Monte Carlo Projections
Run 100–1,000 simulations with Gaussian-distributed returns to see a probability of success, percentile bands, and a range of outcomes. You choose the run count.
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Free Alternative
My Projection Calculator vs Boldin
My Projection Calculator and Boldin both help you look at retirement numbers. They are not the same product. Here is an honest breakdown of what each actually offers, so you can pick the tool that matches the job.
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Feature comparison
Prices below are as of August 2026.
Important: My Projection Calculator is not a full replacement for Boldin. Boldin PlannerPlus is a paid US retirement planner with federal and state tax projections, a Roth Conversion Explorer, a Social Security Explorer, Medicare/IRMAA, and account linking. We offer a focused, free subset: parametric Monte Carlo, FIRE / safe-withdrawal-rate math, Coast FIRE, a crash-year sequence-of-returns test, and a 1–60 year net worth projection. We do not replace Boldin's tax, Roth, Social Security, Medicare, or bank-linking features.
| Feature | My Projection Calculator | Boldin Basic | Boldin PlannerPlus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | $144/year, billed annually |
| Account required | No signup | Yes (email and password) | Yes (email and password) |
| Monte Carlo | Yes — parametric Gaussian, 100–1,000 runs you choose | No | Yes — parametric, 1,000 normal/bell-curve runs; 10th / 50th / 90th. You do not pick the run count. |
| Historical backtesting | No | No | No |
| Net worth / plan | 1–60 year net worth timeline | US plan shell | US retirement planner |
| FIRE / SWR calculator | Yes | Not a 4% SWR tool | Spending guardrails, not a 4% SWR tool |
| Coast FIRE | Yes | No dedicated Coast FIRE feature | No dedicated Coast FIRE feature |
| Tax projections | No | No tax insights | Federal + state |
| Roth conversion modeling | No | No | Roth Conversion Explorer |
| Social Security | No optimization | Social Security as income | Social Security Explorer |
| Medicare / IRMAA | No | No | Yes |
| Crash-year sequence of returns | Yes | — | — |
| What-if / scenarios | What-if sliders | Some scenarios | Compare 3 of 10 scenarios |
| Export | CSV / Excel | No | Print / export |
| Public share URLs | Yes | No | No (print/export instead) |
| Account linking | No | No | Plaid, MX, Finicity |
| Where data lives | Browser-only by default; optional cloud sync if you sign in | Account required | Account required |
A dash (—) means we are not claiming that feature from the pages we checked. It is not a claim that Boldin lacks it.
Price notes (as of August 2026). PlannerPlus is $144 per year, billed annually. Boldin describes that as $12/month; that figure is annual ÷ 12. We did not find a month-to-month SKU. The trial is 14 days, and it is billed annually.
Tax notes. PlannerPlus tax is federal and state. Boldin does not model NIIT, AMT, estate tax, or early-withdrawal penalties. We do not model tax at all.
Linking notes. PlannerPlus can link accounts through Plaid, MX, and Finicity. Linked accounts do not import cost basis, allocations, or transactions. We do not link bank or brokerage accounts.
Choosing the Right Tool
Who should use which?
The right tool depends on the job. These three are not interchangeable.
Use My Projection Calculator if you…
- Want a free, no-account FIRE projector
- Want parametric Monte Carlo without creating an account or paying
- Are exploring FIRE numbers and safe withdrawal rates
- Want a Coast FIRE view
- Want to project net worth over 1–60 years
- Want a crash-year sequence-of-returns test and what-if sliders
- Prefer numbers to stay in the browser (optional cloud sync only if you sign in)
- Do not need tax, Roth, Social Security optimization, Medicare, or bank linking
Use Boldin Basic if you…
- Will create an account (email and password) for a US plan shell
- Want to include Social Security as income and run some scenarios
- Want Basic's AI at 5 questions per day
- Accept that Basic does not include Monte Carlo, tax insights, the Roth Conversion Explorer, bank linking, or export
Monte Carlo, the Roth Conversion Explorer, and the Social Security Explorer are PlannerPlus features, not Basic.
