Plan Preferences control the default assumptions used throughout a financial plan. These settings influence how Voyant projects inflation, investment growth, taxation, account fees, liquidation strategies, and other planning calculations.

The values provided when a new plan is created are intended as illustrative defaults to help advisers begin building a plan. 

Each advisory firm should review these settings and establish assumptions that align with its planning philosophy, investment methodology, compliance requirements, and capital market expectations. Many firms choose to standardize these values across all client plans to ensure consistency.

Once established, these settings become the default assumptions used when new items are added to the plan. Individual accounts, expenses, income sources, and other planning items can still override these defaults where appropriate.

Tip: Plan Preferences establish the default assumptions for new items added to a plan. Changing a Plan Preference does not automatically update existing accounts, expenses, income sources, or other items that have already been created. Existing items should be reviewed individually if you want them to use the updated assumptions.

Default Ages

These settings establish the default ages used when new plans and planning events are created. Individual plans or items can still override these defaults where appropriate.

Default Mortality Age

This setting determines the default mortality age assigned to new clients when they are added to a plan.

For example, if the Default Mortality Age is set to 90, new clients added to the plan will, by default, have a mortality age of 90. Unless this is changed for the individual client, the plan will project through to that age.

Consider reviewing this setting if:

• Your firm uses a different default life expectancy assumption.

• You want new plans to begin with a different planning horizon.

  Note: Changing this setting only affects clients added after the preference is changed. Existing client records retain their current mortality age unless updated individually.

Child-Owned Accounts

This setting determines the default age at which child-owned accounts are automatically removed from the plan.

For example, if this setting is 25, any account owned by a child will, by default, fall out of the plan when that child reaches age 25.

This setting is commonly used when modelling assets that are expected to transfer out of the household once a child reaches adulthood.

Consider reviewing this setting if:

• Your firm typically models financial independence at a different age.

• You want child-owned assets to remain in the household longer or fall out sooner.

  Note: This is a default assumption. Individual account ownership and planning circumstances can still be adjusted where appropriate.

Inflation and Growth

These settings establish the default assumptions used for inflation, investment returns, income growth, and other projections throughout the plan.

Inflation Rate

The Inflation Rate is used to inflate:

• Living expenses
• Goals
• Future property purchase prices

Individual expenses can override this default if a different inflation assumption is required.

Consider reviewing this setting if:

• Your firm uses a different long-term inflation assumption.
• You are modelling an alternative inflation scenario.
• Your firm's planning assumptions have been updated.

Savings Growth Rate

This is the default interest rate applied to savings and cash accounts.

It is only used when an account is growing using an entered interest rate. If an account is instead configured to grow using Portfolio/Holdings, the Cash asset allocation assumptions are used instead.

Each savings account can override this default individually.

Investment Growth Rate

This is the default capital growth rate applied to investment accounts, registered plans, and pensions when they are configured to grow using an entered growth rate.

This setting is also used as the default growth assumption for the hypothetical taxable investment account created by the Annual Savings Insight.

Property Growth / Depreciation Rate

Determines the default annual appreciation or depreciation applied to property and other illiquid assets after purchase.

Negative values may be entered when modelling depreciating assets.

Income Growth Rate

Determines the default annual increase applied to Employment and Other Income.

Individual income sources can override this assumption.

CPP/QPP COLA

This setting controls the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) applied to projected Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) benefits.

For example, if this setting is 3%, Voyant assumes projected CPP/QPP benefits increase by 3% each year after benefits begin.

Annuity Assumed Interest Rate

This is the default interest rate used when:

• Converting accumulated pension funds into annuities.
• Calculating payments for future annuity purchases.

Individual annuities may override this default.

Default Tax Table Assumption

Allows future tax assumptions, including tax brackets, contribution limits, thresholds, and allowances, to increase annually.

Most firms will establish a standard assumption and apply it consistently across plans.

Reinvest Investment Yield

Determines whether investment income is reinvested by default or distributed annually.

This default can also be overridden for individual investments.

Grow All Investment and Registered Accounts Using Asset Allocation

When enabled, all investment and registered accounts use their assigned asset allocation to determine growth.

When disabled, individual accounts may choose between an entered growth rate and Portfolio/Holdings.

Grow All Savings and Cash Accounts Using 100% Cash Allocation

When enabled, all savings accounts use a Cash asset allocation instead of an entered interest rate.

When disabled, each savings account may choose its own growth method.

Account Fees and Taxation

This section is identical to the US version.

Default fee assumptions can be established for:

• Cash Savings
• Non-registered Investments
• Registered Investments
• Tax Free

Investment growth is always calculated net of fees, and each account may override the default fee assumptions.

The settings for:

• Annual Capital Gains Liquidation

Asset Allocation Assumptions

The Asset Allocation settings operate the same way as in the US version.

These include:

• Expected Average Return
• Up and Down Values
• Interest Yield
• Dividend Yield

These assumptions determine how investments grow when using Portfolio/Holdings.

Major Loss

The Major Loss settings also function the same as the US version.

These include:

• Default Age
• Fixed Growth
• Allocation Percentile

Liquidation Order

The Liquidation Order determines which assets Voyant will access when additional funds are needed to cover planned expenses.

If annual income is insufficient to meet the household's Total Need, Voyant first uses any available cash before automatically withdrawing from eligible assets according to the Liquidation Order you've established, provided those assets do not have withdrawal restrictions.

Reviewing your Liquidation Order helps ensure withdrawals occur from accounts in the sequence that best reflects your client's financial strategy.

Savings Order

The Savings Order determines which account types receive priority when multiple scheduled contributions occur during the same year.

Calculation Settings

These settings control how Voyant performs overall plan calculations.

Apply CPP Sharing

By default, this setting is turned Off.

When enabled, Voyant automatically applies CPP sharing where appropriate under Canadian pension rules.

CPP sharing allows eligible spouses or common-law partners to share eligible CPP retirement benefits. This can reduce household taxes and improve after-tax retirement income.

Enable this setting when you want the software to model CPP sharing as part of the retirement strategy.

Optimize Pension Splitting

By default, this setting is turned Off.

When enabled, Voyant automatically determines the most tax-efficient pension income splitting strategy available based on the client's circumstances.

The software applies the most common Canadian pension income splitting rules to optimize after-tax retirement income.

Enable this setting when you want Voyant to automatically model pension income splitting rather than entering it manually.

Transfer All Excess Income/Credits to Savings

By default, Voyant assumes surplus regular income that has not been allocated elsewhere is spent.

When enabled, surplus income is automatically transferred to the household's Cash Sweep Account.

Save Excess Income After Retirement

Functions similarly to the previous setting but only applies after retirement

Basic Need Line

The Basic Need line shown in charts represents the income required to fund:

• Essential living expenses
• Taxes

It excludes:

• Leisure expenses
• Luxury expenses
• Milestone goals
• Legacy goals
• Savings contributions
• Investment contributions

Best Practices

For most firms, Plan Preferences are established as part of the firm's planning methodology and then applied consistently across all client plans. Individual accounts, expenses, and income sources can still be customized where a client's circumstances require different assumptions.

As a general approach:

• Review your firm's Plan Preferences periodically to ensure they remain aligned with your planning philosophy.
• Use Plan Preferences to establish consistent defaults across new plans.
• Override assumptions at the individual item level only when modelling client-specific circumstances.
• Document any changes to firm-wide assumptions so planning remains consistent across advisers and client engagements.

Using Plan Preferences in this way helps create consistent, transparent, and repeatable financial plans while still allowing the flexibility needed to model each client's unique circumstances.