Getting Started
Articles in this collection
- How does Gilded work?
Gilded is a financial planning application that uses the data you input for your income, expenses, assets, and liabilities. Gilded creates a financial projection on the app dashboard that shows how your net worth will grow over time, after expenses...
- What is the Gilded dashboard?
The Gilded dashboard provides a summary of your financial picture. It includes:The Gilded projection graph that shows what your current net worth will grow to over time based on the income, expenses, assets, and liabilities you entered into the...
- What is the inflation rate?
Inflation is 2.1%We set inflation at 2.1%. This is the amount outlined in the 2025 Projection Assumption Guidelines published by the Institute of Financial Planning and the FP Canada Standards Council.
- How do I add my pension?
In Gilded, you have three options to include your pension:Add it as an Asset. This works best if you have a defined contribution pension. You can get the present cash value from your HR and enter it into Gilded as a financial asset. You can update...
- How do I add my partner’s finances to create a joint financial plan?
Adding your partner or spouse’s financial data so you can model your financial future together is easy. You do not need to create a second account for your partner. Instead, you can:Add your partner’s income, expenses, assets, and liabilities the...
- What is an asset?
An asset is anything you own that has value. Examples of assets might be investment accounts, your primary residence, and investment property, whole life insurance or jewellery.
- What is a liability?
A liability is anything you owe; this could be a mortgage, credit card debt, student loans, or car loans.
- What is income?
Income is money you receive from employment, government benefits, rental income, dividends, or other sources.
- What is an expense?
An expense is money you spend on things such as groceries, rent, transportation, subscriptions, or entertainment.
- What is net worth?
Net worth is what you own (assets) minus what you owe (libailities).
- How do I add an asset?
Go to the Assets tab in the left sidebar.Click +Add Asset.Select the Asset Type.Enter the name (e.g.: "Shannon's TFSA" or "123 Main Street House"), balance, and Annual Contribution.Click Save.
- How do I add a liability?
Go to the Liabilities in the left sidebar.Tap +Add Liability.Select Liability Type.Enter the type of debt (e.g.: "Mortgage" or "Student Loan"), balance owing, interest rate (if known), and repayment amount (if needed).Click Save.
- How do I add my income?
Go to the Income tab in the left sidebar.Tap +Add Income .Select Income Type.Name the income source (e.g.: "Full-time Job" or "Side Hustle"), the annual salary, the start year, and the end year.
- How do I enter my expenses?
Learn how to easily add and manage your expenses in our app, including recurring payments, while mortgage payments are handled under Liabilities automatically.
- Can I connect my bank or investment accounts?
Gilded does not connect directly to your accounts. You have to enter your account balances into the app manually. This means your banking information is not at risk when using Gilded. The data you enter into Gilded is only used to create your...
- How do I update my net worth?
Your net worth updates automatically whenever you adjust your assets or liabilities. You can view your current net worth on the Dashboard at any time.
- How often should I update my info?
We recommend reviewing and updating your finances once a month; especially your account balances, loan repayments, and new expenses. Gilded will show you how your net worth changes over time.
- How do I delete data I entered?
Find the asset, liability, income, or expense you want to remove.Click the Delete (🗑️) icon.Confirm deletion.
- How do I edit data I entered?
Find the asset, liability, income, or expense you want to edit.Click the Edit (✏️) icon.Edit information as needed.Click Save.
- Does Gilded calculate my income tax?
Yes! Gilded automatically calculates your income taxes based on the province you live in and the income you enter under Income Sources. Gilded is accurate using current federal and provincial income tax rates for the current year based on your...
- Does Gilded calculate my RRIF withdrawals?
Gilded automatically calculates the minimum required RRIF withdrawals from your RRSP converted to an RRIF at age 71. These are factored into your projection graph and financial plans as withdrawals beginning at age 71.
- What is 'End of Plan' mean?
"End of plan" refers to the point at which a person’s life comes to an end; it’s the nicest way to say your death. Gilded automatically projects your end of life age to be 90
- How do I change my retirement age?
Gilded automatically assumes your retirement age to be 65, but you can change this to any number inside your financial plans. You can even create multiple plans to see how retiring earlier or later impacts your finances.To change your retirement...
- How do I change my end of life age?
Gilded automatically projects your end of life age to be 90, but you can change this to any number inside your financial plans. You can even test different ages to see how living longer impacts your finances.To change your end of life age, follow...
- How do I plan the costs of having a child?
There are several key financial considerations when planning for a child. Some of the items you can include in Gilded’s income sources and expenses are:Reducing your income to go on parental leave.Collecting EI benefits during your parental...
- How do I plan for maternity or parental leave?
To plan for maternity or parental leave in Gilded, follow these steps:Under Income Sources, add your current income but set it to end the year you expect to give birth.Add a new Income labeled “EI Maternity Benefits” or “EI Parental Benefits”.Enter...
