This video provides a step-by-step guide on entering a client into Voyant.
Transcript
Starting a Plan
We’ll begin on the Home Screen. You’ll notice I have Client Privacy Mode enabled. This is a useful setting when presenting with clients, so you don’t display a full list of other client names. To turn it on, click the profile icon in the top right, go to Preferences, and toggle Client Privacy Mode to “Yes.” This is also where you can switch between English and French.
To start a new plan, click the plus button in the bottom right and select Create Client. Enter the client’s name, date of birth, and plan start date. Remember, Voyant works in full planning years—so if you start on January 1, 2024, the next plan year will begin January 1, 2025, and so on. Be sure to select the correct province, since this determines provincial taxes. You’ll also want to note whether your client is retired, and if not, at what age they expect to retire. Click Done to save.
Adding People
The plan is now open, and we can start building. Using the same plus button, select People. Here I’ll add Jane’s spouse, John, with his date of birth and retirement status. If you need to add children, you can do so using the dropdown.
As you add people, Voyant automatically creates a default surplus account for each. This is a nominal account where unallocated inflows—like inheritances or property sales—are held until you specify where they should go.
Plan Settings
Before moving further, let’s check Plan Settings. If your firm has a branded version, these may already be pre-configured. But if you’re in a trial or setting things up for yourself, I recommend reviewing them carefully to ensure the values align with your planning assumptions.
Personally, I like to turn on CPP sharing and pension splitting for accurate tax treatment. Once reviewed, click Done.
Timeline & Events
Next, we’ll look at the Timeline. This serves as the framework for the plan. Every event in a client’s life—retirement, remodels, slowing down—needs an event in Voyant.
For example, I’ll add a “Slowing Down” event at age 75, represented with a boat icon, which will be used later to reduce travel expenses. At age 50, I’ll add a “Kitchen Remodel” event. These now appear on the timeline and can be tied to goals or expenses.
Goals
Goals are trackable expenses. I like to think of them as future ambitions. For instance:
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A Retirement Spending Goal of $50,000 per year, starting at retirement and ending at mortality.
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A Travel Goal of $20,000 per year, stepped down to $10,000 at age 75 using the “Slowing Down” event.
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A Kitchen Remodel Goal of $30,000 tied to the remodel event, categorized as a “Luxury Goal.”
At this stage, goals appear unmet (in red) because no income or assets have been entered yet.
Expenses
Now let’s add General Living Expenses of $50,000 per year from now until retirement. This builds the pre-retirement expense profile.
Income & Assets
We’ll input employment income next:
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Jane: $85,000
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John: $80,000
This income now shows up in blue on the cash flow chart.
Next, assets:
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Rainy Day Fund: $20,000, set to Do Not Allow Withdrawals to keep it as a true emergency fund.
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Non-Registered Account: $100,000 balance, $250/month contribution until retirement.
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John’s TFSA: $10,000 balance, contributing the maximum until retirement.
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RRSPs: Jane’s $200,000 and John’s $300,000, both contributing the maximum.
At this point, their plan shows no shortfall—all expenses are met with existing assets and contributions.
Government Benefits
Let’s add government benefits:
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CPP for both Jane and John, estimated from income.
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OAS for both, also estimated.
These appear in purple on the chart during retirement, supplementing withdrawals from registered and non-registered accounts.
Reviewing Results
In the Single Chart View, we can toggle income sources in and out of the chart for clarity. In the Assets Chart, we see that even at the end of the plan, the clients still have over $2.4 million remaining.
That suggests they could consider retiring earlier or spending more in retirement. For example, we can model a “Retire at 60” scenario, compare it side by side with the base plan, and see that they still have over $1.1 million left at the end—making early retirement feasible.
Reports
Finally, in the Reports Section, you can create pre-set report packages for meetings. For example, a “Retirement Report Set” can be built once and reused with different clients.
Closing
That concludes today’s webinar. If you have any follow-up questions or would like to schedule a one-on-one training session, please reach out to me at support@planwithvoyant.com. You can also share a client plan with us directly from within Voyant by clicking the client’s name, selecting Request Support, and granting access.