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Cash Flow Planner
Project your household cash position forward, save and compare scenarios, then check the plan against real month-end balances with Plan vs actual. Use Actuals projection to see how the plan may now look from your latest checked balances, without changing your saved plan.
Get early access to Planiva's practical planning tools.
Build a clearer 1 to 5 year household cashflow forecast
Planiva's Cash Flow Planner helps you build a forward-looking household cashflow forecast across one to five years. It keeps the underlying monthly detail, while giving you clearer yearly, quarterly and monthly views so the plan remains readable as the projection grows. It is designed for practical planning and saved scenario comparison, so you can explore questions such as can I afford this, when might cash tighten, what happens if income or spending changes, and whether a different timing or assumption gives a better result. You can now also compare the saved plan with real month-end balances, so the forecast can be reviewed against what actually happened.
New: Plan vs actual
Cashflow planning is more useful when it stays connected to reality. Plan vs actual lets you enter month-end account balances for completed months and compare them with your saved cashflow plan. It is deliberately lightweight, focused on balances rather than detailed budgeting.
- •Enter month-end balances for the accounts in your plan.
- •Mark a month complete once the balances are checked.
- •See whether actual balances are above or below the saved plan.
- •Review an Actuals projection from your latest checked balances.
- •Include Plan vs actual in reports, exports and scenario comparison.
Read the Plan vs actual guide
A fuller guide to Plan vs actual and Actuals projection.
How it works
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Review the projected path
See how balances, net movement and pressure points may evolve across the planning window.
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Compare scenarios
Save alternatives and compare how timing, income, spending, goals or one-off decisions may change the outcome.
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Check reality against the plan
Enter month-end account balances for completed months and compare them with the saved cashflow plan.
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Review the Actuals projection
See how the plan may now look from your latest checked balances, including recent balance trend where enough check-ins exist.
What this planner helps you do
Use the planner to turn an initial affordability question into a clearer forward-looking cashflow view before committing to a decision.
Plan 1 to 5 years ahead
Build a household cashflow forecast that looks beyond the next month while keeping the monthly detail needed for practical decisions.
See when cash may come under pressure
Identify months where balances fall below your cash buffer, where shortfalls appear, or where the plan starts to rely on transfers or reserves.
Understand the assumptions behind the plan
Review inflation, uplift and account growth assumptions so you can see whether the plan is realistic or too optimistic.
Compare planned changes
Test how different income, spending, timing, transfer or one-off event scenarios affect the full projection period.
Check whether the plan is still tracking reality
Use month-end balance check-ins to see whether actual balances are above, below or close to the saved plan.
Project forward from where you are now
Actuals projection starts from checked balances and projects forward using the saved plan assumptions, giving you a clearer view of the possible path from current reality.
Export the planning view
Use Excel and PDF outputs to review the plan, share it with someone else, or keep a record of the assumptions and comparison.
Core features
The planner is designed to support practical household cashflow planning in a clearer and more structured way than a static household budget.
1 to 5 year cashflow projections
Project household inflows, outflows, balances and pressure points across a planning window of one to five years.
Monthly detail underneath
The engine still works month by month, so grouped views do not hide the detailed timing of risks.
Yearly, quarterly and monthly chart views
Use higher-level views for longer plans, then drill into monthly detail when needed.
One-adult and two-adult household planning
Model cashflow for one adult or a two-adult household, depending on the scenario.
Recurring income, spending and one-off events
Add the regular and one-off items that shape the household position over time.
Assumptions panel
Review default inflation, item-level uplifts, income uplifts and account growth assumptions in one place.
Risk summary and selected-month view
See full-plan risks, jump into affected months and inspect what stands out in the selected period.
Plan vs actual
Compare your saved cashflow plan with real month-end account balances.
Month-end balance check-ins
Keep actuals lightweight by entering account closing balances rather than detailed bookkeeping-style inputs.
Actuals projection
Project forward from your latest checked balances using the saved plan assumptions, with recent balance trend included where enough completed check-ins exist.
Visual plan vs actual chart
See saved plan, actual balances and Actuals projection together across monthly, quarterly and yearly views.
Reality-aware scenario comparison
Compare saved scenarios with context from actual balance check-ins and Actuals projection.
Excel and PDF exports
Export the saved plan, Plan vs actual, Actuals projection and scenario comparison outputs in clearer separated reports.
Scenarios you can model
The planner is suited to common cashflow planning situations where you want a clearer forward-looking view before proceeding further.
Can I afford this planned decision?
Test whether your projected cash position may support a planned commitment, purchase, or change in spending.
What happens if income changes?
Explore how a change in recurring income may affect monthly net position and balances over time.
What happens if spending increases?
Compare how higher recurring costs or one-off expenses may affect affordability and shortfall risk.
What if inflation or item-level uplifts are higher?
See how different inflation and uplift assumptions change the path, pressure points and ending position.
What if I move a major cost earlier or later?
See how moving a major event or planned purchase earlier or later changes the forecast.
