The AIM Financial Forecast: Beyond Basic Projections
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Most financial tools offer a simple, linear path. But life isn't a straight line. Our advanced analysis embraces the complexities of your financial life and the uncertainties of the market to provide a forecast that is as dynamic and unique as you are.
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Here’s what makes the AIM analysis different:
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Probabilities, Not Just Predictions: We use a powerful Monte Carlo simulation that runs 1,000 different market scenarios to determine your plan's probability of success. You won't just see one possible outcome; you'll understand the full range of possibilities.
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Deep Tax-Aware Modeling: Our engine doesn't use a generic "tax rate." It models federal and state taxes, capital gains vs. ordinary income, deductions, and the tax implications of every financial move, from RMDs to Roth conversions.
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AI-Powered Personal Insights: We leverage Google's Gemini AI to translate complex data into a clear, conversational summary. You get actionable advice and personalized strategies, not just a page full of numbers.
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Dynamic Scenario Planning: Easily compare different life choices side-by-side. See the real impact of retiring two years earlier, adjusting your savings, or planning for a major expense.
Download our basic Retirement Planner, then contact us for access to a far more robust model that includes all the options above!
Dive Deeper: The Pillars of Our Advanced Analysis
Embrace Uncertainty with Confidence: Monte Carlo Simulation
The future is uncertain. Your financial plan shouldn't ignore that. Instead of a single, fragile projection, our simulation stress-tests your plan against 1,000 potential economic futures based on historical volatility. Understand your success rate: know the statistical probability that your funds will last through your entire lifetime. See the full spectrum: visualize your potential net worth in best-case, worst-case, and median scenarios. Plan for volatility: make informed decisions knowing your plan is built to withstand market ups and downs. Our basic downloadable planner gets you started, then our members get access to the deepest level of analysis and strategy available, tailored to their specific needs.
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See the Full Picture: Advanced Tax & Cash Flow Modeling
Taxes are one of the biggest detractors from wealth over a lifetime. Our analysis puts tax planning at the core of your forecast. Detailed tax engine: we model your tax liability year-by-year, accounting for shifts in income from salaries to Social Security, pensions, and required minimum distributions (RMDs). Capital gains & income analysis: we differentiate between various income sources to project your federal and state tax burden with far greater accuracy. Annual cash flow breakdown: go beyond a simple net worth chart. See a detailed annual budget projection showing every dollar in (income, dividends) and every dollar out (expenses, taxes, savings), so you know exactly where your money is going each year of the plan.
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Your Personal AI Financial Analyst, Powered by Gemini
Data is useless without interpretation. We integrate the power of Google's Gemini to act as your personal AI analyst. Instant portfolio review: upload a statement from your existing brokerage account, and our AI will provide an instant analysis of its risk profile and return potential. Actionable summaries: the AI synthesizes your entire forecast into a plain-English summary, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, and key takeaways. Personalized tax strategies: based on your unique projection, the AI suggests concrete, actionable strategies—like Roth conversions or withdrawal sequencing—to help minimize your lifetime tax burden.
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A Truly Holistic View of Your Wealth
A true financial plan accounts for everything you own and everything you owe. Our tool goes beyond just your 401(k) to include complex assets: modeling for Deferred Compensation, 529 Education Plans, and Custodial Accounts. Real estate & liabilities: integrating your home value, appreciation, and mortgage paydown. Advanced strategies: the ability to model the use of an Asset-Backed Line of Credit (ABLOC) for tax-efficient liquidity. Detailed expense planning: distinguishing between essential "Needs" and discretionary "Wants" in retirement, with a separate, higher inflation rate specifically for healthcare costs.
AIM Wealth Group
Helping Clients Build Wealth — Safely and Strategically
At AIM, we help clients achieve their financial goals by rethinking how they approach money and investing. Our customized investment management services simplify the complex — from budgeting and understanding cash flow to building tax-efficient portfolios — empowering you with the knowledge to make smarter financial decisions.
