Archimedes Systems, Inc.

Web-Based Decision Support Tools

Web-based decision support tools are content-specific applications that inform, educate, and motivate clients and prospects.

Decision support tools can be used in 3 ways:

1. By clients and prospects on the public area of your web site:
   • Instantly recognizes you as an objective source of planning information
   • Lead generation and qualification
   • Client and prospect education
2. By clients and participants after log in to help them make decisions where implementation is only a click away
3. By advisors:
   • In person or over the phone
   • As a counseling tool –  allows advisors to quickly deliver value based on a small amount of input
   • Creates a context and comfort level for client decision making
   • Can be pre-loaded with participant data for enrollment meetings
   • PDF report feature allows email or hard copy follow up
   • Database support available for ongoing client management

Decision support tools are appropriate for:

• National and community banks, savings and loans, credit unions
• Brokers, investment and financial advisors
• Mutual fund families
• Fee only financial planners
• Insurance and annuity companies
• Retirement plan providers
• Third party administrators
• CPAs
• Online financial education sites
• Membership organizations and associations

Our retirement planning web-based decision support tools include:

Roth IRA Conversion Optimizer

On January 1, 2010, more than 13 million affluent households – holding over $1.4 trillion in retirement assets became eligible to convert all or a portion of their Traditional IRA assets to a Roth IRA. This opportunity presents investors, advisors and financial institutions with complex decisions to make. Those that can effectively evaluate a client’s options and propose realistic solutions will have a distinct advantage. The Roth IRA Conversion Optimizer considers each person’s unique income needs and financial legacy objectives – and examines client specific variables such as how much to convert and when to convert. The tool also reveals the assumptions that drive the client’s projections.

To request a live demonstration of the Roth IRA Conversion Optimizer or any other Archimedes planning tool, email or call Mike Book at 610-913-1000.

Retirement Planner - Accumulation Model

The Retirement Planner - Accumulation Model allows users to model their projected retirement income under various sets of assumptions.  The net result is that when they cannot assume their way out of projected shortages, they realize the necessity of saving more (and investing appropriately to generate the maximum return for a given level of risk).  It simultaneously illustrates a retirement income projection and the capital accumulation and distribution that supports this income. It draws users into the planning process, and helps them understand the scenarios that are likely to result from various combinations of assumptions.

Retirement Planner - Distribution Model 

The Retirement Planner - Distribution model helps users who hope to retire soon (or are retired now) to balance the level of income they require and the length of time the income can be sustained, under a range of scenarios.

Retirement Income Analysis (RIA) Advisor Tool

Made to order for financial advisors working with retiring baby boomers, this tool was designed to provide the right balance between ease of use and robust calculations, a maximum of advisor control at the user level, and almost unlimited flexibility and customization at the institutional level.  Additional demonstrations via Webex can be scheduled on request.

Roth 401(k) Decision Support Tool (Participant or Advisor version)

A web-based product using an HTML input form and HTML output, designed to compare the hypothetical value at retirement of contributions to a traditional (before-tax) 401(k) plan versus designated contributions to a Roth (after-tax) 401(k) account option.  The tool allows the user to choose between comparing before-tax or after-tax savings.  It shows the amount which may be accumulated at an assumed retirement age of 65, less any taxes which may be due on distribution of the accumulated amount.

Mortgage Planner

The Mortgage Planner answers 3 basic questions:

1. How much house can I afford to buy?  The user can start with the desired purchase price and compute the monthly payment or vice versa. 
2. What are the tax savings attributable to the home purchase?  The tool provides answers both for the initial year and for the life of the mortgage.  A series of graphs show the payment of principal and interest, as well as deductible costs and cash required for the down payment.
3. What is the effect of increasing monthly payments?  This section illustrates how much more quickly the mortgage will be paid off, plus the interest that would be saved over the life of the loan.

Life Insurance Planner

The Life Insurance Planner compares the user’s estate cash need at death to available liquid assets.  Then it compares the survivor income requirement to available income producing resources.  Graphs make everything easy to visualize under various scenarios.