Introduction to FINANCIAL AUTHORITY, Version 1.2b Shareware, freely distributable Contact (e-mail): cbutton@halcyon.com (C) Copyright 1994-96 by Conrad Button's Software TABLE OF CONTENTS SUBJECT PAGE NUMBER --------------------------------------------------------- Installation ....................................... 2 Overview ........................................... 3 Limited Warranty ................................... 9 Copyright & Registration ........................... 10 Page 2 INSTALLATION WARNING: You must have a copy of VBRUN300.DLL in your WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory before proceeding with this installation! If you do not have this file, download it from HTTP://WWW.HALCYON.COM/CBUTTON/WELCOME. Your diskette contains a SETUP program which will automatically install all of the files and libraries on your hard drive. To install FINANCIAL AUTHORITY: 1. From the Windows Program Manager select FILE, then select RUN. 2. Type and Enter A:SETUP (or B:SETUP). SETUP will then run. It will expand all of the compressed files on the diskette and place them in their correct directories. A new FINANCIAL AUTHORITY Program Group and its icon will be added to Program Manager. If the following error message should occur during SETUP: "Cannot copy file XXXX.XXX" where XXXX.XXX is any file name such as DDEML.DLL, VER.DLL, MMSYSTEM.DLL, etc. then, CLOSE ALL PROGRAMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING BEFORE YOU RUN SETUP (only Program Manager should be running)! Then run SETUP. Should this fail to solve the problem, delete the current version of "XXXX.XX" and then run SETUP again. OVERVIEW Page 3 FINANCIAL AUTHORITY is a financial analysis program which contains seven investment modules: 1. Loan Amortization - The options for a fixed rate loan include: required monthly payment, amount which can be borrowed, highest affordable interest rate, true interest when points are charged, years required to repay loan, balloon payments, accelerated payments (both interim or for the duration of the loan). A schedule (monthly or annual) for cumulative interest paid, principal paid, and remaining balance can be printed to the screen and to a printer. A graph of Remaining Loan Balance versus Years can also be displayed and printed. 2. Annuity - The options for an immediate annuity (withdrawals start immediately and continue until the annuity is depleted) include: income, required amount, life of the annuity, rate of interest earned. An annualized schedule of interest earned and remaining balance can be printed to the screen and to a printer. A graph of Amount Remaining in the Annuity versus Years can also be displayed and printed. OVERVIEW (continued) Page 4 3. Fixed and Periodic Investments Fixed Investment Growth - Options for a lump sum investment include: value of investment at maturity, required initial investment, years required to reach goal, or interest rate required (the interest can be compounded daily, monthly, quarterly, semiannually or annually). Comparisons of tax free, taxed deferred, and fully taxed investments can also be performed. Periodic Investment Growth - Investments can be made weekly, biweekly, monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or annually. Options include: value of all investments at maturity, required periodic investments, years required to reach goal, required interest rate; interest can be compounded daily, monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or annually. Diversified portfolios in which fixed or periodic investments are made can be evaluated. Annualized schedules of interest earned and current values can be printed to the screen and to a printer. Graphs of total investment value versus years can also be displayed and printed. OVERVIEW (continued) Page 5 4. U.S. EE Bonds - The options for EE savings bonds include: create or edit a file of currently owned EE Bonds (serial numbers, denomination, and purchase date); evaluate your savings bond portfolio (current or future value) based on U.S. Treasury guaranteed minimum interest rates; print (to screen and printer) your portfolio of bonds, including minimum value of each bond and a total minimum value for the entire portfolio. The minimum total value of your portfolio may be projected over any future time period (e.g., the values between 1995 and 2005). This projection may be displayed as a data table or as a graph, on your screen and on your printer. 