Summary
The Balance chart data can be exported in CSV or XLSX formats for any scenario of the plan using the Action Button on the Balance chart.
Each column refers to the simulations showing yearly projections over the plan horizon.
Advisers can calculate average returns and standard deviation per simulation for any scenario.
This analysis provides a clearer view of volatility and performance.
Description
Timeline Planning allows advisers to explore future financial scenarios using the performance data through multiple simulations based on historical data. To enhance the analytical depth, advisers can download raw balance data using the Action button on the Balance chart. This helps in computing various metrics for further bespoke analysis, e.g., average returns and standard deviations for each scenario, offering richer insights into risk and performance trends across the client's plan.
The exported file contains the full list of simulations across the planning period, where each row represents a distinct simulation and each column corresponds to a future year. This format gives advisers the flexibility to perform deeper statistical evaluations in Excel, Google Sheets, or their preferred data tool.
Example
Let’s say there is a financial plan for a client’s portfolio, with an initial balance starting at £1M and the balance in each year for the Median scenario are exported as a CSV.
Once the file is open, you can compute the average return for each simulation by calculating the percentage change year over year, then averaging these returns across the time horizon. Similarly, you can calculate the standard deviation to understand the volatility.
Here’s a simplified step-by-step example:
Open the CSV file.
For each row (simulation), calculate the annual return for each year.
Calculate the mean return across years.
Calculate the standard deviation.
Drag these formulas across all simulations to get a full statistical profile.
This gives you a matrix where each simulation has its own average return and volatility value, helping advisers spot outliers, assess consistency, and fine-tune client conversations around risk.
Demo:
Conclusion
Downloading and analysing balance chart data from Timeline Planning enables advisers to move beyond visual scenario charts and into quantitative validation of their financial assumptions. By calculating average returns and standard deviations across simulations, advisers gain a deeper view of performance dynamics—bridging the gap between visual storytelling and hard analytics.