What if I transfer savings into day-to-day cash?
Test how planned transfers affect short-term pressure, risk timing and where money is held across the plan.
What does the next 1, 3 or 5 years look like?
Compare shorter and longer planning windows while keeping the monthly detail underneath.
Is my plan still on track?
Compare checked month-end balances with the saved plan to see whether your current position is above, below or close to the projection.
What does the plan look like from here?
Use Actuals projection to review the forward path from your latest checked balances.
Which scenario still makes sense?
Compare saved scenarios with reality-aware context from Plan vs actual.
Outputs and insights
The planner is designed to return practical cashflow outputs that help you assess affordability, compare options and keep a record of the planning view.
Projected cash position
See inflows, outflows, net movement and closing balance across the projection period.
Plan vs actual view
Review actual month-end balances against the saved plan, including balance variance and check-in history.
Actuals projection
See a forward-looking projection based on your latest checked balances. This does not change the saved plan.
Plan vs actual chart
View saved plan, actual balances and Actuals projection across monthly, quarterly and yearly views.
Ending and lowest balance
Understand where the plan ends and where the lowest balance occurs.
Risk summary
Identify first risk month, months below cash buffer, negative balance months and other pressure points.
Selected-month detail
Inspect what stands out, income and spending detail, risks and suggested actions for a specific month.
Spending breakdown
Review essential, discretionary, one-off and goal spending across the selected projection length.
Reality-aware comparison outputs
Scenario comparison can include Plan vs actual and Actuals projection context, helping you compare options against current reality.
Excel and PDF exports
Export main plan reports and scenario comparison reports separately, including Plan vs actual and Actuals projection where available.
Who it is for
This planner is best suited to people who want a clearer view of household affordability before making financial decisions.
People asking can I afford this?
Useful if you want to test whether a planned decision looks affordable over the months ahead rather than only today.
People who want to keep a plan connected to reality
Useful if you want a simple monthly check-in that compares real balances with the saved plan.
Users reviewing changes over time
Helpful if income, spending, savings or timing has changed and you want to see whether balances are drifting from the plan.
People comparing future options
Useful when deciding which scenario still makes sense based on actual balances so far.
Households planning around future changes
Helpful when you expect income, spending, transfers, inflation or one-off events to change and want to see the effect in advance.
Notes and limitations
This planner is designed to support planning and comparison. It does not replace regulated financial advice, and outputs depend on the facts and assumptions entered.
Shared trust notes
- This planner supports scenario modelling and comparison. It is intended to help you think through decisions, not to replace regulated financial, tax, legal, or investment advice.
- Outputs depend on the details, assumptions, and tax rules used at the time of modelling. Real-world outcomes can differ if those assumptions change or if relevant information is incomplete.
Planner-specific notes
- Plan vs actual uses account balance check-ins. It does not require detailed bookkeeping-style tracking.
- Actuals projection is a planning preview based on checked balances and saved plan assumptions. It does not change the saved plan.
- Projections may change materially if income, spending, balances, timing, transfer or event assumptions are incomplete or incorrect.
- The planner is intended for forward-looking cashflow scenarios and may not reflect every real-world timing detail, behavioural change, or unexpected cost.
- Outputs are indicative planning forecasts and should not be treated as guaranteed outcomes or a substitute for advice.
- The planner works at monthly level, so within-month timing and account-level mechanics may still need additional judgement outside the tool.
- The planner does not replace regulated financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Cash Flow Planner support multi-year planning?
Yes. It supports projection lengths from 1 to 5 years while keeping the underlying monthly detail.
Is Plan vs actual the same as budgeting?
No. Plan vs actual is a lightweight balance check-in. It compares month-end account balances with your saved cashflow plan. It is designed to stay simple and focused on checked balances.
What is Actuals projection?
Actuals projection shows how your cashflow plan may now look from your latest checked balances. It uses your saved plan assumptions and, where enough completed check-ins exist, recent balance trend. It does not change your saved plan.
Do I need to enter actual income and spending?
No. Plan vs actual is based on month-end account balances. Those balances already reflect what happened across income, spending, transfers and timing.
Can I export Plan vs actual?
Yes. Plan vs actual and Actuals projection can be included in Excel and PDF reports, alongside separate scenario comparison reports where relevant.
Can scenario comparison use actuals?
Yes. Cashflow scenario comparison can include reality-aware context from checked balances and Actuals projection, so you can compare options against what has actually happened so far.
Related tools
Cashflow planning often connects directly to wider tax, retirement, and disposal decisions that affect affordability over time.
Tax Planner
Explore how expected tax liabilities and timing may affect your wider cash position.
Retirement Planner
Useful if shorter-term affordability decisions feed into a wider retirement plan.
Capital Gains Tax Planner
Helpful if planned asset disposals and expected proceeds may affect future household cashflow.
Access the Cash Flow Planner with free early access
Start with free early access to build a cashflow plan, compare scenarios, check real month-end balances against the plan, and export reports for review.