Getting started with My Retirement Life
From a fresh install to your first projection — about fifteen minutes. Everything stays on your device the whole way through.
1. Install the app
Get My Retirement Life from the Mac App Store — it buys and installs in one step, with no account to create and no separate download. Updates arrive automatically through the store. A Windows edition (Microsoft Store) and a native Linux build are on the way.
2. Set your profile
Open Profile and enter the planning basics: your date of birth, target retirement age, life expectancy, base currency and residence/jurisdiction (for the tax layer). These anchor the timeline and the “will it last?” verdict.
3. Add accounts & pensions
Under Accounts, add what you have: cash (current, savings, ISA, fixed-term), investments (stocks & shares, pensions, workplace pensions, bonds, funds) and physical assets (property, vehicles). Each can have its own currency, growth assumption and — for assets — appreciation, depreciation and a planned sale.
4. Set drawdown order & tax
Open Drawdown strategy to set the order accounts are drawn (Waterfall or Proportional), each account’s tax treatment (tax-free / ISA, tax-free-lump-sum, gains-only, pre-tax pension) and access rules (minimum age, mandatory withdrawals). Hit Recompute to see the effect on tax and longevity instantly, before you commit.
5. Income & budget
Under Income, model salary, rental, and state / workplace / private pensions — each with a start/end year, growth, currency and the account it’s paid into (workplace pensions capture the employee + employer split). Then in Budget, set spending categories with life-stage segments — e.g. groceries that step down when the kids leave, a mortgage that ends — in real-terms or with-inflation views.
6. Add life events
In Life events, drop in the one-offs: windfalls, inheritances, a big renovation, a house move. Each lands in the right year and the right account, so the projection reflects real life, not a straight line. Designate an emergency fund and the engine fills it in good years and draws it first in bad ones.
7. Read the projection
Open Projection for the verdict: on track or under strain, your balance at retirement, and the year (if any) the money runs out. Switch on Monte Carlo to see the range of outcomes and a success rate. Watch for the “spending unfunded” signal — a plan can look healthy yet fail to fund spending because the money is locked in a pension you can’t draw yet.
Projections are illustrations based on the figures and assumptions you enter — not predictions, guarantees, or financial advice. For decisions, consult a regulated adviser.
8. Where to next
Save a few scenarios (“retire at 60 vs 63”) and compare. Use Settings ▸ Backup for a one-click JSON backup. If you haven’t already, get it from the Mac App Store — buy once, every 1.x update included — and see how it pairs with My Financial Life.
Questions the docs don’t answer? We’re happy to help.