How to Add a Rule

Rules allow you to manipulate Accounts and Properties within a Scenario. Since Rules can be used for a variety of diverse activities, here we will focus on how to add a basic Rule to a Scenario. Elsewhere, we will go into detail on different types of Rules.

So, let’s look at how to add a Rule now.

Login

First, you need to be logged in to the Real Estate Financial Planner™ software.

Go To The Rules Page

Next, click on the link to access the Rules page.

Add New Rule

From the Rules page, click on the Add New Rule button.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If the button to create a new Rule is disabled because you have exceeded the number of Rules you can have in your planner, you will need to delete one or more Rules before you can add more. If you’d like to increase the number of Scenarios, Accounts, Properties, Rules and Goals you can have in your planner consider looking into Premium.

Configure Rule

Once you’ve added the Rule, you will need to configure it. The first step in doing this is to select which type of Rule it is.

After you select the type of Rule, it will ask you to configure the specific options for that type of Rule (which we will mostly cover elsewhere). However, there are a few things that are common to just about every Rule.

Rule Start Date and Rule End Date

Rules can be set to run for:

  • A single month
  • A range of months
  • The entire Scenario

To have the Rule run for a single month, select the month you want it to run as both the Rule Start Date and Rule End Date. If the dates are the same, the Rule will run just for that date only.

To have the Rule run for a range of months, select the month you want the Rule to start running as the Rule Start Date. Then, select the month you want the Rule to stop running as the Rule End Date.

And finally, if you want the Rule to run for every month in the entire Scenario, leave the Rule Start Date and Rule End Date blank.

Apply the Rule to a Scenario

Rules can be universally applied to all Scenarios or to just a single Scenario.

For the Apply this Rule to the following Scenarios field, you can select either All Scenarios or any Scenario you’ve already made in your planner.

Important note for Premium users, for organizational purposes, you will only see the Scenarios in your current Folder. This is intended to make it easier to group and find Scenarios, Accounts, Properties, Rules and Goals.

Rules

Rules are powerful and can be complicated to use. Check out other resources we have related to Rules to learn more.

Adding To Scenarios

Rules interact with Accounts and Properties, so you may want to learn more about how to add these to your Scenarios as well.

2 thoughts on “How to Add a Rule”

  1. Hi! After exploring your website a year ago and recently diving into my own spreadsheets, I’ve realized your website and tools are awesome! I’m very excited to dive in further.

    One thing I just noticed with regards to rules: when applying a paycheck rule to “all scenarios”, it does not apply–there is no incoming payments into the default cash account. I fixed this by applying the rule to my one scenario. Am I missing something or is this a bug? Thanks again for the great tool you have here.

    Reply
    • Hi Kyle…

      > Hi! After exploring your website a year ago and recently diving into my own spreadsheets, I’ve realized your website and tools are awesome!

      Glad you’re enjoying them. I like them too. 🙂

      > I’m very excited to dive in further.

      Excellent!

      > One thing I just noticed with regards to rules: when applying a paycheck rule to “all scenarios”, it does not apply–there is no incoming payments into the default cash account.

      Let me ask a few questions:

      1. Did you rerun the Scenario after adding the rule? You will definitely need to do that to see a new Rule’s results show up in a Scenario.
      2. Are you applying the Paycheck rule to the Default Cash Account?

      > I fixed this by applying the rule to my one scenario.

      Yes. That’s how I typically do it myself, but Rules are built so they should run in ALL SCENARIOS in your account too if you select that as an option.

      > Am I missing something or is this a bug?

      While it is possible it is a bug (especially since we added a bunch of stuff since we added that functionality years ago and it is something that I don’t personally use that much), let’s check the two things above first and let me know if that fixed it or if I have your permission to login as you and see if I can see something wrong.

      > Thanks again for the great tool you have here.

      You’re welcome! Glad you’re enjoying it.

      Reply

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