The learning arc
How the five guides build on each other
Step 1
Where to put it
Tax wrappers, ISAs, pensions, GIAs — the containers and their rules
Step 2
What to put in it
Investment construction, diversification, risk, cost, active vs passive
Step 3
Will it last?
Decumulation, withdrawal rates, risk of ruin, sequence-of-returns
Step 4
How to model it
Cash flow modelling, lifetime planning, assumptions, scenarios
Step 5
What kind of support do I need?
Self-direction vs guided session — understanding where you are
The guides can be read in any order, but the sequence above reflects the natural progression — from the mechanics of where money sits, through how it grows, through whether it lasts, to how to model it and finally how to decide what support is right for you.
Box Theory series
Three guides — best read in order
Box Theory · Guide 1 of 3
The Box Theory
Introduces the concept of tax-efficient wrappers — ISAs, pensions, and general investment accounts — and explains why the container matters as much as its contents. Covers the Box Complexity Measure (BCM™) as a framework for understanding how complex your existing tax wrapper position is.
Box Theory · Guide 2 of 3
What Goes in the Box?
Moves inside the wrapper to explore investment construction principles. The guide begins with the insight your grandmother probably already knew — don't put all your eggs in one basket — and builds from there through diversification, asset classes, correlation, the impact of costs, and the active vs passive debate. Includes live interactive calculators.
Box Theory · Guide 3 of 3
Will It Last?
Addresses the shift from accumulation to decumulation — where the planning questions change fundamentally. Introduces risk of ruin, sustainable withdrawal rates, and the sequence-of-returns effect. Asks the question nobody asks until it's too late: not how much will I have, but will it be enough, for long enough? Includes live risk-of-ruin modelling.
Standalone guides
Planning frameworks that sit alongside the series
Planning framework
The Cash Flow Framework
How cash flow modelling works and how to read a lifetime model
Explains the mechanics and purpose of cash flow modelling as a planning tool — how a lifetime model is constructed, what the key assumptions are, how to read and interpret the output, and how scenario analysis helps explore decisions without making them for you. Foundation reading before a guided session.
Guidance framework
Door A or Door B?
Understanding whether self-direction or guided support is right for you
Helps you think through where you are in your financial education journey and what kind of support is most useful right now. Door A is self-directed — using the free tools independently to build knowledge at your own pace. Door B is guided — working with an educator when your situation has complexity that benefits from structured support.
Want to go deeper than the guides?
The guided Money Lifemap session uses the full cash flow modelling suite alongside an educator — working through your own figures, your own scenarios, with a second brain alongside you. The guides are the preparation; the session is where it comes to life.