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Release Notes for Version 8.03 Build 362, released March 28, 2006

This release introduces a streamlined layout for residences, and the ability to have downpayment no longer affect current year after-tax cash. We also made numerous enhancements and fixes to financial data screens, reports, negotiation screens, tax calculations, and state financial forms.

Financial Data Screens

1. Residences.

1. We have introduced a new layout for residences, which is streamlined and simplified, without losing any data fields.
    
2. A downpayment on a new residence no longer affects after-tax cash in that year. Downpayments are deducted directly from assets. The place to see this play out is on the Accumulated Savings report.
    
3. We now offer an option to decrement the asset value for expenses of sale
    
4. If a monthly mortgage amount, but not a balance is entered, the numbers now flow to the expense totals. Previously, we did not recognize the mortgage until a balance was entered.
    
5. If you were using the "appreciation method" to calculate separate property in the residence, and you went back and forth among methods and amounts, the software could have lost track of the separate property amount. That has been fixed.

2. Cash & Investments.

1. We brought "Tax Basis" to the top Cash & Investments screen.
    
2. We relabeled the columns on the top screen to clarify, first, that the tax category relates only to the interest/divident/rent annual cash return, and that what we called the "rate of growth" was better known as "appreciation."

3. Wages.

1. We made it easier to switch between the two methods. Whenever you type in a field, the method updates to "level" or "jumps and declines," depending on where you typed.
    
2. If the "jumps and declines" method applies, a note to that effect will appear on the top Wages screen.

4. Major expenses. If a number has been entered for major expenses, but no start year or number of years, we now default values for start year (current year) and number of years (all years).

5. Debt. It is now possible to say, "just pay it all off" in the current year if you have selected a partial year for program calculations.

6. Living Expenses. Now, when you delete a field, the field will be blank instead of zeros. This means that the printouts will look better.

7. IRA/401(k)

1. We combined screens in a way that emphasizes and clarifies that you have to enter a birthdate in order for IRA distributions to be calculated.
    
2. We clarified that " minimum required distribution" is the default distribution option.

8. Pensions.

1. We added two new tables, UP-94 and IRS Rev Rul 2001-62, and clarified the help texts with respect to selecting a table.
    
2. When using an appraisal firm value, the marital portion was not updating correctly based on an override of the coverture fraction. That has been fixed.
    
3. On the Lawyer tab:

1. i. We added the fields with Plan Retirement Age info, to allow pension for person who is already retired (feel free to present this more nicely).
2. ii. We added the interest rate field.
3. iii. We added a link for an audit trail
4. iv. We added help texts
5. v. We clarified by moving the date fields to the section of data that only needs to be entered if the plan is being calculated.

Tax Calculations

1. Indiana. We updated the tax rate to 4.1%.

2. Taxes. The Child Credit had been stopping one year late, for children age 18 instead of for children age 17. That has been corrected.

3. In the state of Pennsylvania, we refined our estimation of state tax so that income from social security, alimony and retirement benefits are excluded for purposes of the state income tax calculation.

Reports

1. Accumulated Savings Report. The Accumulated Savings report has been rewritten in a way that perhaps is more clear.

2. Major expenses Report. On the Major Expenses report, a number that gave the discounted present value of the stream of expenses was discounting incorrectly. That has been fixed.

Negotiation Screens

1. Alimony Calculator.

1. To simplify this screen, we removed the option to calculate the amount of alimony needed to reach a desired after-tax cash amount.
2. On the Expanded Report, we added lines for "Net Income Before Payments," "Child Support as % of Net Income Before Payments," and "Alimony as % of Net Income Before Payments."

2. Alimony Tax Savings. We now show the after-tax cost of alimony for each party

3. Scenarios. We removed the "Asset" related fields for new files. Now, the Scenarios is for Income and Expense only, which makes it simpler to use and understand.

State Financial Forms

1. New York Net Worth Statement.

1. Totals at the bottom of the forms were not updating when you shifted spouses. That has been fixed.
    
2. Separate debt totals were not adding up properly. That has been fixed.
    
3. We added extra lines for education & health expenses.
    
4. We made clearer that Expense line (k) Nursery/Pre-school, not babysitting, counts as day care for tax and guideline purposes.
    
5. We added the ability to add footnotes to "other expense" lines.
    
6. We added the ability to add notes of any kind at the end of each section (Family Data, Income, Expense, Asset, Liability, etc.).
    
7. We modified the "expense" page when printing to shift the numbers to the right hand edge of the page, so there is more room for footnotes and other text.
    
8. We improved the layout of "cars" section.
    
9. We improved page break between header and data. Now we will keep those together more effectively.

2. Pennsylvania.

1. Child support was looking to next year's filing status to calculate taxes. It now correctly looks to the current year.

3. New Jersey Case Information Statement

1. We added four additional forms. Confidential Litigant Information Sheet, Certificate of Insurance, Statement for County Probation Division, Summary of Prior/Pending Family Actions.
    
2. On the CIS, it is now possible to be both a renter and homeowner at the same time.
    
3. If "plaintiff and defendant" are not specified, then we leave the "plaintiff and defendant" off the header box
    
4. We added the option to make the "Joint" column be the same as the current column.
    
5. We added a data entry field for "race" on the forms.

4. Rhode Island DR6

1. We fixed lines 57-59, where amount was total rather than annual for year 1. Also we made those lines overrideable.
    
2. We added "Do NOT include debt on affidavit" X-box selection.

Miscellaneous

1. Florida Child Support Guidelines. For Health Insurance, we set it as a default that we will calculate insurance, and we calculate the number of people to whom insurance applies.

2. KeyCodes. If you lose your KeyCode it is now possible to request it from us by e-mail, or to have your KeyCode loaded directly into your software. Click the Home tab, then "Enter KeyCode."

3. General data entry. Now, when you do not press <Enter> in a field but switch screens, we will save the item you were entering.





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