FAQ

When you update ESPlanner you may see some slight differences in your results. This can be related to changes in tax rates in your state. But it may also be that an input area (such as the Retirement Accounts page in the profile area) is behaving a little differently.

If you have not updated in a long time ( a year or more ) you may see a very different report. This is often due to changes in tax laws and Social Security or Medicare.

The first place to check is your Social Security benefit dates and make sure that you are seeing the same collection date as you had in your earlier set up.

If you have a question about the results, others may have similar thoughts. Please post a question on the forum and we'll respond to your question so that everyone can benefit from the answer.

Here are some easy to solve problems that sometimes occur, especially after upgrading to the latest version

Monte Carlo reports no longer run

Problem: You try and run a Monte Carlo report and you receive an error message

Solution: Go to the Planning Method->Monte Carlo page. Click SHIFT->Restore.

Solution: Go to the Help->Customize page, customize tab. Click VERIFY ASSETS DIR. If you do not see an "OK" message, check the assets directory listed. Change the assets directory to the correct directory name. Usually it is My ESPlanner/data

Problem:The Monte Carlo page is blank (nothing listed)

Solution:See the solution here

PDF Does not run and you are using a MAC with Windows on an emulator

Problem:The PDF report fails but the Excel report works on the Mac

You run a report and get a "negative consumption error." No report is displayed.

This means the profile is unaffordable. Add more assets or allow debt on the Assumptions page->Inflation/Other Variables->Maximum Indebtedness.

If you continually get this error, run a test:

• Create a new profile
• Add a million dollars to the "Savings and checking" entry on the assets page.
• Click Create Reports

If this test doesn't work, open a support ticket.

(This only applies to ESPlanner Plus or Professional)

When you open the Planning Type->Monte Carlo page, there are no assets listed there.

Starting with version 2.19.x, the Monte Carlo are no longer saved in the database. They are stored in the My ESPlanner->Data directory, aka c:\Documents\My ESPlanner\data

If this directory is missing or not properly identified, no assets will be displayed on the Monte Carlo page

To fix this determine if you have the data assets directory available (at the location described or elsewhere). If not, running the ESPlanner update will install the files.

If you verify the directory, click Help->Customize. Click CHANGE ASSETS DATA DIR and enter the location of the directory. Click APPLY. Click VERIFY ASSETS DIR. You should get a "Directory OK"

If you do not and can't resolve it, open a support ticket.

If you want to move your database from an old PC to a new one, or install ESPlanner on a laptop and transfer your data, here's a suggestion on how to do it if this kind of thing is a mystery to you.

First, you'll need a Flash drive, available from any office supply place. They are very inexpensive. Once you have that, Put the Flash drive in your desktop USB slot.

Open your windows explorer (directories and file view;One way is to click START then Documents)

PART 1. Find your ESPlanner database
Open ESPlanner
Click HELP-Customize
Look at the last text on this page, at the bottom, where is says
"The current setting is:"
A full directory and file will appear there
Using the mouse, click that text and select the path and file name
Mine says ( as an example)
c:\users\williams\my documents\my esplanner\espdatabase.mdb

Yours will be similar but likely is not identical

When it's selected (highlighted - make sure you get it all)

You have received a notice that an update to ESPlanner is available.
Updates are available on the My ESPlanner tab in your account. Just download the installation kit for the update (step 1) and run it (step 2)

If you find it necessary, you can also download the full (aka complete) installation kit at any time.

Both the update and complete kits are listed on the My ESPlanner tab here in your web site account. If you have a previous installation and find you need to use the full update kit, make sure to save a copy of your database file, ESPDatabase.mdb (note the MDB file extension may be hidden). This will typically be in the My ESPlanner directory (part of My Documents (WinXP) or Documents (Vista, Windows 7).

When you re-install ESPlanner, be sure to choose the same directory for the database file. Pay close attention when the database directory screen appears and choose the same directory. Then, restore your saved database file.

ESPlanner uses JET database files with the MDB file extension. You can open any ESPlanner database by RIGHT clicking the file. Follow the steps below to set up automatic recognition of the MDB file type as being associated with ESPlanner

1. Right click the database (MDB) file
2. Navigate to OPEN WITH >
3. Click CHOOSE PROGRAM...
4. Click BROWSE...
5. * Navigate to Program Files->ESPlanner directory
6. Click ESPlanner.exe or ESPlannerPlus.exe
7. Click OPEN
8. (optional for advanced users) Click the checkbox "ALWAYS USE THE SELECTED PROGRAM TO OPEN THIS TYPE OF FILE." This will make ESPlanner the DEFAULT application for ALL files with the MDB file extension.
9. Click OK

When the dialog box closes. RIGHT click the database file. ESPlanner should be listed as a program to use to open the file.

* If you have installed to another directory, use that directory

(updated for v2.19.x and higher)

If you received a report that says "Results Missing" try the following:

(1) Read the problem report. It may explain what the problem is.

(2) Create a test profile with a single entry of 1000000 on the Assets page. Click CREATE REPORTS.

(3) Check that the assets data directory is properly set up. Click (menu) HELP->SUPPORT. Click CUSTOMIZE tab. Click VERIFY ASSETS DIR. If you receive an "Assets Failed to Load" error, check that the directory listed to the left of the VERIFY button is accurate. The My ESPlanner/data directory should be established when you did your initial installation or after upgrading to version 2.19.x

Verify that the directory was installed. If not, reapply the UPDATE kit to install it. If this doesn't work, open a support ticket.

(4) If the above tests do not fail, please open a support ticket.

ESPlanner allows you to define new assets in the Monte Carlo. You can use the pre-set or "canned" asset classes that more or less match your investments, or you can define your own assets, which we refer to as a "New Asset."

In entering a new asset we request three pieces of information: the nominal return you expect to earn on the asset (the nominal return is the return before any adjustment for inflation), the variance of the asset's real return relative to the variance of the real (inflation adjusted) return on large cap stocks, and beta (the covariance of the asset's real return with the real return on large cap stocks divided by the variance of the real return on large cap stocks).

Use this Excel spreadsheet to input your nominal returns and we'll calculate the relative variance and Beta for you.

Also see:

We often get complaints from users running ESPlanner using VMWare or Parallel's on a Mac/OSX Platform where the application crashes.

This is apparently the result of a driver problem under emulation. To avoid this do not place the ESPlanner database (ESPDATABASE.MDB) or the ESPlanner report output directory on to an shared drive. Use only Windows directories.

The report output directory can be set in Help->Customize. If you're having this problem, you probably have already found the customize option.