(above).Interpret the surplus income chart
Tip: For easier reading, click (above).
This graph shows the amount of surplus income you can expect to have at the end of each year of your plan. Surplus income is any income that isn't needed for loan payments, savings contributions, taxes, and living expenses. (In other words, "surplus income" means that your "inflows" exceed your "outflows.")
If there aren't many years in which you'll have surpluses, or if those surpluses are small, that means you won't be able to save more without making a corresponding reduction in your expenses.
If there are many years in which you'll have a large surplus, you may be able to save or invest more money than you've planned to without making any significant changes in your lifestyle.
The Lifetime Planner assumes that like most people, you'll spend any surplus money you end up with. Any surplus money from this year will be set aside in case you need it for the following year's expenses. Then, at the end of the following year, the Lifetime Planner will consider as spent any surplus money from this year that wasn't needed.
If you have a surplus from last year that you'd like to save, consider setting up a savings contribution for that money. You can do this in the Savings Contributions place (in the Lifetime Planner).