Financial Compass Quick Start Guide

From UngerKnowledgeBase

Financial Compass Help > Financial Compass Quick Start Guide

This document takes you through the basics of using Financial Compass. After completing the steps in this guide, you should have a good idea about how to use Financial compass. You might find it helpful to print out this guide as a reference when completing steps within Financial Compass.

Before You Begin...

Before you begin you need to make sure that you can launch Financial Compass and login successfully. If you are using the Online Version of Financial Compass you need to open and instance of your web browser, goto the Financial Compass Login page, and then enter your Username and Password. If you are using the Desktop Version of Financial Compass you need to download and run the setup file for Financial Compass, then launch the program, and then enter your Username and Password.

For additional information or assistance with how to launch and login to Financial Compass, please contact your System Administrator or a Customer Support Representative at Financial Guidance Solutions.

Step 1. Create a New Client File

When you login to Financial Compass the Home Page is shown. To create a new a client click the Create a new client button on this screen.

Step 2. Select the Goal(s) for the Analysis

When you create a new client (or open an existing client) the first data entry screen that is shown is Your Goals. On this screen is a list of check-boxes. Each box identifies an area of importance to your client. Check the boxes that you want to include in the analysis, and then click the Next button at the bottom of the screen.

• Tip: The Next button acts a save and the Back button will act as a cancel button and not save information currently entered.

Step 3. Enter Personal Information

After you have selected the goals for the client's analysis (and clicked the Next button), Financial Compass will load the Personal Information screen. Enter the names and dates of birth for the client, co-client and children in the analysis. The names entered in this screen will appear throughout the data entry screens, analysis screens and reports. The birth dates entered here will determine time-based events in each planning module, such as how many years before the client reaches retirement age, or when a child’s college expense begins.

• Note, the fields to enter information about children will only appear when the Survivor Needs or College Funding goal is selected on the previous screen.

Optionally you can click the Contact Information link to access a screen where you can enter contact information. This information is not critical for the analysis but will appear on the title page of the reports, and is retained in the client file for reference purposes.

When you are finished entering Personal Information click the Next button to save this information and move to the next screen.

Step 4. Enter Client Data for the Analysis

After you have entered personal information, Financial Compass will load a set of data entry screens that are related to the goals of the analysis. To enter client data for the analysis, you need to review the data fields on each screen, and then enter client data. When you are finished entering data on a particular screen, click the Next button on the bottom of the screen to save the information and continue on. If at any time you want to return to the previous screen, click the Back button.

Step 5. Review the Results of the Analysis

After you have finished entering client information, the Analysis screen is shown. This is the first screen that displays results of the analysis. Use the Next button to view the results of the analysis in order, or click the button to zoom-in on a particular part of the analysis.

Step 6. Print a Report

When you are ready to print a report of the client's analysis, click the Reports button in the Navigation Bar to access the Reports Menu. You can also access this screen by clicking the Next button to move through all of the screens in the Analysis section. The options on this screen let you select the pages and sections that are included in the client's report, the order that the pages are shown, and the format of page numbers, colors and more.

To print a comprehensive a report that includes all available sections, click Show All, then Select All and then Include. To pick and choose the pages in the report, click on the pages in the left list-box then click Include.

After you have selected the pages that are in your report, you can modify the order of the pages by clicking on the page in the right list-box and then the Move Up and Move Down buttons. You can also select the format of the page numbers, printer type - color or black and white - and adjust the date shown on the report title page.

When you are ready to generate the report click the Print/Preview button at the bottom of the screen. Financial Compass will generate the report and display the results in a separate pop-up window. In the pop-up window are options that you can use to review the report on-screen, send the report to your printer, and save the report in a .pdf file format for email and archive purposes.

If the pop-up window does not appear when you print/preview the report, you may have a Pop-Up Blocker or Firewall that is preventing its display. If this is the case, you may want to review your settings to allow the pop-up window to appear successfully.