Use Boldin PlannerPlus if you…
- Are a US near-retiree who wants tax, Roth, Social Security, and Medicare in one planner
- Want federal and state tax projections (with the tax limits above)
- Want the Roth Conversion Explorer and the Social Security Explorer
- Want Medicare / IRMAA in the same plan
- Want paid Monte Carlo: 1,000 normal/bell-curve runs, 10th / 50th / 90th
- Want to compare 3 of 10 scenarios, print or export, and link accounts through Plaid, MX, or Finicity (with the linking limits above)
- Will pay $144 per year, billed annually, after a 14-day trial
Boldin also sells human help we do not offer: a plan checkup at $3,200, ongoing advisory starting at $1,200 per year, and coaching at $250 per 50-minute session. Coaching is not advice. That is outside this comparison of the calculators themselves.
Free features in My Projection Calculator
Everything below is included free. No account required.
FIRE & SWR Calculator
Calculate a financial independence number using safe withdrawal rate analysis. Test a 4% rule or a custom withdrawal rate.
Learn MoreCoast FIRE Calculator
See whether you have already saved enough to coast toward retirement without additional contributions.
Learn MoreNet Worth Timeline
Project wealth over 1–60 years with interactive charts.
Learn MoreSequence of Returns
Test how a market crash in a chosen year — including year 1, 5, or 10 — would affect the plan. That is a crash you set, not a replay of a historical market year.
Learn MoreWhat-If Sliders
Change market performance and savings assumptions and compare against a baseline.
We do not include tax projections, Roth conversion modeling, Social Security optimization, Medicare / IRMAA, historical backtesting, or bank linking.
How the Monte Carlo differs
Both tools use parametric Monte Carlo. Neither replays historical market sequences.
My Projection Calculator
Random returns come from a Gaussian distribution centered on the expected return you enter. Each path is statistically generated, not pulled from a historical tape. You pick 100–1,000 runs. This is free and does not require an account.
Boldin PlannerPlus
Monte Carlo is a paid PlannerPlus feature. It runs 1,000 normal / bell-curve iterations and reports 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles. You do not choose 100 versus 1,000. Basic does not include Monte Carlo.
Historical Backtesting
Historical backtesting — "what if you retired in 1929?" — is not something we run, and it is not something Boldin's own comparison table claims they run. Parametric Monte Carlo answers a different question: a range around the return assumption you (or the planner) typed in.
Neither method is "better." They are the same family of simulation. The practical differences here are price, account, run count, and whether the Monte Carlo sits inside a tax-aware US planner.
FAQ
Common questions
No. My Projection Calculator is a free, no-signup tool for Monte Carlo, FIRE / SWR, Coast FIRE, crash-year sequence-of-returns tests, and net worth projections. It does not include tax projections, Roth conversion modeling, Social Security optimization, Medicare / IRMAA, or account linking. Boldin PlannerPlus is built around those planning features. We are a focused subset, not a stand-in for that planner.
No. Basic is a free US plan shell: Social Security as income, some scenarios, and AI at 5 questions per day. It does not include Monte Carlo, tax insights, the Roth Conversion Explorer, bank linking, or export. Monte Carlo on Boldin is PlannerPlus: a fixed 1,000 normal / bell-curve runs, not a slider from 100 to 1,000.
Yes. The calculators are free and do not require an account. Data stays in your browser by default. There is optional cloud sync if you choose to sign in. There is no PlannerPlus-style paywall on Monte Carlo, FIRE / SWR, or export.
If you want a FIRE projector you can open without an account — Monte Carlo, SWR, Coast FIRE, a 1–60 year net worth timeline, crash-year tests, what-if sliders, CSV / Excel, and share links — and you do not need tax, Roth, Social Security claiming, Medicare, or linked accounts, this site does that job. It is also a way to run a parametric Monte Carlo without paying $144 a year. If you later need the US tax-and-benefits planner, Boldin PlannerPlus is the tool for that job. We are not that tool.
Use PlannerPlus if you are a US near-retiree who wants federal and state tax, the Roth Conversion Explorer, the Social Security Explorer, and Medicare / IRMAA in one plan, plus paid 1,000-run Monte Carlo and account linking. Use Basic only if you will create an account for the plan shell and you accept that Monte Carlo and those explorers are not on that tier. Do not use My Projection Calculator as a substitute for that planning suite.
Try the free calculators
No signup. Nothing here is a full replacement for Boldin.
Related comparison: My Projection Calculator vs ProjectionLab · vs cFIREsim
Disclaimer: This page is for information only. It is not tax, investment, legal, or retirement advice. Feature lists and prices were checked on August 31, 2026, and can change. Run the numbers in more than one tool, and talk to a qualified professional before you make a money decision.