What Are MFD Goal Reports?
MFD goal reports are client-facing reports that communicate the results and assumptions of financial-goal planning for Mutual Fund Distributors and their investors.
Goal planning and goal reporting are different parts of the workflow. Goal planning performs or supports the underlying analysis; a goal report presents supported planning outputs in a format that can be communicated to the client.
The specific contents and outputs of a goal report depend on the current MFDTools implementation.
Why Goal Reports Matter to MFDs
Structured goal reporting supports professional MFD client communication:
- Communicating financial goals: Present client objectives in a structured form.
- Presenting planning assumptions: Make the assumptions behind an illustration explicit.
- Explaining supported requirements: Show the analysis results in a client-facing format.
- Documenting planning outputs: Keep planning analysis in a reusable form.
- Structuring client meetings: Organise planning conversations around a common document.
- Communicating progress: Where supported, review goal progress over time.
- Explaining shortfalls: Where supported, discuss gaps between target and position.
A goal report communicates planning information and does not by itself determine investment suitability or guarantee outcomes.
What MFDTools Goal Reports Cover
MFDTools provides goal planning and client reporting capabilities within its MFD technology platform. The documented product architecture supports the following report concepts:
Documented
- Goal planning reports
- Progress reporting
- Shortfall reporting
Verify
- Specific report fields
- PDF output
- Branding
- Sharing
Not claimed
- Guaranteed outcomes
- Automatic suitability
- Predictive advice
The specific capabilities available depend on the current MFDTools implementation. Refer to the live product for exact report contents and outputs.
Goal Planning Reports
A goal-planning report may communicate supported information such as:
- The financial goal
- The target amount (where supported)
- The target date or horizon (where supported)
- Planning assumptions used in the analysis
- The relevant calculations produced by the planning tool
- The required investment (where supported)
- Projected values (where supported)
The actual fields included in the report depend on the current MFDTools implementation. Report layouts, values and terminology should be verified from the live product.
Explore MFD Goal PlanningGoal Progress and Shortfall Reporting
Progress and shortfall reporting examine how the client's position relates to their goal requirement:
A goal report communicates broader goal-planning information. A shortfall report focuses specifically on a gap between a goal requirement and the relevant position. Both are reporting concepts; the specific implementation determines exactly which information is available in each.
The existence of shortfall reporting as a related entity does not mean every goal report is a shortfall report.
What a Goal Report Can Contain
Depending on the current MFDTools implementation, a goal report may include one or more of the following elements:
| Element | Status |
|---|---|
| Financial goal | Verify against implementation |
| Target amount | Verify against implementation |
| Target date | Verify against implementation |
| Planning assumptions | Verify against implementation |
| Required investment | Verify against implementation |
| Projected value | Verify against implementation |
| Goal progress | Verify against implementation |
| Shortfall | Verify against implementation |
| Charts / tables | Verify against implementation |
| PDF output | Verify against implementation |
| Branding | Verify against implementation |
| Sharing | Verify against implementation |
Report elements are defined by the current MFDTools implementation. Refer to the live product for the actual report contents.
How Goal Reports Fit Into the MFD Workflow
Conceptually, goal reports sit within the MFD client workflow as the client-facing output of goal-planning analysis:
- 1Client goal — the financial objective to be planned.
- 2Goal planning — the underlying planning/calculation process.
- 3Planning assumptions — the inputs and assumptions used in the analysis.
- 4Goal analysis — the results and outputs produced by the planning tool.
- 5Goal report — the client-facing output presenting supported information.
- 6Client discussion — reviewing the report together with the client.
Conceptual workflow. The actual sequence and degree of automation depend on the current MFDTools implementation.
Turning Goal Analysis Into a Client Conversation
A structured goal report can help an MFD guide a client discussion around:
- The client's objective and priorities
- The assumptions behind the planning analysis
- What the analysis illustrates about the goal
- Identified gaps or areas requiring review
- How changing assumptions affects the illustration
A report presents planning information and calculations based on stated assumptions. It should not be presented as personalized investment advice or as a guarantee of any outcome.
Goal Reports vs Goal Planning
Goal planning and goal reporting are distinct parts of the workflow:
| Goal Planning | Goal Reports |
|---|---|
| Performs/supports planning | Communicates planning output |
| Inputs and assumptions | Client-facing presentation |
| Calculation workflow | Report/output |
| Analysis | Communication |
Goal Reports vs Shortfall Reports
Goal reports communicate broader goal-planning information. Shortfall reports focus specifically on a gap between a goal requirement and the relevant position.
Both support client communication, but they address different questions. A shortfall report is a focused view; a goal report is the broader reporting layer.
MFD Shortfall ReportsGoal Reports vs MFD Client Reporting
MFD goal reports are a specific report entity focused on financial goals. MFD client reporting is the broader reporting ecosystem within which goal reports sit.
MFD Client ReportingGoal Reports vs Generic PDF / Document Creation
MFDTools goal reports are positioned around:
They are not a generic document-creation tool. The value comes from the underlying goal-planning analysis, which produces supported planning outputs that can be presented to a client.
How MFDs Can Use Goal Reports
Initial goal discussions
Introduce and structure a client's financial objective.
Financial-planning presentations
Communicate supported planning outputs during client planning conversations.
Client review meetings
Present relevant goal information in a structured form during regular reviews.
Explaining assumptions
Make the assumptions behind an illustration easier to discuss with the client.
Communicating planning outcomes
Turn planning analysis into a client-facing deliverable.
MFD Goal Reports Within the Broader MFDTools Platform
Goal reports are one capability within the broader MFDTools environment. Related capabilities include:
MFD Goal Reports — Quick Answers
What is an MFD goal report?
An MFD goal report is a client-facing report that communicates supported financial-goal planning results and assumptions for a Mutual Fund Distributor and their investor.
What can an MFD goal report contain?
Depending on the implementation, a goal report may present supported goal information, assumptions, planning results, progress or shortfall information.
Can MFDTools create goal-planning reports?
MFDTools provides goal planning and client reporting capabilities within its MFD technology platform. Specific report capabilities are defined by the current implementation.
What is the difference between goal planning and goal reporting?
Goal planning performs or supports the underlying financial analysis, while goal reporting presents supported planning outputs in a client-facing format.
What is the difference between a goal report and a shortfall report?
A goal report communicates broader goal-planning information, while a shortfall report focuses specifically on a gap between a goal requirement and the relevant position.
Can goal reports be shared with clients?
Goal reports communicate planning information and can support client discussions where the relevant sharing functionality is implemented in the product.
Can MFDTools generate PDF goal reports?
Where PDF generation is implemented for the relevant report type, goal reports may be produced as client-facing documents. The exact output formats depend on the current implementation.
Can MFD goal reports be branded?
Where branding functionality is supported by the relevant report output, MFDs may present reports with their own branding. The exact branding controls depend on the implementation.
How do goal reports help MFDs?
They can help MFDs structure and communicate supported goal-planning information during client discussions, making planning assumptions and outcomes easier to review together.
Are MFD goal reports investment advice?
A report presents planning information and calculations based on stated assumptions; it should not be represented as a guarantee or standalone determination of investment suitability.