Using Excel
I'm curious how many users are using Excel output now or if the PDF output has replaced it? I'm considering redefining how the Excel output works and wonder if it's worth the time.
The design of ESPlanner allows it to work with any copy of Excel back to Excel 97. It use OLE technology, calling Excel directly through windows to do this.
The new way would be to use XML, which is something we have only recently been able to do. This would allow us to develop a way to import data from ESPlanner into Excel, rather than the "push" technique we use now.
This would allow those users of modern versions of Excel that support XML to import data and layout spreadsheets in a more customized way and take advantage of new features of Excel for report layout, fonts, etc. that don't exist (and aren't really possible) in our template-driven version.
So, if you use Excel, or would like to, it would be helpful if you can leave some feature suggestions here.
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Hi Lowell, I don't use Excel primarily because it does not provide the input data. If XML would allow you to include all the data that is currently provided in the pdf report I would use Excel if I wanted to, e.g., convert some values to then year dollars. But with the excellent pdf report available I don't have much need for an Excel upgrade.
Thanks
James Mavrogenis
BTW. What I'd really appreciate and find very useful is the inclusion of more input data in the pdf report. Specifically, in the Special Expenditures/Receipts output a column that lists the growth value applied to out year items. Also a big improvement would be to standardize the sort order for the Special items. Currently the Special items between 2 different cases if very time consuming because each time a case is run, the Special items are in a different sort order in the pdf report.
Regards
James
I DO use the excel outputs. In fact, I don't use the pdf outputs. I appreciate the ability to take the ESP output values and use them for further computations via excel.
As an example, I've recently been experimenting with creating my asset allocation based on future withdrawals from my accounts. I hold the next "X" years worth of withdrawals in bonds, while holding withdrawals post that period in stocks. I can vary "X" and see the effect on the monte carlo report. (personally, I find that X=11 is giving me results I like, and I intend to refine this analysis with more specific assets and more than two time periods).
I need excel to do this, and I have done other calculations in the past using the excel results to further analyze the plans.
Also, if (for some reason) ESP becomes defunct in the future, I could probably continue to use the most recent excel plans for some time, extrapolating from them them based on current account values.
Now, it don't see that your changes would necessarily improve my ability to do what I want, but I would be very, very disappointed if excel support was dropped.
I exclusively use Excel outputs. As James suggests, a tab with input values would be very useful. I like the year by year details and often cut/paste data for additional analysis.
Some suggestions:
- It is helpful for me to see "all" spending (including taxes) per year. Now I cut and paste this in.
- Withdrawal rates / year for both regular and tax-sheltered assets. Manually calculate both today along with overall withdrawal rates.
- This item isn't an Excel issue, but would be useful to me. If, as Dick suggests, you use a "safety factor" below the ESPlanner consumption "ceiling", could that be calculated automatically and shown in Excel?
- Low priority, it might be useful, if you have multiple profiles, to be able to show these side by side in Excel.
Not having seen how new Excel report layouts, fonts, etc. appear, it's hard to say how valuable they would be. If I could select new data or calculations from ESPlanner (that don't currently appear in Excel), that would be useful. In general, I do like moving to XML for this as it opens up options for future improvements.
Thanks, Brian
XML would be a huge gain since it opens up much more than Excel report formatting. I could compare different runs and quickly determine what changed versus look line by line using PDF or Excel.
We wouldn't drop Excel. The switch to XML would add flexibility and also allow us to move away from exclusively using Excel (and, internally, move the report function out of the user interface
All of the inputs are available in XML so it would also include a new tab to include ESPlanner inputs.
Good stuff. Keep it coming
Lowell,
Would the ability to add ESPlanner inputs in the new Excel include all input variables, e.g., the percent growth assumed for Special expenses/income?
If yes, can the additional input data be added to the pdf report?
Thanks
James Mavrogenis
Any help in this area would be welcome. I have yet to get your Excel output function to work for me (first with Excel 2003 and now with Excel 2007). I spent a number days working with your support person earlier this year and then it just gave up.