Did you know the stock market’s average annual return since 1973 has exceeded 11%? Yet, 95% of investment advisors fail to outperform a simple index fund over a 10-year period. Why pay high fees or taxes for results you can often match — or beat — with the right guidance? AIM shows you how to pursue above-average returns with below-average risk.
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Navigate Today’s Financial Landscape with Confidence
In a world of high inflation, rising borrowing costs, and changing tax laws, our experienced advisors help you make sense of it all. From retirement planning and ETFs to dividend strategies, HSAs, 529 plans, and tax optimization, AIM gives you the clarity and control to grow your wealth — without the excessive costs of traditional wealth managers.
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Smarter Investing Through Small, Powerful Adjustments
Our mission is simple: help you uncover more investable income and allocate it toward higher-return opportunities while keeping risk at a comfortable level.
For example, a 5% Treasury yield doubles your money in about 14 years — but investments earning 11% can do the same in just 6.5 years. That’s over seven years faster toward your financial goals. With compounding, small improvements make a huge difference over time.
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Real Results. Real Impact.
Our clients are often stunned by how quickly their results improve once they move beyond default fund choices or passive 401(k) allocations. Many discover that their “automatic” retirement or college funds have negative or below-inflation returns, while broad index funds have gained over 60% in recent years. At AIM, we help you review, rebalance, and reclaim your financial growth — turning wasted time into compounding success.
What Does an Investment Advisor Do?
AIM specializes in investment management and risk management strategies. Our experienced team of financial advisors provide comprehensive services to our clients, from retirement planning and portfolio analysis, to tax management and even estate planning. We use our home-grown financial management software to guide each decision.
Is There a Minimum Amount I Need to Invest?
At AIM, we understand that the sooner you optimize your investments, the sooner you will reach your goals. Most people don't start investing because they feel they don't have enough. In fact, small weekly or monthly investments create massive wealth over time, let us show you how. Your money, your pace.
What Are Index Funds?
Index Funds are funds that aim to track the performance of a specific market index, such as the S&P 500. These funds typically have low expense ratios and provide broad diversification, allowing investors to benefit from the performance of the entire market. Index funds are a good choice for risk-averse investors, as they provide a low-risk way to gain exposure to the stock market.
How Does AIM's Investment Strategy Work?
AIM's investment management services are tailored to meet each client's individual needs. We work closely with our clients to create a customized portfolio that is tailored to their goals and risk tolerance. We use investment strategies and research-driven investment decisions to help our clients achieve their long-term objectives, and each is tempered with common-sense. We only invest in companies with strong balance sheets and income statements with years of consistent returns.
What Makes AIM Different?
You control your money. We will work closely with you and give advice based on current market conditions as well as your personal situation. AIM does not 'take over' control of your assets, passwords, or accounts. YOU stay in complete control.
What Fees Are Associated With AIM's Investment Services?
AIM's fees are designed to be competitive and transparent. Our fees are typically based on a percentage of the assets under management, and can vary depending on the type of service provided. We also offer discounts for clients who opt for a longer-term investment relationship. For investors just starting out, we have a low-cost monthly access fee option or a one time fee, based on your needs.
FAQ
Interesting Investment Insights
10.53%
Average S&P 500 Return over the last 50 years WITHOUT Dividend Reinvestment, or 12.37% with them Reinvested
3.82%
Average Inflation Rate over the last 50 years.
$2,681,303
A one-time $20,000 deposit that gets the average rate of return with dividends reinvested for the next 42 years (think a 23 year old investing ONE TIME for retirement at 65). No other investments made to achieve this amount!
1 in 10
People contribute to an HSA (Healthcare Savings Account), despite it being a tax deduction when invested and no tax due upon withdrawl*
5.82 Years
The Length of time to double your money using historical averages of S&P 500 returns with dividends reinvested
53%
Of people have NO emergency fund
Rich, MN
“AIM helped us 'find' an additional 5% annualized returns on our investments with minimal increase in risk. Now we aren't worried about possible nursing homes costs."
