Building your first financial plan in Voyant is easiest when you work through the plan in the same order you would during a client fact find.

You do not need every piece of information before you begin. Most plans start with a simple framework and become more detailed over time as additional information is gathered.

If you use ClientGo, much of this information can be collected directly from your client before you begin building the plan. ClientGo can gather family information, goals, income, investments, and detailed expenses, reducing the amount of manual data entry required.

Step 1: Create the client

Begin by creating a new client record and entering the basic details that establish the framework for the plan.

At a minimum you should gather:

• Client name
• Date of birth
• Plan start date
• State of residence
• Expected retirement age (or indicate the client is already retired)

These settings establish the planning timeline and determine the tax rules applied within the plan. 

Step 2: Add household members

Next, enter anyone who should be included in the financial plan.

This may include:

• Spouse or partner
• Children
• Other household members

Adding household members allows Voyant to model joint ownership, household expenses, retirement planning, and future inheritance.

Step 3: Review your plan assumptions

Before reviewing results, take a few moments to confirm the assumptions that will drive the calculations.

Common areas to review include:

• Tax assumptions
• Liquidation Order
• Savings Order
• Inflation assumptions
• Market assumptions
• Growth assumptions
• Other Plan Settings

Voyant provides default assumptions to help you get started, but these are starting points rather than recommendations. Review them to ensure they align with your firm's planning methodology. 

Step 4: Build the client's timeline

Every financial plan in Voyant is built around events.

Some events, such as Retirement and Mortality, are created automatically, while others can be added to represent important milestones.

Common events include:

• Retirement
• Selling a business
• Downsizing
• Purchasing a home
• College funding
• Receiving an inheritance
• Other significant life events

These events become the timing points used throughout the rest of the plan. 

Step 5: Enter goals and expenses

Once the timeline has been established, add the spending the client wants to plan for.

This typically includes:

• Current living expenses
• Retirement spending goals
• One-time expenses
• Major purchases
• Education costs
• Travel
• Charitable giving

Where appropriate, assign priorities so the software can distinguish between essential and discretionary spending if resources become limited.

Step 6: Add income

Enter all expected sources of income.

This may include:

• Employment income
• Self-employment income
• Other recurring income
• Windfalls or inheritances
• Social Security benefits

Entering income provides the cash flow needed to fund the client's goals and expenses.

Step 7: Add assets and investment accounts

Next, enter the client's financial assets.

Examples include:

• Cash and savings
• Brokerage accounts
• Retirement accounts such as 401(k)s and Roth accounts
• IRAs
• Other investment accounts

Include current balances, contribution amounts, growth assumptions, and any other information available.

Step 8: Enter property and debts

Add any real estate and associated liabilities.

Examples include:

• Primary residence
• Vacation property
• Rental property
• Mortgages
• Vehicle loans
• Personal loans
• Lines of credit

Where applicable, link debts to the assets they finance so the software can model repayments correctly.

Step 9: Review your results

Once your data has been entered, review the plan to ensure it behaves as expected.

Helpful places to review include:

• Dashboard – View overall plan inputs and identify any shortfalls.
• Year View – Review income, expenses, taxes, contributions, and withdrawals year by year.
• Let's See Charts – Visualize cash flow, asset balances, and net worth over time.
• Insights – Stress-test the plan using tools such as Historic Analysis or Monte Carlo.
• Reports – Generate client-ready reports summarizing your recommendations and plan outcomes.

Information checklist

When preparing to build a plan, try to gather the following information:

Tips for building your first plan

• Start with the client's current situation before modelling future strategies.
• Don't worry if you don't have every detail initially. You can refine the plan as more information becomes available.
• Build the framework first, then add complexity such as advanced tax planning, trusts, insurance, or business entities.
• If you're using ClientGo, encourage clients to complete their fact find before your meeting to reduce manual data entry and improve accuracy.