5. Mutual Fund Analysis - Evaluates the performance of a mutual fund over a user-specified time period. Three measures of performance are produced: a. Growth of Annual $1000 Investments b. Growth of an Initial $10,000 Investment c. Average Annual Compounded Return Page 6 Data, readily obtainable from the mutual fund's prospectus, is entered by the user and then analyzed to generate the performance measures for each year of the desired time period. Output may be directed to the screen and to a printer. A graph of each of the three performance measures versus years can also be displayed and printed. 6. Retirement Planning - Inflation during your retirement years must be considered in your retirement planning. This program allows you to test various rates of inflation to determine the lump sum investment that you will need at retirement, the amount that you can withdraw each year from an anticipated pool of money, and the number of years until your investments are depleted. A schedule, showing your required income, annual withdrawals, remaining balance, and interest earned, may be printed to the screen and on a printer. A graph of the remaining balance versus years can also be displayed and printed. Page 7 7. Assets Database - A database of your current assets (e.g., stocks, bonds, CD's, etc.), number of shares, and share prices can be created and saved for future reference. Total values for each asset, portfolio percentages, and total value of the entire database can be calculated, printed, and displayed graphically as either pie or bar charts. ** ADDITIONAL TOOLS ** 1. GRAPHICAL PLOTS may be displayed for any schedule. Pie and bar graphs for your portfolios or current assets can also be displayed. All graphs may be printed or copied to the Windows Clipboard. 2. A pop-up MATH CALCULATOR allows you to perform simple arithmetic calculations (+, -, x, /, %). 3. A pop-up DATE INTERVAL CALCULATOR allows you to determine the number of days, the number of weeks, the number of months, and the number of years between any two selected dates. Page 8 4. A PERPETUAL CALENDAR may be displayed and optionally printed. 5. A COPY TO CLIPBOARD option is available on all schedules printed to your screen. Highlight all or a portion of the displayed schedule, select "Copy" from the FILE Menu, and the selected text can then later be pasted into any other Windows application (e.g., Word for Windows, WordPerfect for Windows, Windows Write, Charisma, etc.). Any graphical plot may also be copied to the Clipboard. 6. EXAMPLE CALCULATIONS are just a mouse click away; they may be viewed by simply clicking on the word "Example". ******* LIMITED WARRANTY ******* Page 9 If a damaged disk has been received from Conrad Button's Software, the Purchaser may obtain a replacement disk providing the damaged disk is returned to Conrad Button's Software within thirty days of the invoice date. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED ABOVE, CONRAD BUTTON'S SOFTWARE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND ACCURACY OF CALCULATED OUTPUTS, WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, THE PURCHASER ASSUMES THE RISK OF PAYING THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION AND ANY INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT WILL CONRAD BUTTON'S SOFTWARE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION AND THE LIKE) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE THIS PRODUCT EVEN IF CONRAD BUTTON'S SOFTWARE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. Use of this product for any period of time constitutes your acceptance of this agreement and subjects you to its contents. Page 10 COPYRIGHT and REGISTRATION FINANCIAL AUTHORITY is (C) Copyright 1994-96 by Conrad Button's Software. If you are not a registered user, a registration fee of $25.00 (U.S. funds) should be sent to: Conrad Button's Software 20230 Lake Riley Rd. Arlington, WA 98223 You will be receive a personalized copy of the latest registered version. PLEASE USE THE REGISTRATION FORM ON THE NEXT PAGE. ** Site Licenses are available, please contact us for details. ** ------------------------------------------------------------------ Conrad Button's Software, 20230 Lake Riley Rd, Arlington, Wa 98223 Please register me as a user of FINANCIAL AUTHORITY. Send me the latest REGISTERED version. I enclose payment of $25.00 (U.S. Funds). NO Credit Cards are accepted. Foreign orders add $1.00 for postage. (This program requires a 3.5" HIGH DENSITY diskette drive.) Name ___________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ I received the ShareWare version of FINANCIAL AUTHORITY from: CONRAD BUTTON'S SOFTWARE (http://halcyon.com/cbutton/welcome) Press to print this form.