Overview
This guide explains how to track ongoing financial contributions to assets such as Education savings, TSPs, RRSPs, 401(k)s, and other retirement accounts.
Important Visibility Note: Contributions entered in the Asset details do not appear on the visual Asset-Map household view. Instead, these contributions are used exclusively in Target-Maps™ to project future capital savings. You will see them listed as funding sources in the Cash Flow and Assets Available sections of a Target-Map.
1. How to Enter Contributions
To schedule a contribution, follow these steps:
Click on the specific Asset to open its information window.
Navigate to the Details tab.
Locate the Contributions field.
Enter the Annual Dollar Amount.
Note: You must enter a dollar figure (e.g., 15000). The system does not calculate contributions based on a percentage of income.
Select the Start Age (or Date).
Note: If left blank, the system assumes the contribution begins at the member's current age.
Select the End Age (or Date).
Note: This defines when the contribution stops.
2. Handling Employer Matches
Asset-Map does not automatically calculate employer matching percentages. You must manually calculate the total annual inflow.
How to enter: Calculate the sum of the Employee Contribution ($) + Employer Match ($).
Action: Enter this combined total into the Annual Amount field described in Step 4 above.
3. Viewing Contributions in Target-Maps™
Once entered, contributions appear within the planning modules (Target-Maps).
Locating the Data
Navigate to the "What you have" tab inside a Target-Map. The contributions will appear in two locations:
The Cash Flow Sources Available table.
The Assets Available table.
The "Cash Flow Details" page
Activating the Contribution
By default, the contribution may not be applied to the goal.
Action: Check the box to the left of the funding source to "turn on" the contribution for that specific plan.
If the Target-Map was created before the contribution was added: The line item will appear in the Cash Flow table, but you must manually check the box to apply it.
4. Planning Best Practices
When using contributions in a financial plan, consider the following adjustments to ensure accuracy:
Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA): The asset entry does not automatically increase the contribution amount over time.
Solution: In the Target-Map's What You Have page, locate the line item and manually enter a percentage in the COLA field to model increasing contributions.
Loss to Taxes: While many retirement contributions are pre-tax, the Target-Map calculates the spendable funding available for the goal.
Solution: Apply a "Loss to Tax" percentage to the contribution source in the Target-Map. This prevents the system from overestimating the liquid cash available during retirement.
5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can I enter a contribution as a percentage of salary (e.g., 5%)? A: No. You must calculate the fixed annual dollar amount and enter that figure.
Q: Why don't I see the contribution on the main Asset-Map screen? A: Contributions are data points used for calculation, not visualization. They only appear inside Target-Maps where cash flow projections are calculated.
Q: Where can I see the impact of these contributions? A:
The "What it Means" page displays the Present Value equivalent of the total assumed contributions.
The "Cash Flow Details" page displays the year-by-year impact of the saving (net of taxes/COLA) during the specified years.
1/2026