What a Financial Planner Gives You
A good fee-only financial planner (CFP or similar credential) will sit down with you, gather your full financial picture, and build a comprehensive plan. That typically includes:
- • Retirement cash flow projections
- • Social Security claiming strategy
- • Tax-efficient withdrawal sequencing
- • Insurance review
- • Estate planning considerations
- • A polished PDF report, usually 20–40 pages
That plan costs $1,500–$3,000 for a one-time plan ($4,000–$8,000/yr for ongoing fee-only planning), or $250–$600/hour if you pay by the session. And it represents your financial picture at a single point in time. Six months later, if the market shifts, you get a raise, or you decide to retire a year earlier — you need to pay for an update.
What $47.88/Year Gives You
Evernest covers the core planning analyses — the same ones a financial planner runs for you — and lets you rerun them anytime:
Monte Carlo Simulation
50,000 randomized scenarios — the same analysis planners charge thousands to run. See your success probability, percentile outcomes, and worst-case scenarios with full histogram output.
Year-by-Year Cash Flow
Visual stacked bar chart showing portfolio balance, income, Social Security, and spending — every year through retirement. The picture a planner summarizes in a 30-page PDF, live and interactive.
Multiple Portfolios
Model traditional, fixed income, and income investing portfolios with independent draw strategies. Enter your total and expected return range — the engine projects by portfolio type using historical data.
Unlimited Updates
Change any assumption instantly — spending, Social Security timing, retirement age, market returns. No appointment. No waiting. No additional cost. Update your plan as often as life changes.
Financial Events
Model home sales, inheritances, college costs, Roth conversions — see the impact on your long-term picture instantly.
Detailed Data Tabs
Year-by-year numbers behind the chart — portfolio balances, income, spending, Social Security. Verify every assumption yourself.
The Real Advantage: Plans That Evolve With You
A financial planner's report is a snapshot. It's accurate the day it's written. But life doesn't stand still:
- →The market drops 20%. With Evernest: update your portfolio value and see the new projection in seconds. With a planner: schedule a meeting, pay for a session.
- →You decide to retire a year earlier. With Evernest: change the date, see the impact immediately. With a planner: another $250–$600 session.
- →You inherit $50K. With Evernest: add a financial event, see how it changes everything. With a planner: wait for the next review.
- →It's 2 AM and you can't sleep because you're worried about retirement. With Evernest: open the app and run scenarios until you feel better. With a planner: wait until Monday.
This isn't about replacing the expertise — it's about having the tool available when you need it, not just when an appointment is scheduled.
Your Data Stays With You
Working with a financial planner means sharing your complete financial picture with another person — income, savings, debts, tax returns, estate documents. That's a lot of sensitive information in someone else's files.
- ✓Evernest: nobody sees your data but you
- ✓No AI processes your financial data
- ✓No account linking — your credentials stay with you
- ✓Delete your data permanently at any time
- ✓We never sell your data — ever
When a Financial Planner Is Worth It
There are situations where professional advice earns its fee:
- •Complex estate planning: Trusts, wealth transfer, charitable giving strategies require legal expertise beyond any software tool.
- •Major life transitions: Divorce, business sale, early inheritance — one-time events with lasting consequences benefit from professional guidance.
- •Tax optimization at scale: If you have $2M+ in mixed account types, the tax sequencing alone might save more than the planner costs.
- •Peace of mind: Some people simply want a professional to validate their plan. A one-time fee-only engagement for $2,000 can be money well spent for the confidence it provides.
The smart play for many people: hire a fee-only planner for a one-time checkup, then use Evernest for ongoing monitoring and updates at $48/year. You get the expertise when it matters most and the tool when you need flexibility.
The Bottom Line
Use Evernest if:
- → Your financial situation is relatively straightforward
- → You want to update your plan instantly when life changes
- → You want Monte Carlo, cash flow charts, and data tabs at $48/yr
- → You prefer to keep your financial data private
- → You're the kind of person who reads comparison articles
Hire a planner if:
- → You need estate planning or trust work
- → You're navigating a major life transition
- → You want professional validation of your plan
- → You have complex tax optimization needs at scale
Consider: one-time planner consultation + Evernest for ongoing updates = the best of both worlds.
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Your Plan. Your Schedule. $47.88/Year.
Monte Carlo simulation, multiple portfolios, year-by-year cash flow — updated whenever you want, not whenever your planner has an opening.