How the Engine Works

Three layers build on each other. Every strategy sees the full picture. Two complete projections — Base and Strategic — show exactly what your advice is worth.

Three Layers, One Projection

Your client's data flows through three layers — each one builds on the one before it. The result is a year-by-year projection from today through life expectancy.

1

Foundation

WHAT YOU HAVE

  • Portfolio growth across tax-free, tax-deferred, and taxable accounts
  • Income streams — wages, Social Security, pensions, investments
  • Contributions, deductions, and basis tracking
  • Automatic RMDs, inflation indexing, survivor transitions
2

Tax Engine

WHAT YOU OWE

  • Federal tax brackets with automatic inflation adjustments
  • Capital gains netting (IRS ordering rules, carryforwards)
  • FICA, NIIT, AMT, IRMAA, and state taxes
  • Standard vs. itemized deduction optimization with SALT caps
3

Strategy Pipeline

WHAT YOU CHANGE

  • Strategies applied in sequence — each sees the output of the one before
  • Advisor-controlled execution order via drag-and-drop
  • Strategies interact — Roth conversions see your withdrawal plan, harvesting sees your conversion
  • One coordinated result, not isolated modules

Every Projection Runs Twice

Base case shows the “do nothing” path. Strategic case shows the impact of your coordinated strategies. The difference is what your advice is worth.

Base Case

No strategies applied

Starting Position

Roth IRA$500,000Traditional IRA$800,000Annual Wages$150,000

Year 2040 Projection

Portfolio$1,200,000Federal Tax$28,500Effective Rate17.3%

Lifetime Taxes

$892,000

Strategic Case

4 strategies applied

Strategies Applied (in order)

1Roth conversions — $50K/yr, ages 62–72
2Structured withdrawals — tax-optimized
3Charitable QCDs — $15K/yr after 70½
4Deduction bunching — alternate years

Year 2040 Projection

Portfolio$1,350,000Federal Tax$19,200Effective Rate12.8%

Lifetime Taxes

$745,000

Lifetime Tax Savings from Coordinated Strategies

Each strategy saw the impact of every strategy before it — not modeled in isolation

$147,000

NPV: $89,420

What This Means for Your Clients

Higher Taxes Can Be the Right Move

Roth conversions increase this year's taxes — on purpose. Accelerating income into lower brackets now can save hundreds of thousands in taxes later. Tax optimization means paying the right amount at the right time, not the least amount every year.

Strategies Interact — Order Matters

A Roth conversion that runs after structured withdrawals sees a different tax picture than one that runs before. Stratum models these interactions explicitly. You control the order and see how it changes the outcome.

Every Number Is Traceable

Summary says $147K in savings? Drill into the year-by-year tax projection. See the bracket detail. Walk from the headline number down to the individual line item. If an advisor can't trace a number, they won't present it. Stratum makes every result auditable.

Lifetime Burden, Not Annual Bill

A single-year snapshot can make a good strategy look bad. Stratum projects from today through life expectancy — nominal and NPV — so you and your client see the full arc of what every decision means over time.

See It With Your Own Clients

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