Cinderfi — Retirement Planning Tools

Tax-aware retirement planning for Canada and the US. 19 tools covering projections, government benefits, tax calculations, simulators, and optimization.

MCP server: https://mcp.cinderfi.com/mcp Auth: Authorization: Bearer <api-key> — get a key at https://cinderfi.com/mcp Free tier: 5 calls/day. Pro: unlimited + couples + Monte Carlo + optimizer.

When to use which tool

User shares financial data (YNAB, bank summary, account balances)

Always start with map_financial_data to convert freeform data into structured inputs, then pass the result to run_full_analysis.

map_financial_data → run_full_analysis

"What's my retirement outlook?" / "Am I on track?"

Use run_full_analysis — runs projection + score + insights in one call.

"What's my Cinder Score?" / "How ready am I for retirement?"

Use calculate_score.

"What are the red flags in my plan?" / "What should I fix first?"

Use generate_insights — returns actionable insights with severity ratings.

"What if I retire at 60 vs 65 vs 70?" / "What if markets are bad?"

Use compare_scenarios (Pro) — accepts 1–4 named override objects and returns a side-by-side comparison table.

CPP timing questions (Canada)

Use calculate_cpp_timing — compares CPP at every age 60–70 with lifetime totals, breakeven ages, and OAS coordination.

Social Security timing questions (US)

Use calculate_ss_timing — compares SS at 62–70 with FRA breakeven and taxation thresholds.

"What's the tax on withdrawing $X from my RRSP / IRA?"

Use calculate_tax — single-year income tax for any province or state.

"What does a $60k car / $500/month subscription do to my retirement?"

Use simulate_purchase — models one-time or recurring expenses against the full projection.

"I got a $100k inheritance / bonus — where should it go?"

Use simulate_windfall — optimally allocates across accounts (employer match → TFSA/Roth → FHSA/HSA → RRSP/IRA → non-reg) with RRSP tax refund estimate.

"Am I eligible for GIS?" (Canada)

Use calculate_gis — GIS eligibility, clawback breakdown, and provincial supplement.

"Should I do an RRSP meltdown?" / "Roth conversion strategy?"

Use calculate_meltdown — bracket-fill strategy with year-by-year drawdown schedule.

"What's my success rate?" / "Will my money last?"

Use run_monte_carlo (Pro) — probabilistic success rate with percentile outcomes.

"What's the best withdrawal strategy to minimize taxes?"

Use optimize_withdrawal_order (Pro) — tests CPP/SS timing × meltdown × withdrawal order combinations.

"Would my plan have survived the 2008 crash / Great Depression?"

Use run_backtest (Pro) — tests against every historical market window since 1871 (Shiller data).

"Should we split pension income?" (Canada couples)

Use optimize_pension_split (Pro) — sweeps 0–50% split to find the tax-minimizing combination.

Recommended workflow for new users

1. Ask the user for their financial situation (or let them paste a YNAB export / account summary)
2. Call map_financial_data to convert it to structured inputs
3. Call run_full_analysis with those inputs for a complete picture
4. Use generate_insights to surface the top optimization opportunities
5. Use specific tools (simulators, timing tools) to answer follow-up questions
6. For Pro users: use compare_scenarios to compare options side-by-side

Key input fields

All projection tools share a common input schema. Minimum required:

{
  "country": "CA",
  "region": "ON",
  "person1": {
    "birthYear": 1975,
    "retirementAge": 65,
    "lifeExpectancy": 90,
    "employmentIncome": 90000,
    "rrsp": 150000,
    "tfsa": 40000,
    "nonReg": 10000
  },
  "annualSpending": 60000
}

For US, use region = state code (e.g. "TX") and person1.ira instead of rrsp, person1.rothIra instead of tfsa.

If the user doesn't have all fields, use map_financial_data first — it fills in sensible defaults and estimates missing values from income.

Notes

• All monetary values are in local currency (CAD for Canada, USD for US)
• Country strategy is automatic — tax brackets, benefit rules, and account types adapt to country + region
• hasPartner: true enables couples mode (Pro only)
• Tool responses include a _cinderfi footer with the interactive planner URL for users who want to explore visually