What We Do

 

SmarterPath calculates an optimized and precise financial plan based on inputting tax law, market expectations, and user goals into an optimization engine.

Traditional or Roth? 401k, IRA, or Taxable? We’ll tell you exactly how much to put into each type of account, and alert you if we can help accelerate your progress.

Our vision is to make financial planning accessible to everyone. We want to help you maximize your financial potential and help you reach your goals as quick as possible.

How SmarterPath Makes a Difference

1. Choose When to Pay Income Tax

  • Since you pay a higher tax rate when you make more income, “spreading out” income via tax-deferred accounts (Traditional 401ks/IRAs) can drastically boost the amount of money you save over your lifetime.

  • On the other hand, deferring too much tax can force you to withdraw too much money later on, triggering those higher tax rates that were undesirable in the first place.

  • SmarterPath can figure out the best timing and strategy for when to use these accounts.

2. Get Early Access to Retirement Funds

  • Tax-sheltered accounts (401ks/IRAs) grow faster than a normal investment account (since you don’t pay taxes on dividends each year), but typically prevent access until you’re 59 1/2 years old.

  • This can be bypassed by using strategic conversions to a Roth IRA, but requires smart planning to avoid paying high penalties or taxes.

  • SmarterPath calculates exactly how you can take advantage of these tax-sheltered accounts and still get access to your funds when you need it.

3. Make Use of Lower Capital Gains Tax Rates

  • Tax rates for capital gains (money made from investments) can be much lower than normal income tax rates.

  • Planning on when you use your capital gains for income (and when you pay taxes for it) can lead to huge savings in taxes, such as paying a 0% tax on the first $70,000 you withdraw.

  • SmarterPath determines the best way to save and withdraw money to make use of these differences in tax rates.

How it works

     

Create a financial profile

Input things like your income, assets, savings rate, and household information. We can also import data from sites like mint or turbotax to speed up the process.

Add your financial goals

You can add things like buying a house, saving for college, or retiring as early as possible. We want to create a plan that's tailored to your specific needs.

Run the solver engine

The optimization engine reads in the user data, applies tax law and market expectations, and then generates an optimized financial plan. The plan outlines exactly how much money you should save and in what kind of tax-specific accounts you should use.

Cruise control your finances

We'll keep tabs on your progress and let you know when adjustments need to be made.