In Forecasting, scenarios let you save and switch between different versions of your forecast to explore possible futures. Forecasting is available in the Monarch web app.

Each scenario has its own life events, assumptions, and settings. Account volatility for Chance of Success is saved on the account and shared across scenarios that use it. Use them to explore questions like: What does retirement at 60 look like versus 65? What if I took a career break before buying a home?

Table of Contents

• Creating a new scenario
• Switching between scenarios
• Managing your scenarios
• Comparing scenarios
• Related articles

Creating a new scenario

There are two ways to add a scenario:

1. From scratch — Click Add scenario, then Start from scratch. Confirm your income, accounts, and starting life events.
2. By duplicating — Open the scenario list and select Duplicate on an existing scenario to create a copy you can modify independently. For details on the assumptions you can adjust, see Managing Forecasting Assumptions.

Switching between scenarios

At the top of the Forecasting page, click a scenario to view it. If you have more scenarios than fit in the bar, click # more to see the full list.

Managing your scenarios

• Change the name, icon, or color — Open the scenario list, click the three dots next to a scenario, and select Edit name and icon.
• Reorder — Drag scenarios in the pill bar or scenario list to change their order.
• Duplicate — Create a copy of a scenario to use as a starting point.
• Delete — Permanently remove a scenario from your forecast.

Comparing scenarios

Compare two scenarios to see how their projected outcomes differ over time.

Starting a comparison

There are two ways to pick a scenario to compare against:

• From the scenario header: Click the compare icon (⇆) next to the scenario name and choose a scenario from the list.
• From the scenario list: Open the scenario list and select Compare on any scenario other than the one you're viewing.

The scenario you're currently viewing is your active scenario; the one you pick is the comparison scenario. You can only compare two scenarios at a time.

What comparisons show you

When you compare scenarios, a "vs. [scenario name]" pill appears in the header, and the chart, statistics, and table update:

• The chart: A second net worth line is overlaid for the comparison scenario, with a legend identifying each. The comparison scenario's life event markers also appear on the timeline.
• The statistics bar: Each metric (Net worth EOY, Net worth at retirement, Retirement age, and Net worth at end) shows the difference between the two scenarios at a glance.
• The forecast table: A toggle above the table lets you switch the year-by-year breakdown between your active scenario and the comparison scenario.

Changing or clearing a comparison

Click the "vs." pill to pick a different scenario to compare against, or click the X on the pill to end the comparison and return to viewing a single scenario. Your comparison selection is saved per scenario, so it's remembered when you switch scenarios and come back.

Related articles

• Forecasting in Monarch
• Managing Forecasting Assumptions
• Life Events in Forecasting
• Understanding Chance of Success (Monte Carlo)
• Forecasting setup checklist

These forecasts show hypothetical outcomes based on your account information and the assumptions in the model, including any changes you have made. Projections do not guarantee future performance. Even small shifts in assumptions can lead to very different results over time. If you are viewing a projected retirement balance or goal outcome, it is based on assumptions such as rate of return, inflation, tax rates, and life expectancy. We show you those assumptions, and you can adjust them. If you change the inputs, the outcome will change too. This tool is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment, tax, legal, or financial advice, and it should not be the only basis for a major financial decision.