX, and Mastercard (Finicity) to update balances, but cost basis, allocations, and transactions need to be entered manually for an accurate plan. The free Basic plan includes 100+ inputs, two interactive explorers, 10+ charts, and up to five AI questions daily. PlannerPlus costs $144/yr after a 14-day trial and adds account linking, tax projections, multiple scenarios, and other tools. Boldin Advisors is listed at $3,200 flat fee. The service is available on Android, iOS, and web. Support options include classes, coaching, chat, a community, financial education, and CFP® professionals; trial users receive technical help but not coaching or step-by-step setup assistance.

Retireator is a free, open-source retirement simulator written in Microsoft Excel for short- and medium-term financial planning. Users can build and test drawdown strategies across years using different income sources. It projects income and savings growth, supports withdrawal planning and scenario analysis, and models Social Security benefits and federal and state income taxes. Social Security calculations include spousal and survivor benefits, early-retirement reductions, and delayed-retirement credits. Other modeled factors include wage and consumer price inflation, stocks and bonds, past and future market conditions, employment and passive income, defined benefit pensions, debt, and net worth. Portfolio features cover target date funds and 401(k), 403(b), and IRA accounts. Housing tools include mortgage payment and amortization calculations, reverse mortgages, and scheduled one-time expenses. The listed annuity types include immediate, deferred, fixed, variable, indexed, and joint and survivor options. Tax calculations also cover payroll, self-employment, and long-term capital gains. Retireator is available on the web and Windows; account synchronization is not included.