How to audit a goal-based investment plan with a simple spreadsheet tool

What this tool does

Freefincal's Goal-based Portfolio Review/Audit Tool is a spreadsheet designed to answer a simple question: are your investments growing toward the target corpus produced by a financial plan? It is not a planner that computes the target corpus, nor is it a day-to-day portfolio tracker. Instead, it sits between those tools and lets you compare expected growth against actual annual results so you can decide whether to adjust contributions or asset allocation.

How it works, in plain steps

• Each year you enter the actual corpus value (and the real investment amount for that year). The tool plots those annual points so you can see the actual trajectory against the expected one.
• You can change the planned asset allocation on a year-by-year basis to model different de-risking or re-risking paths and immediately see the impact on expected corpus growth.

Practical uses and decisions it supports

Inputs and outputs — concrete list

• Current value of equity and other liquid holdings and their allocation
• Planned asset allocation of equity and other holdings, modifiable each year
• Expected returns for the asset classes
• Planned annual investment for year 1 and yearly increase
• Actual annual investment made (update yearly)
• Actual corpus value (update yearly)

• Expected investment schedule
• Expected corpus-growth curve
• Actual annual corpus points and actual trajectory vs expected

Relationship with other Freefincal tools

• Use a financial planning calculator first to derive the target corpus and recommended contribution. The audit tool uses that target as its guide.

• Freefincal also references a robo-advisory tool and NaviPlan (a multi-asset tracker and goal planner) as complementary tools that automate planning and multi-asset tracking.

How to adopt the tool effectively

• Be explicit about expected returns and the stepping schedule for allocations. Small changes in assumed returns and allocation schedules materially change the expected path.
• If you see a persistent gap, choose one corrective action at a time (increase contribution or alter future allocations) and re-run the projection to see its effect.

Visuals and learning resources

The Freefincal post includes screenshots of the planner and an introductory video that demonstrates the expected vs actual plot and how to modify allocation schedules. The spreadsheet originated in Freefincal's goal-based portfolio management course, where step-wise de-risking and backtested schedules are taught.