Origin StoryOctober 2026·6 min read
Why I Built Evernest — From Spreadsheets to a Retirement Calculator
I couldn't find a retirement calculator that answered my real questions — so I built one. The honest story behind Evernest.
Honest comparisons, practical guides, and answers to your biggest retirement questions.
I couldn't find a retirement calculator that answered my real questions — so I built one. The honest story behind Evernest.
Honest comparison of pricing, features, AI, Monte Carlo, and philosophy. Evernest is about a third of Boldin's price — and why simpler might be better.
Both are privacy-first with no account linking. less than half the price of ProjectionLab Premium, 50K Monte Carlo scenarios vs 10K, and a guided setup that gets you answers in minutes.
MaxiFi calculates your "sustainable living standard." Evernest shows you a year-by-year cash flow chart. About a third of MaxiFi's price — and only one has a free-forever tier.
Pralana started as a 200-page-manual Excel spreadsheet. Evernest gets you to the same answer in 5 minutes, at less than half of Pralana's price.
Robo-advisors charge 0.25% of your portfolio. Human advisors charge ~1%. On $500K, that's $1,250–$5,000/yr. Evernest costs $47.88/yr.
A one-time financial plan costs $1,500–$3,000. Evernest costs $47.88/yr and you can update it anytime life changes. When does each make sense?
Evernest, Fidelity, Empower, FIRECalc, and more. What each does well, where each falls short, and which is the best upgrade path.
Claiming at 62 costs you 30%. Waiting to 70 adds 24%. Break-even math, 2026 benefit amounts, and how to model it in your plan.
The Rule of 25, the 4% rule, a 10-point readiness checklist, 2026 contribution limits, and a free projection engine to test your number.
At $40K/year it lasts 30+ years. At $80K/year, about 15. Real scenarios with Social Security, inflation, and market returns.
Use our free retirement calculator to answer your questions today