The best financial planning software helps users reach their financial goals.

A financial plan is a roadmap that helps manage financial resources in a way that aligns with short-term and long-term goals. It can include a wide range of financial elements, but the best financial planning software should include:

1. Budget: A budget helps track income and expenses, and shows how much money will be available to save and invest.
2. Savings goals: Prioritize specific savings goals, such as a down payment on a house, a child’s education, or retirement.
3. Debt management: the best financial planning software should include methodology for debt reduction, such as credit card balances or student loans.
4. Interest cost reduction: closely related to debt management, the best financial planning software offers solutions to minimize interest costs.  
5. Cash flow planning: the best financial planning software takes into account cash flow planning that helps allocate discretionary income and questions discretionary expenses.
6. Retirement planning: every financial plan should include retirement planning.  The best financial planning software projects future retirement account balances based on modifying income and expense utilization over time.
7. Financial planning horizon: the best financial planning software should have a long planning horizon up to at least retirement age. For homeowners, the planning horizon should cover the time until the mortgage is paid off.
8. Financial checkpoints: the best financial planning software should have checkpoints that compare the projected goals at a point in time to actual financial metrics at that time.

Overall, a personal financial plan should be tailored to a user’s individual circumstances and goals. It’s imperative to review and update the plan regularly to make sure it continues to keep track of the actual financial situation and objectives.