- How do I plan a sabbatical?
Under Financial Plans, create a new scenario where your income is reduced for the duration of your sabbatical.
- How do I create a financial plan?
Click on 'Financial Plans' in the left sidebar and select 'Create New Plan'.
- How do I test a scenario in a financial plan?
Under Financial Plans, toggle different income and expense scenarios to see how they impact your net worth.
- How do I plan the cost of going back to school?
Add your expected tuition costs under 'Expenses' and adjust your income sources for potential part-time work or student loans.
- How do I add an inheritance?
Add an inheritance income in Financial Plans, setting the start year to when you expect to receive the inheritance and the end year to ‘One Time’.
- How do I add a Line of Credit?
Go to your My Financial Data section.Navigate to the Liabilities tab.Click Add New Liability.Enter details like the name of the LOC, current outstanding balance, and optionally, any interest rate or payment schedule you’d like to track.Click Save.
- I found a bug or the app isn’t working properly. What should I do?
Contact GildedPlan support at support@gildedplan.com for quick and effective assistance with any issues you may encounter.
- What are my investment returns?
Your investments return 8%We assume your investments inside a TFSA, RRSP, and non-registered accounts return 8%. You can set a custom rate of return if you expect your rate of return on your investments to be higher or lower.
- Does my income increase with inflation?
Your income increases with inflationWe assume your income increases with inflation, but you can set a custom growth rate based on your anticipated raises or lack thereof.
- Do my expenses increase with inflation?
Your expenses increase with inflationWe assume your expenses increase with inflation, but you can always add custom expenses if you think certain costs will be higher or lower in future years.
- Will my home value increase with inflation?
The value of your home increases with inflationWe assume the value of your home increases with inflation, but you can set a custom growth rate if you feel another number is more appropriate.
- How much is Gilded contributing to my investment accounts?
If you do not specify a TFSA or RRSP contribution amount, we assume you contribute the maximumYou can customize the amount you want to contribute annually to your TFSA and RRSP inside of Gilded, but if you do not set a fixed dollar amount, we will...
- Do my investment accounts increase with inflation?
Maximum TFSA and RRSP contribution room increases over time with inflationThe annual TFSA contribution limit is raised increments of $500 to keep pace with inflation. The annual RRSP contribution limit also increases each year to keep pace with...
- How long will Gilded contribute to my investment accounts?
RRSP contributions stop at age 71 but TFSA contributions continue until the end of lifeYour RRSP must be converted to an RRIF at age 71 and you will begin drawing down from the account following the required minimum withdrawal schedule. The TFSA...
- I've maxed out my TFSA and RRSP, now what?
If you max out your TFSA and RRSP, excess cash is invested in a non-registered accountIf you identify in Priorities that you want to max out both your TFSA and RRSP, and then invest anything left over, Gilded will assign the excess cash to a...
- Will my RRSP convert to an RRIF at the age of 71?
Your RRSP is converted to an RRIF at age 71 and you adhere to the required minimum withdrawals, unless more cash is required to service your expensesWe assume you begin drawing down from an RRIF at age 71 and follow the required minimum withdrawal...
- Will my income tax brackets inscrease over time?
Income tax brackets increase with timeEach year, the minimum required income for each income tax bracket is raised. This means every year the basic personal amount you can claim is higher and more of your money is taxed at a lower rate. Gilded...
- How is CPP calculated?
CPP is calculated based on your age and income and adjusted to inflationWe assume you begin collecting CPP at age 65 and the amount is calculated based on your age and income that you input into Gilded. We currently do not allow for a custom CPP...
- How is OAS calculated?
OAS is calculated based on your age and income and adjusted to inflationYour OAS is automatically calculated based on your age and CPP income, taxable RRIF withdrawals, and taxable withdrawals from your non-registered accounts. Your OAS clawback is...
- What happens to my investments after I retire?
Your investments continue to compound after retirementWe do not assume you allocate all money to cash at retirement. Instead, we assume your registered and non-registered accounts remain invested and continue to compound and grow in retirement....
- What is the difference between nominal and real dollars?
There is a difference between nominal and real dollars. Gilded shows you both.Currency loses purchasing power due to inflation over time. The amount of money in your investment portfolio (its nominal value) 30 or 40 years from now will not have the...
- What happens if I have an unexpected life event?
Gilded does not predict disability, illness, layoff, divorce, early death of you or our spouse, or other unexpected expenses, but these can happenA financial model cannot predict when and what kind of unexpected financial challenges you experience...
- How does Gilded track the stock market?
Gilded does not display future stock market corrections, crashes, or downturns but these will happen. These events do not change the accuracy of our projections.It is normal for the stock market to go through up and down cycles. This will result in...
- How does Gilded know so much?
Gilded only knows what you tell itGilded does not connect directly to any of your financial accounts and has no way of knowing your actually account balances or spending habits. If you omit expenses or enter data incorrectly, your financial...