MoneyGuide

Overview

MoneyGuide is financial-planning software for advisors building plans around clients’ long-term goals. It best suits practices that want clients involved in planning and need tools spanning retirement, taxes, insurance and other major decisions. Its depth of planning and collaboration is a strong fit for advisory work, but custom pricing and its non-transactional design make it a poor choice for clients seeking to manage or move money in the same application.

Key features

Goal-based, asset-allocation and lifetime-income plans bring several planning approaches into one system. Lifetime-income plans use Monte Carlo simulations on a single income stream, a useful way to model uncertainty without implying that the software handles multiple income streams in that analysis.

Advisors and clients can work on plans online, with sharing permissions ranging from view-only to update-all. That supports collaborative planning while letting advisors control how much clients can change. The tools cover retirement, college, estate, insurance needs, risk management, tax planning and Social Security. What-if scenarios and stress tests model variables including market returns, inflation, taxes and longevity.

Clients can link accounts through MX or Yodlee, and the integrations directory includes providers such as Redtail and Wealthbox. MoneyGuide says it does not collect or store Social Security, credit card or account numbers, and that client data is encrypted in transit using TLS. Its Richmond and disaster-recovery data centers are audited and certified annually to SOC 2 Type II. The important boundary is that MoneyGuide is non-transactional: clients cannot access, move or withdraw funds through it.

Pricing

MoneyGuide is paid, with custom pricing for the main product. The posted plans below have advisor- or user-based charges, so practices should account for seat counts and add-ons when comparing options. Applicable state and local taxes are extra.

MyBlocks Individual is the lower-cost starting point for an advisor who wants modular planning and prospecting tools; it is not the same bundle as the full MoneyGuide plan. The separately priced add-ons let practices pay for specific capabilities, but their per-user annual charges can add up across a team. MoneyGuide adds its named planning and analytics features, while Wealth Studios targets more detailed estate and high-net-worth planning. Platform bundles those products and Dash, making it the broadest posted option, but at a higher annual per-advisor price. No free plan is offered. The MyBlocks trial lasts 14 days, requires no credit card and expires automatically.

Platforms

MoneyGuide is web-based and supports Windows PCs, Apple Macs, iPads and iPhones. The listed platforms are web, Windows, macOS and iOS. That mix suits practices and clients working across desktop and Apple mobile devices, without requiring a native desktop application.

Who it's for

MoneyGuide is best suited to financial advisors who want structured goal planning, scenario analysis and a client portal in a collaborative workflow. Its broad planning coverage and account aggregation options are relevant to practices working across retirement, tax, insurance and estate questions. It is not the right choice when the primary need is for clients to execute transactions or withdraw funds from the planning app.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Goal-based, allocation and lifetime-income planning sit alongside retirement, tax, insurance, estate and Social Security tools, supporting varied client needs within one planning product.
• Pro: Online collaboration includes distinct view-only and update-all permissions, giving advisors a way to involve clients without granting every client the same level of control.
• Pro: MX and Yodlee account-linking options and a directory that includes Redtail and Wealthbox give practices multiple integration paths.
• Con: Clients cannot access, move or withdraw funds in MoneyGuide, so it cannot replace transactional account access.
• Con: The main MoneyGuide price is custom, and posted add-ons are charged per user annually; budgeting requires attention to both team size and selected modules.
• Con: Lifetime-income Monte Carlo simulations apply to a single income stream, a constraint for advisors who need that analysis across multiple streams.

Alternatives

For a different advisor-software shortlist, see Financial Advisor Software; for a planning-focused category, see Financial Planning Software.

• Conquest may suit US-based independent advisors and boutique firms, typically teams of 10 or fewer, who want a free waitlist option; its 14-day trial is upcoming.
• FinStak is worth considering for buyers who want a freemium product and Android support, rather than MoneyGuide’s paid-only model and listed iOS, macOS, web and Windows platforms.
• Xplan may fit firms that want to select a package and modules around business requirements and are prepared to contact Iress for pricing.
• AdvisorEngine CRM is a CRM alternative with all features and priority support in its annual-billed plan, which has a three-user minimum.
• Fin365 is another paid, web-based option with a free trial.
• Orion Portfolio Accounting may be a better fit for firms looking for a portfolio-accounting product with a Foundation plan starting at 13000.00 USD annually.
• eMoney Advisor is an alternative to consider for firms seeking cash-flow planning, CoPlanner, a client portal and account features, with pricing based on organizational needs.
• Investwell Mint may suit India-based buyers comparing an AUM-tied starting price of ₹25,000 a year for AUM up to 25 Cr.

Verdict

Choose MoneyGuide if you are an advisor who needs broad goal-centered planning, client collaboration and scenario tools, and you can work within custom pricing and a non-transactional system. Its strongest case is the combination of planning breadth and controlled client participation. Look elsewhere if clients need to move money in the same app or if a known core-product price is essential before you evaluate it.