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Target-Map™ Preferences

Set default preferences for funding goals

Michael Schwabe avatar
Written by Michael Schwabe
Updated over a week ago

Overview

Target-Maps funding goal templates utilize pre-filled, default values to quickly get the conversation started about saving for the following life events:

  • Loss of Life

  • Long Term Disability

  • Long Term Care

  • Education Funding for Dependents

  • Retirement

  • and Custom goals designed by the advisor

Target-Maps utilize information entered on the client's Asset-Map to generate dollar values and durations based on these Target-Map preferences. Of course, the results may be adjusted on a per case basis by editing specific Target-Map Reports.

*Best Practice*

Check your Target-Map Preferences before running Target-Maps to ensure they align with your desired planning expectations!


Access Target-Map Preferences

  1. Click your likeness in the upper right area.

  2. Select "Target-Map Preferences" to access the default values and adjust them to your liking.

Tip: most advisors adjust them to the region they are in, the demographic of the majority of their clients, or the way they like to discuss funding goals with their client.


Adjust Default Preferences

Target-Map General Settings

These preferences are common to all Target-Maps. The defaults may be adjusted on a per case basis by editing specific Target-Map Reports.

Item

Explanation

Impact

Expected net return on capital

Sets the net rate of return of assets funding the plan and acts as the discount rate of cash flows in both the What you want and What you have pages.

Affects the entire Target-Map

Annual increase of contributions

Accomodates for inflation while saving for a deficit. This also adjusts the COLA of the What you have cash flows.

Affects the monthly amount to save over the duration in a deficit state. Or, the monthly amount of over-saving in a surplus state.

Retirement age

The retirement age of the primary member. It is the assumption when not specified on a specific Target-Map.

The age the primary member is assumed to retire. That will either be a Start Age or an End Age, depending on the Target-Map to help determine duration.

Mortality age

The mortality age of the primary member. It is the assumption when not specified on a specific Target-Map.

The age the primary member is assumed to pass away. That will be the End Age to help determine duration on the What you want page.

Default tab

Select the default tab to be displayed when you open a Target-Map (either What you want, What you have, or What it means).

Impacts the first page seen when editing a Target-Map or opening a Target-Map for client review.

Financial Sources Available: Percent Lost to Taxes

Percent Loss to Taxes of financial sources available for cash flows, assets and insurances. The Amount Lost to Taxes is the percentage of the gross value of a financial instrument that will effectively be lost to taxes. Since gross values are commonly used in the Asset-Map and financial statements, a reduction of that gross value is necessary to account for the embedded tax obligation that is due upon consumption. This figure is not necessarily equal to the marginal tax rate but rather an intelligent accommodation to the amount of unpaid taxes embedded in the gross value that should be discounted for purposes of consumption.

Adjustments on the assumed tax obligations appear on the What you have page of a Target-Map in the Loss to taxes column. Your preferences will be applied to the various types of cash flows, assets and insurances that are available for selecting to fund the plan.

Adjustments to these parameters are not retroactive and are not applied to Target-Maps that have already been run.


Defining Default Funding Goals (What you want)

The overall funding goal dollar value is defined by the preferences below. These funding goals represent the What you want page on a Target-Map. Each Target-Map What you want page has a number of talking points that are calculated by these values.

🎯Loss of Life Target-Map Preferences

The Loss of Life Template attempts to pre-fill standard funding requirements for the survivors of a lost household member based on the financial professional's preferences. Toggle the checkboxes next to the conversation topics to include (checked) or exclude (unchecked) those fields on the Target-Map calculations.

✅Income replacement

Derive a dollar value to preserve current lifestyle.

Talking point

Description

Type

Lost Member Income Replacement

Percentage of the lost member's gross income that will be replaced after taxes

Percentage

Income Replacement Stop Age

Replacement income set to stop at the age of the lost member

Age

Costs of living adjustment

Percentage

✅Transitional income replacement

Cover immediate, short term expenses to prevent the need to use current assets.

Talking point

Description

Type

Percent Member income Replacement

Percentage of the lost member's gross income that will be replaced after taxes.

Percentage

Duration in Years

Set number of years to derive a sum total of cash for short term expenses

Years

Cost of Living Adjustment

Percentage

✅Debt Obligations

Pay off household liabilities found on the client's Asset-Map.

