[Skip to Content]

Maintenance Update 09 30 2002

Calculator update notes for 9-30-2002.

Financial Calculator Update 09/30/2002

The quarterly update for 09/30/2002 is a small update, limited to a few calculators. If you have updated your calculators to the 06/30/2002 release (the release just prior to this one), this update can be accomplished by simply replacing your "class" files and "dinkytown.jar" file unless you have the life insurance calculator or the Canadian Mortagage Qualifier. Two small HTML changes are required for these two calculators. See below for more details.

If you have not updated your calculators in a while, you will need to review our 06/30/2002 update: 06/30/2002 Update to make the appropriate HTML changes required. (The 09/30/2002 update includes all changes included in previous updates, you do not need to download any other updates to have the most current versions of all of the calculator components. You may, however, need to implement manual HTML changes required by previous updates if you have not installed them.)

Update instructions:

  1. Download the latest version of your calculators from your download site, found on your update e-mail notice.
  2. Execute the Calc.exe file from your download. This is a self-extracting zip file. (Or unzip the Calc.zip file if you are using a non-windows platform.)
  3. When prompted for a directory, you may use the default of "java" or enter your own. It is recommended that you extract the update to a new directory and then move the required files to your production environment. One directory will be created. It will have three subdirectories.
  4. Replace the contents of your current KJEgui, KJEgraph and KJEcalculation directories with the new version
  5. Replace your current dinkytown.jar file with the new version
  6. Replace all files with the extension "class" with the new versions
  7. Make required changes to any HTML documents as describe later in this document.

If you have NOT made any changes to the HTML Files used in your deployment you may wish to replace all HTML files with the new versions in your download. If you have made changes to your HTML files, please review the changes below.

To clear your Browser's cache:

When you test the new version of the calculators, make sure that the browser you are using uses the new files instead of any it may have in its cache. You may need to clear the browser's cache manually to ensure the new versions are loaded.

Internet Explorer:

Chose "Internet Options" under the "Tools" menu and on the "General" tab click on the "Delete Files…" button.

Netscape:

Chose "Prefrences…" under the "Edit" menu. Click on the "Advanced" category and then "Cache" option which appears under it. Click the "Clear Memory Cache" button, then click the "Clear Disk Cache" button.)

Master Changes

These are changes that affect all calculators in your package. No visible master changes were made, however the dinkytown.jar file was updated to include better support for Netscape 7.

Updates that require modifications to HTML documents

  1. Life insurance calculator (Canadian and standard): A new entry field has been added to the life insurance calculator. It allows you to enter “Other expenses” to the expenses at death calculator. You will need to update your report template to include this change. A new line has been added to the report template (in the table that has the “expenses at death”) to reflect this change: 
           <TR><TD><b>Other expenses</b></TD><TD>OTHER_ATDEATH_EXPENSES</TD></TR>
    This text should be added to the following documents:

    • LifeInsurance.html
    • LifeInsuranceCalculation.html
    • CALifeInsurance.html (this is the Canadian version)
    • CALifeInsuranceCalc.html (this is the Canadian version)

    Search for “DEBT_REPAYMENT” and place the above text on the next line in the document.

    New text was also added to better describe the calculation used to display the total future expenses and total future income. This text is optional, but is found both on the report template and under the calculator applet. The new text reads:

      "*Both the future expenses and future income totals are expressed as the amount of cash required today, invested at your expected rate of return, to equal the total future cash flow. For example, if you are expecting to receive $1,000 in exactly one year, that $1,000 has the same value as $909 today invested at 10%. Our totals show these current amounts to calculate the life insurance you require today to cover your future expenses after your future income is taken into account."

Other Updates

  1. Roth vs Regular IRA.: A fix has been made to address cases where the number of years to retirement is less than 7. The previous version would not calculate the results, the new version fixes this issue. Make sure that you update the RothvsRegularCalculation.class file with the new version to fix this issue.

  2. Canadian retirement planner: New options to allow OAS and CPP or QPP to be adjusted for inflation have been added. No changes are required if you wish your calculator to work as is (only have an option to adjust company pension for inflation). To add the new inflation adjustment options you will need to add the following parameters to the CARetirementPlan.html file:

    <PARAM name="MSG_OTHER_PENSION_AMOUNT" value="Adjust for inflation:">
<PARAM name="MSG_OTHER_PENSION_SHOWCB1" value="Company pension">
<PARAM name="OTHER_PENSION_SHOWCB2" value="TRUE">
<PARAM name="MSG_OTHER_PENSION_SHOWCB2" value="CPP or QPP pension">
<PARAM name="OTHER_PENSION_SHOWCB3" value="TRUE">
<PARAM name="MSG_OTHER_PENSION_SHOWCB3" value="OAS pension">

    Please note: OTHER_PENSION_SHOWCB2 and OTHER_PENSION_SHOWCB3 may already exist. If they do, you do not need to add an additional copy of those two parameters. Instead make sure to set the value of these existing parameters to TRUE.

  3. Mortgage Qualifier: The percentage downpayment required for PMI has been made a parameter. If you wish to change the percentage from the standard 20%, you can now do so with the PMI_PERCENT parameter. For example, you could add the following parameter to the MortgageQualifier.html page to make the PMI requirement 15%: 
    <PARAM name="PMI_PERCENT" value="0.15">
    Note: You will also need to change the report template. Search for “20%” (without the quotes) and substitute it with PMI_PERCENT to have your new parameter value appear.

  4. Canadian Mortgage Qualifier: CAMortgageQualifier.html, CAMortageQualifierCalc.html, CAMortgageQualifier.class, CAMortgageQualifierCalc.class have been updated to allow CMHC premiums to be financed, instead of requiring them as part of the loan's closing costs. You should refresh these four documents if you wish to have this important change. If only the class files are updated, the calculator will continue to work as is, and will display results correctly except for situations where the down payment is less than the CMHC premium.

  5. Alternative Payment Frequencies: New payment option “BI-Monthly” added which calculates based on 24 payments per year.