Comparing Scenarios
The Compare Page lets you overlay multiple scenarios on the same charts, view delta (difference) against a baseline, and compare key metrics side by side.
Opening the Compare Page
Section titled “Opening the Compare Page”- From the Projection Shell, click Compare Scenarios in the toolbar
- Direct URL:
http://localhost:8010/compare.html - Deep-link with URL params:
compare.html?a=scenario_a&b=scenario_b&mode=deterministic
Selecting Scenarios
Section titled “Selecting Scenarios”- Click scenario chips at the top of the page to toggle them on/off
- At least two scenarios must be selected for the comparison to render
- The first selected scenario is treated as the baseline for delta calculations
- Switch between Deterministic, Historical, and Monte Carlo modes using the mode selector
What You See
Section titled “What You See”Total Net Worth Chart
Section titled “Total Net Worth Chart”Overlays each scenario’s net worth trajectory on a single chart. Each scenario gets a stable colour:
- Blue — first selected scenario
- Red — second scenario
- Purple — third scenario
- (More colours cycle for additional scenarios)
Investable Portfolio Chart
Section titled “Investable Portfolio Chart”Same overlay comparison, but showing only investable assets (taxable, traditional IRA, Roth) — excluding cash and home equity.
Net Worth Delta Chart
Section titled “Net Worth Delta Chart”Shows the difference between each non-baseline scenario and the baseline. This is useful for answering questions like “How much more would I have at retirement if I started contributing earlier?” or “What’s the cost of retiring two years later?”
KPI Table
Section titled “KPI Table”Side-by-side metrics for each selected scenario:
| Metric | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Starting Net Worth | Year-0 net worth |
| Net Worth at Retirement | Net worth in the retirement year of the first-retiring person |
| Retirement Age | Age at retirement |
| End Net Worth | Net worth at the end of the projection |
| Ending Year | The final year of the projection |
Rows are highlighted with green (positive) or red (negative) delta indicators showing how each scenario differs from the baseline.
Monte Carlo Mode
Section titled “Monte Carlo Mode”When viewing Monte Carlo mode, additional metrics appear:
| Metric | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Probability of Success | % of simulations that don’t fail |
| Worst-Decile Terminal NW | The 10th percentile ending net worth |
| P10 / P25 / P50 / P75 / P90 | Terminal net worth percentile bands |
| Peak Failure Rate | Highest % of simulations failing in a single year |
| Median First Failure | The earliest year where failure occurs in the median case |
- The compare page reads sidecar CSV data, so scenarios must have been rendered at least once with the current version
- Use Deterministic mode for cleanest comparison between scenarios — random variation in Monte Carlo can obscure small differences
- Both Sample A and Sample B are designed as an A/B comparison pair
- Deep-link a specific comparison via URL:
compare.html?a=scenario_a&b=scenario_b&mode=deterministic