Liabilities of Household to be paid

Percentage

✅Final Expenses

Cover expenses related to burial, last expenses, celebration of life, etc.

Amount

Dollar value

✅Emergency Reserves

Boost savings account.

Percent of household income

Percentage

✅Legacy / Bequests

General estimate of desired dollar amount for legacy plans.

Percent of household net worth

Percentage

✅Education Funding

If the client has dependents (household member must have "dependent" box checked), calculate the dollar value of a default years worth education. This is taken from the Dependent Education Target-Map preferences tab.


🎯Long Term Disability Target-Map Preferences

The Disability Template attempts to pre-fill standard funding requirements for a household member's disability event based on the financial professional's preferences. Toggle the checkboxes next to the titles to include (checked) or exclude (unchecked) those fields on the Target-Map calculations.

✅Earned Income Replacement

Talking point

Description

Type

Disabled Member's Earned Income Replacement

Percentage of the disabled member's gross earned income that will be replaced after tax.

Percentage

Until Disabled Member's Age

Replacement income will continue until the disabled member reaches this age.

Age

Cost of Living Adjustment

Percentage

✅Lost Savings Replacement

Talking point

Description

Type

Lost retirement savings

Percentage of the member's earnings (pre-disability) needed to replicate would-be retirement savings.

Percentage

Until Disabled Member's Age

Lost retirement replacement will continue until the disabled member reaches this age.

Age

Cost of Living Adjustment

Percentage


🎯Long Term Care Target-Map Preferences

The Long-term Care Template attempts to pre-fill standard funding requirements for a household member's long-term care event based on the financial professional's preferences. Toggle the checkboxes next to the titles to include (checked) or exclude (unchecked) those fields on the Target-Map calculations.

✅Long-term Care Annual Expenses

Talking point

Description

Type

Net Spendable Amount

Annual amount of a long-term care nursing home stay.

Fixed dollar amount

Duration of LTC Event in Years

Number of years

Cost of Living Adjustment

Percentage

✅Home Modification

Estimate a one-time dollar amount for home modification.

✅Care Coordination

The cost of administrative help to deal with the coordination of benefits. This is a one-time dollar amount.

✅Caregiver Training

The of training of family to care for loved one. This is a one-time dollar amount.


🎯Dependent Education Target-Map Preferences

The Dependent Education Template attempts to pre-fill standard funding requirements for a dependent's education need based on the financial professional's preferences. Toggle the checkboxes next to the titles to include (checked) or exclude (unchecked) those fields on the Target-Map calculations.

✅Dependent Education Expenses

Talking point

Description

Type

Annual spending (today's value)

The cost for school each year.

Fixed dollar amount

Cost of Living Adjustment

Percentage

Starting Age

The age of the dependent when they start school

Age

Ending Age

The age of the dependent when they end school

Age


🎯Retirement Target-Map Preferences

The Retirement Template attempts to pre-fill standard funding requirements for the selected household members Retirement plan based on the financial professional's preferences. Toggle the checkboxes next to the titles to include (checked) or exclude (unchecked) those fields on the Target-Map calculations.

✅Living Expenses

Talking point

Description

Type

Percentage of Primary and Spouse gross income

The percentage of gross income needed for retirement living expenses, after tax.

Percentage

Starting Age

The age of the eldest member at retirement.

Age

Ending Age

The mortality age of the eldest member.

Age

Cost of Living Adjustment

Percentage

Living expenses is assumed to be for the individual or the couple, even though one member is chosen.

The eldest member is selected by default to quickly establish a start year and end year of this plan. This can be adjusted by the advisor as desired within the Target-Map's What you want page.

✅Travel Expenses

This layers a desired cash flow for travel during retirement.

Talking point

Description

Type

Percentage of Primary and Spouse gross income

The percentage of gross income needed for travel, after tax.

Percentage

Starting Age

The start age of travel.

Age

Ending Age

The end age for travel.

Age

Cost of Living Adjustment

Percentage

✅Medical Expenses

This layers a desired cash flow for added medical expenses during retirement.

Talking point

Description

Type

Percentage of Primary and Spouse gross income

The start age of medical expenses

Percentage

Starting Age

The start age of medical expenses

Age

Ending Age

The end age of medical expenses.

Age

Cost of Living Adjustment

Percentage

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2/2026

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