Stacy, FL
"I didn't believe how simple investing could be. Todd with AIM showed me very easy ways to grow my investments and reduce my taxes at the same time. So simple, yet if you don't know, you don't know."
Andrew, NY
“Thanks to AIM I will now be able to retire YEARS before I thought I could!” AIM showed me how to better position my investments in this high interest economy."
From The CEO
Since passing the CPA exam nearly 30 years ago, I've been helping people maximize their cash flow so they can increase their investments. The unnecessary complexity most advisors promote, creates confusion for individual investors, but it really isn't that complicated. Between management fees, fund expenses, fees on ETFs and 401(k)s, and inefficient tax strategies, most individual investors give away several percentage points in gains each year. Most advisors make money by referring specific investments to their clients, regardless of returns. Let me show you just how easy it is to stop paying ridiculous investment expenses. We have helped many clients find lost dollars, that over years or decades, amount to tens of thousand of dollars or more. The compounding of additional savings and additional returns can literally shave years off the time needed to become financially independent.
​One 30 minute call can change your life. Even if you don't become a client, 95% of people who go through an initial consultation leave with information that they can use to make tens of thousands of dollars over the their investing life.
​-Todd​​ ​ ​
This website contains information and materials provided by Authentic Investment Management which are for informational purposes only. The information is not intended to be and should not be taken as financial advice as each individual investor's situation is unique. Authentic Investment Management does not provide any advice regarding the nature, potential value, suitability or profitability of any particular investment or investment strategy, nor do they make money directly or indirectly from advising for or against the purchase of specific securities. You should consult your own financial adviser before making any investment decisions. AIM Wealth Group accepts no liability whatsoever for any loss or damage of any kind arising out of the use of this website or reliance on the information provided herein. All investments involve some degree of risk, and you should always consider the risks and rewards before making any investment decision.
Todd C. Welch, CPA
CEO & Managing Partner
1400 Encore Place
Heathrow, FL 32746
763-639-0314
Getting Started with Your Financial Future: A User Guide
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Welcome to the AIM Wealth Group Financial Forecaster! This powerful tool is designed to give you a clear, data-driven look into your financial future. By running thousands of simulations, it helps you understand the probability of achieving your retirement goals and lets you explore how different decisions might impact your plan.
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First and Foremost: Your Privacy
Before we begin, it's crucial for you to know that your privacy is our top priority.
Disclaimer: All the financial information you enter into this application is processed directly on your computer, within your web browser. None of your personal data is ever uploaded to any server, stored in the cloud, or seen by anyone else. The application works entirely offline after it's loaded. When you close your browser tab, the data is gone unless your browser caches it, or you explicitly save your plan to a file on your own computer using the "Save As..." button. Your information remains in your control, always.
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Step 1: The Initial Setup
When you first open the app, you'll see a welcome screen. This is where you provide the basic building blocks for your plan. The app loads with sample data, which you should replace with your own.
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Planning for One or Two? Check the "Are you planning for a couple?" box if you are married or planning with a partner. This will add a second section for their details.
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Enter Your Details: Fill in your name, date of birth, and planned retirement date. If you're already retired, just check the box.
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Select Your Accounts: You'll see a list of account types (Taxable, 401k, Roth, etc.). Only check the boxes for accounts you currently have. This will customize the input forms in the next step, so you only see what's relevant to you.
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Key Assumptions: Set your desired emergency fund ("Minimum Cash Reserve") and your long-term guess for inflation. The default values are a good starting point if you're unsure.
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Build Your Plan: Click the "Build My Financial Plan" button to enter the main application.
Pro-Tip: If you've used the tool before and saved your plan, you can click "Or, Load an Existing Plan File" to pick up where you left off.
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Understanding Key Concepts
This tool uses a few powerful ideas to give you a realistic forecast.
