README.

TXT file for the CD of VeriPlan -- January 1, 2010

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>>>> GETTING STARTED with VeriPlan <<<<
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A) VERIPLAN CD CONTENTS
THE VERIPLAN CD CONTAINS THESE FILES:
1) OVERVIEW.PDF This is an eight page summary of VeriPlan's extensive capabilit
ies.
2) LICENSE.PDF This is the VeriPlan End User License Agreement. You will also f
ind this same license agreement in the second red-tabbed worksheet in VeriPlan.
By using, installing, or copying VeriPlan, you agree to be bound by the Terms of
this End User License Agreement.
3) VPLAN##@.XLS USE THIS VERSION TO BUILD YOUR OWN PERSONAL LIFETIME FINANCIAL
PLANNING PROJECTIONS. Initially, nothing will be displayed in the graphics and d
ata output tables, because this version has no data and uses default settings. F
urthermore, you need to agree to the software license on the red-tabbed software
license worksheet and activate VeriPlan's functionality. This VPLAN##@.XLS file
is the fully functional and latest version of VeriPlan with no tutorial data or
commentary. The ## will reflect the last two digits of the four digit year of t
he version. For example, 2010 will be 10. The @ will be a letter, such as A, B,
etc. reflecting the product version within that year.
4) VTUTOR.XLS This 'Sue and Sam Tutorial' uses a fully functional version of Ve
riPlan, as a base. However, the functionality of this tutorial is not changeable
(except for the annual ordinary living expenses factor and the current versus rea
sonable investment cost selector). This insures that the overlay tutorial comment
ary will be consistent with the data. This tutorial also provides a free and ful
ly functional 24 month household expense tracking, budget planning, and expense
versus budget variance analysis tool that can be used without a VeriPlan license
.
5) VTUTRLIV.XLS This fully functional version of the 'Sue and Sam Tutorial' is
user changeable. This file contains the Sue and Sam Tutorial data and settings a
nd removes their tutorial comments. You can change any of the data or settings t
o learn more about VeriPlan. However, even though this is a fully functional ver
sion of VeriPlan, DO NOT USE THIS LIVE TUTORIAL TO DO YOUR PERSONAL FINANCIAL PL
AN. Instead, use the most current VPLAN##@.XLS version that included on the CD.
6) README.TXT This is document that you are reading now.
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B) TEN STEPS TO SUCCESS WITH VERIPLAN (not necessarily in this order)
1) Read the red-tabbed "READ ME FIRST" worksheet in any VeriPlan file.
2) Read and agree to the license agreement on the red-tabbed "TERMS OF USE" wo
rksheet in any VeriPlan file.
3) Read the red-tabbed "VIEWPOINTS" worksheet in any VeriPlan file.
4) Load and review the 'Sue and Sam Tutorial' file on the VeriPlan CD (VTUTOR.
XLS)
5) Experiment with the unlocked tutorial file (VTUTRLIV.XLS).
6) To develop your own plan, start with the empty version of VeriPlan (VPLAN##
@.XLS) and load your personal data into the yellow-tabbed User Profile worksheet
s.
7) Select your initial settings on the orange-tabbed 'Tools' worksheets.
8) Generate as many projections as you wish and converge on your preferred pro
jections about your future.
9) Make real life adjustments to you financial behaviors and portfolio to put
your planning intentions into effect.
10) Periodically monitor your progress, update your data in VeriPlan, and analy
ze important financial decisions in the months and years ahead.
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C) NO USER PASSWORD REQUIRED
Because software application passwords can be a major hassle for users, we do no
t use them. Instead, we simply rely on your personal honesty and integrity. We t
rust that you will purchase a legal license to VeriPlan and will use VeriPlan fo
r your personal and non-commercial use, according to the Terms of Use.
Through VeriPlan, we deliver a valuable, sophisticated, and highly automated fin
ancial lifecycle planning tool. We hope that you will respect the contributions
that we make toward improving the financial welfare of individuals and their fam
ilies. We attempt to satisfy your need for better and more truthful financial pl
anning, and we rely on you to help us to find new customers.
If you are happy with VeriPlan, we are counting on you to tell your friends so t
hat they will buy their own household license and copy of VeriPlan through http:
//www.myfinancialfreedomplan.com/ or through The Skilled Investor website http
://www.theskilledinvestor.com
When our satisfied users spread the word about VeriPlan, we can focus on improvi
ng VeriPlan and The Skilled Investor website and blog for the broader community.
