PlanPlus Inc. has released a free web-based community edition of its financial planning software, now rebranded from PlanPlus Web Advisor to PlanPlus Planit.

PlanPlus Planit Community Edition supports four languages — English, French, Spanish and Chinese — and basic planning in 50 countries or jurisdictions.

“With the global financial crisis, advisors around the world are struggling to provide greater levels of advice and service to their clients at the same time they are financially challenged themselves,” says Shawn Brayman, president of Lindsey, Ont.-based PlanPlus.

“The free Community Edition provides a modular web-based solution that will do many of the things they need to do for their clients, at no cost to them.”

The software was unveiled at the recent Institute of Advanced Financial Planning Conference in London, Ont.

The software gives users tools for retirement, education and other capital needs goal planning and incorporates insurance gap analysis for life, disability, critical illness and long term care. It incorporates multi-currencies, graduated tax and asset classes specific to the various planning jurisdictions and covers strategic allocation, risk tolerance assessment and Investment Policy Statements. There is no restriction on the number of client files an advisor can enter into the system and all data is retained for the advisor on a secure and confidential basis.

“Professional advisors can optionally add in Morningstar data, the FinaMetrica psychometric risk profiling, more advanced investment analysis or cash-flow based planning on a subscription basis while retaining any of the data they entered at the Community Edition level,” adds Brayman.

“We have all learned that traditional borders are blurring in the financial world. As the first global personal financial planning tool we are excited that PlanPlus Planit offers the advisors some simple but powerful features to help them service their clients more effectively,” says Brayman.

Advisors can register for PlanPlus Planit Community Edition on the PlanPlus website.