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Monte Carlo Simulation: Instead of giving you one single, overly optimistic prediction, the tool runs 1,000 different simulations of your financial future. Each simulation uses different, but historically plausible, market returns. This shows you a range of possible outcomes.
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Probability of Success: This is the most important number on your Dashboard. It's the percentage of those 1,000 simulations where your money lasted until your planned life expectancy. An 85% success rate means that in 850 out of 1,000 possible futures, your plan worked. Generally, a rate of 80% or higher is considered strong.
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Scenarios: Your main plan is called the "Baseline." You can create other scenarios (like "Retire 5 Years Earlier" or "Aggressive Market Returns") to see how major life decisions or market conditions might affect your plan without changing your main Baseline.
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Navigating the Application
The app has three main tabs at the top: Dashboard, Planner, and Reports.
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The Planner Tab: Your Main Workspace
This is where you'll input and adjust your financial data. It has a few sub-sections:
1. Financial Inputs (Required Data Entry)
This is the most important screen. The more accurately you fill this out, the better your projection will be.
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General: Your filing status and state (this is important for tax calculations).
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Personal Details: Your salary, expected pay raises, Social Security estimates, etc.
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Contribution Strategy: How much of your salary are you saving? Enter the percentage of your pre-tax income that goes into each type of account.
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Investment Accounts: For each account type you selected during setup, enter the current value. If you're unsure about the "Growth/Risk Profile," leaving it on the default "Historical Market Perform" is a great starting point.
2. Expenses & Assets (Required Data Entry)
Here, you'll detail your major assets and spending habits.
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Home & Mortgage: Enter your home's value and any remaining mortgage details.
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General Expenses: This is crucial!
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Simple Method (Recommended for novices): Use the "Retirement Needs" and "Retirement Wants" fields.
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Needs: Your essential living costs (groceries, utilities, property tax, insurance).
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Wants: Your discretionary spending (travel, hobbies, dining out).
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IMPORTANT: The tool automatically calculates mortgage payments, taxes, and savings contributions. Do NOT include these amounts in your expense numbers to avoid double-counting.
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Healthcare: Enter your current annual healthcare costs. This is separate because healthcare costs tend to rise faster than everything else.
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Large Non-Monthly Expenses: Use this section for big, planned costs that don't happen every month, like funding a child's college education or buying a new car every 8 years.
Once your data is entered, click the big "Run & Get AI Analysis" button at the bottom!
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The Dashboard Tab: Your Results at a Glance
After running a simulation, the app will take you here. This is a high-level summary of your plan's outcome. You don't enter any data here.
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KPI Cards: Shows your key results, including your all-important Probability of Success.
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Forecast Chart: A visual graph of your projected Net Worth over your lifetime.
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AI-Powered Analysis: This is a plain-English summary written by Gemini, Google's AI. It explains what your results mean and provides actionable suggestions to improve your plan.
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The Reports Tab: The Deep Dive
This section provides detailed, year-by-year breakdowns of your finances. You don't need to enter data here, but it's great for exploring the details once you're more comfortable.
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Comparison: See a side-by-side table comparing the results of all your different scenarios.
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Asset Report: A detailed table showing the projected balance of every single account, year by year.
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Tax Details: A projection of your annual income, expenses, and taxes.
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Printable Summary: A clean, consolidated report of your entire plan, perfect for printing and reviewing.
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A Simple Workflow to Follow
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Start on the Planner tab. Fill out your data in the "Financial Inputs" and "Expenses & Assets" views.
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Click "Run & Get AI Analysis."
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You'll be taken to the Dashboard. Review your results, especially the "Probability of Success" and the "AI Analysis" summary.
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Go back to the Planner tab to make adjustments. Try increasing your savings rate by 1% and run the simulation again. See how your success probability changes!
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Once you have a Baseline plan you're happy with, go to the "Scenario Manager" view in the Planner to create copies and test bigger what-if ideas.