Thank you for your support.
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D) MICROSOFT EXCEL CALCULATION SETTINGS
Certain settings are required for your Microsoft Excel application, if Excel is
not already set up this way. Go to the "Tools" pull-down menu and select "Option
s." Then, select the "Calculation" tab. Now, make sure that "Automatic" calculat
ion is selected. Also, check the "Iteration" box and type in 500 as the "Maximum
Iterations" and type in .001 as the "Maximum change." Then, click the "OK" butt
on. Settings of more iterations than 500 or a smaller change than .001 would be
fine, but might increase processing time. However, greater iterations or smaller
change tolerances should not be noticeable, since projection scenario revision
times typically are sub-second. The navigation menus and tabs could vary with yo
ur Excel version.
While running Microsoft Excel, you may find it useful to have the Formula Bar an
d Status Bar activated with check marks under the View pull-down menu. No Toolba
rs are needed. (View >> Toolbars) If you close (uncheck) all toolbars, then larg
er portions of VeriPlan will be visible in your PC window.
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E) SYSTEMS PLATFORM AND PERFORMANCE
VeriPlan is a sophisticated personal financial and investment planning applicati
on that is built on top of the Microsoft Excel 2002 (or later) spreadsheet engin
e. Therefore, VeriPlan shares the features and functionality of Excel. If you ar
e familiar with Excel or any other spreadsheet application, then many aspects of
using VeriPlan already will be familiar to you.
VeriPlan requires a relatively recent and moderately powerful MS Windows persona
l computer that runs Excel 2002 or later. VeriPlan will not work on earlier vers
ions of Excel. VeriPlan runs in a standalone configuration. While VeriPlan conta
ins hyperlinks to educational information on the web, a connection to the Intern
et is not required. All personal information is stored and stays on the user's l
ocal machine. VeriPlan has no programmatic network linkages and no macros of any
kind.
VeriPlan's highly efficient internal design enables the instantaneous developmen
t of a new projection after each user data entry. VeriPlan's fully integrated in
ternal logic requires a large file size of about 50 Mb. To deliver its sophistic
ated functionality, VeriPlan maintains separate full lifecycle projection inform
ation for each of your income sources, debts, and assets, and this is the primar
y reason for the large file size. The user data that you add will have very litt
le impact on VeriPlan s file size.
Because each VeriPlan file is large, operations to open and to save VeriPlan fil
es will take longer that smaller files would require. However, once loaded VeriP
lan executes changes and generates completely revised projections for you very r
apidly. The internal VeriPlan application code is protected and is not user acce
ssible or user modifiable.
To operate and execute acceptably for most users, and as a minimum configuration
, VeriPlan requires a relatively recent personal computer configuration running
the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet product. VeriPlan's minimum test system specific
ations is: 800 MHz Pentium 3 processor, 256 Mb RAM, MS Windows XP (SP-2), and MS
Excel 2002 (SP-3). Systems with lower performance and capacity might execute ac
ceptably to you.
These are the configurations of two of our test machines that both provide virtu
ally instant (under two seconds) recalculation of more computationally intensive
changes to the data in the live VeriPlan version of the Sue and Sam Tutorial. T
est PC #1: Dell Precision 220 (mfg. 2000), Intel Pentium III - 798MHz, 256MB of
RAM, MS Windows XP Professional 2002-SP2, MS Excel 2002-SP3. Test PC #2: Dell I
nspiron 4150 (mfg. 2002), Pentium 4 1.79MHz, 256MB of RAM, MS Windows XP Home Ed
ition-SP2, MS Excel 2002-SP3.
To check your system resources on a Microsoft Windows based PC, click Start >> Cont
rol Panel >> System and read the General tab for a listing. To check your version of
Microsoft Excel, open Excel and click Help >> About Microsoft Excel. Your Excel vers
ion must be 2002 or later.
If satisfactory performance cannot be obtained, it may be necessary to acquire a
more powerful computer and/or a more up-to-date systems and applications softwa
re configuration. VeriPlan's End User License Agreement provides both a thirty-d
ay (30) user satisfaction return period for you to determine whether VeriPlan wi
ll operate acceptably. It also provides a limited ninety-day (90) error correcti
on warranty for VeriPlan operating on at least the minimum system configuration.
Volume software reseller licenses are available to financial advisors.
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END OF FILE
VeriPlan - Lifetime Personal Finance Software © Copyright 2006-2010 Lawrence Ru
ssell and Company. All rights reserved worldwide.