Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about the forecast, the screenshot pipeline, pricing, and what RetireGlide is — and isn't.
The forecast
- What is RetireGlide?
- RetireGlide is a retirement planning app that gives you a Monte Carlo retirement forecast — your plan's success rate across 1,000 simulated market futures — plus a safe monthly spending range, a Social Security claiming optimizer, and a full US tax model (federal and state brackets, Social Security taxation, RMDs, capital-gains stacking, IRMAA). You answer about eight plain-language questions to get your first forecast in under 3 minutes, then sharpen it by snapping screenshots of your accounts.
- How accurate is the forecast?
- All projections are computed by a deterministic simulation engine — AI never does the math. The engine models taxes year by year, real Social Security rules, RMD schedules, and healthcare costs including IRMAA. Accuracy improves with your inputs: an accuracy meter shows which unanswered question would sharpen your forecast most, and every assumption is visible and editable.
- What is a Monte Carlo simulation?
- Instead of assuming one average market return, the engine runs your plan through 1,000 randomized market futures and reports the share in which your money lasts. A 90% success rate means the plan held up in 900 of 1,000 modeled futures — a far more honest picture than a single projection line.
- What are spending guardrails?
- A monthly spending range instead of a single number: an upper rail you can spend to while your plan is healthy, and a lower rail that signals a planned, modest trim if markets fall far enough. RetireGlide recalculates your rails as markets and your data change.
Voice interview
- How does the voice interview work?
- You talk through your retirement timeline, savings, spending, and goals in plain language. RetireGlide turns what it hears into proposed plan facts, and you confirm each one before it is saved. The interview gathers inputs and explains results; deterministic code performs every projection, tax calculation, and simulation. You can use the same interview in text instead.
- Is the voice interview recorded?
- No recording is stored. Audio is processed in the moment for live transcription, and the written transcript is saved to your account so you can revisit the conversation. You can delete transcripts anytime from the privacy center.
- What voice access is included?
- Free includes one capped first voice interview of up to about 15 minutes. Premium includes ongoing voice interviews. If you upgrade from inside the voice interview, the monthly Premium trial is 3 days free, then $14/month unless you cancel before the trial ends.
Screenshots & privacy
- Why screenshots instead of linking my accounts?
- Linking means sharing credentials or a standing OAuth connection with a third-party aggregator. Screenshots let you choose exactly what to share, avoid sharing a password, and can cover institutions — including small 401(k) recordkeepers — when the needed balances and holdings are visible.
- What happens to my screenshots after upload?
- Your private screenshots are processed for extraction, every extracted number is shown to you beside the source image for confirmation, and account numbers are redacted at extraction and never stored. The originals are retained only until you confirm, or automatically deleted within 30 days if you do not confirm. Your privacy center shows the deletion happen.
- What if the AI reads my account wrong?
- Nothing enters your plan without your sign-off. Every extracted value appears next to the image it came from, positions are cross-checked mathematically against account totals, low-confidence reads are highlighted, and fixing a value takes one tap.
- Can I delete my data?
- Yes — export everything as JSON or delete your entire account from the privacy center, any time, no phone call required. Deletion removes all personal data, portfolio data, screenshots, and history.
Pricing & plans
- Is RetireGlide free?
- There's a free tier with a real forecast from your basic inputs and one capped first voice interview of up to about 15 minutes — free forever, no credit card. Premium ($120/year or $14/month, 14-day standard trial) adds ongoing voice interviews, screenshot import, the full tax engine, the Social Security and Roth conversion optimizers, and unlimited saved scenarios. An upgrade started inside the voice interview uses a separate 3-day trial of monthly Premium, then costs $14/month unless canceled.
- Can I cancel anytime?
- Yes — from billing settings in two clicks, no retention flows. You keep Premium until the end of the period you paid for, and your data stays intact if you downgrade.
Advice & trust
- Is RetireGlide financial advice?
- No. RetireGlide is an educational modeling tool — it shows how choices you're considering would change your modeled outcome, with every assumption visible. It never recommends buying or selling specific investments. For personalized advice, consult a fiduciary financial professional.
- Does AI make the calculations?
- No — that's a core design rule. AI helps read your screenshots, translate goals into inputs, and explain results in plain language; every projection, tax figure, and simulation is computed by deterministic code with published assumptions. The AI explains the math; it never does the math.
- Who is RetireGlide for?
- Primarily people 50–65 planning the next decade — including couples, with full joint planning and survivor modeling. Already-retired users tracking safe spending and younger savers projecting early retirement use it too.
- Which AI model does RetireGlide use?
- RetireGlide runs on current frontier AI models, and every model upgrade must pass our accuracy and compliance checks before it reaches your plan. We don't pin that promise to a brand name — models change; the rule doesn't. The AI explains your plan and proposes inputs; deterministic code does every calculation, and nothing changes your plan until you confirm it.