I like using the consumptions smoothing feature. But I'm unsure how to model scheduled/mandatory contributions to taxable accounts as an expense like I can with pre-tax and Roth accounts. If seems I must be missing something. For example, suppose consumption smoothing shows I can spend $50,000 each year based on all the other assumptions. But what if I want to see what happens if I devote $25,000 of that spending for 5 years towards investments instead? For now I've just been including that extra as an after-tax contribution to a retirement account, but of course that does not lead to the correct tax treatment.
@stkeros Here's one way to do it: Since the consumption smoothing algorithm has apparently made you aware that you could spend an additional $50K, you could then disable consumption smoothing (set the spending strategy to "specified expenses only") and define a $25K expense for the next five years on the Miscellaneous expenses page, raising it to $50K in year 6. That will effectively leave a $25K surplus each year for the next five years and that will be deposited in your cash account and/or regular taxable account, depending on the cash ceiling setting.
Stuart
