123 lines
6.1 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
123 lines
6.1 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
# Retirement Calculator
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### 2800-202510-BBY14
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## Overview
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RCalculator is a dynamic financial tracking application designed to help users manage and monitor their progress towards long-term financial goals, particularly retirement. It moves beyond simple calculations by providing personalized insights, tracking actual performance against planned targets, and offering a clear view of your financial journey towards achieving your desired future.
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---
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## Features
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- **Personalized Financial Profile:** Users complete a comprehensive questionnaire to build a financial profile, enabling tailored guidance and projections.
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- **Comprehensive Asset Management:** Add, track, and manage various types of assets including savings, stocks, real estate, and other investments for a holistic view of net worth.
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- **Strategic Goal Planning:** Define long-term financial objectives (e.g., retirement, home purchase, education) and create detailed plans with actionable steps.
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- **Clear Financial Projections:** Visualize potential investment growth and assess the feasibility of financial plans through easy-to-understand projections and charts.
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- **User-Friendly Dashboard:** An intuitive dashboard provides an at-a-glance overview of financial health, asset allocation, and progress towards goals.
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- **Secure User Authentication:** Robust authentication system to protect sensitive financial data, including secure registration and login processes.
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- **Dynamic Currency Conversion:** (If applicable) Utilizes geolocation to provide relevant currency information and conversion rates for international users or assets.
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---
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## Technologies Used
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- **Frontend:** EJS (Embedded JavaScript templates), Tailwind CSS, Vanilla JavaScript
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- **Backend:** Node.js, Express.js
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- **Database:** MongoDB
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- **Authentication:** express-session for session management, bcrypt for password hashing.
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- **Data Validation:** Joi for schema validation.
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- **APIs:** Google Gemini API for generating financial advice. **Geolocation API** for currency conversion.
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---
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## Prerequisites
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1. You'll need to setup an instance of MongoDB. You can use the cloud platform, MongoDB Atlas, or create your own instance locally.
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i. [Create your MongoDB Altas instance.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/manual/tutorial/getting-started/)
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ii. [Create your local MongoDB server instance.](https://www.mongodb.com/docs/manual/administration/install-community/)
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After this, you'll need to get your MongoURI from your database instance, as well as your database name for later configuration in the `.env` file.
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## Usage
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1. **Clone the repository:**
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```bash
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git clone https://github.com/JoaquinPar/2800-202510-BBY14.git
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cd 2800-202510-BBY14
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```
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2. **Install dependencies:**
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```bash
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npm install
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```
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This will install Express, express-session, EJS, dotenv, and any other required packages listed in `package.json`.
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3. **Create and configure the environment file:**
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- Create a file named `.env` in the root directory of the project.
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- Add the necessary environment variables to this file.
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4. **Run the application:**
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```bash
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node app.js
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```
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The application should now be running, typically on `http://localhost:3000` (or the port specified in your `.env` file).
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---
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## Project Structure
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```
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retirementCalculator/
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├── src/
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│ ├── auth/ # Authentication logic (e.g., passport setup, strategies)
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│ ├── database/ # MongoDB connection, schemas, models
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│ ├── public/ # Static assets
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│ │ ├── images/ # Site images and icons
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│ │ ├── scripts/ # Client-side JavaScript files
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│ │ └── svgs/ # SVG icons
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│ ├── router/ # Express route definitions
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│ ├── util/ # Utility functions (e.g., calculations, helpers)
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│ └── views/ # EJS templates
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│ └── partials/ # Reusable EJS partials (headers, footers, nav)
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│
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├── .env.example # Example environment variables file
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├── .gitignore # Specifies intentionally untracked files that Git should ignore
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├── app.js # Main application entry point
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├── CONTRIBUTING.md # Guidelines for contributing to the project
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├── LICENSE # Project license information
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├── package-lock.json # Records exact versions of dependencies
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├── package.json # Project metadata and dependencies
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└── README.md # This file
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```
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---
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## Contributors
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- **[Braeden Sowinski](https://github.com/SowinskiBraeden)** - BCIT CST Student with a passion for back-end development.
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- **[Joaquin Paredes](https://github.com/JoaquinPar)** - BCIT CST Student with the aspiration of becoming a game developer in the future.
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- **[Nicolas Agostini](https://github.com/nicoagostini)** - BCIT CST Student with a passion for technology and AI.
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- **[Mitchell Schaeffer](https://github.com/knighthawk4227)** - BCIT CST Student with a passion for technology.
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---
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## Limitations and Future Work
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### Limitations
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- **Generalized Advice:** The application provides financial guidance based on user input and common models; it does not substitute professional financial advisory services.
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- **Market Volatility:** Projections are based on assumed rates of return and do not account for all potential market fluctuations or unforeseen economic events.
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- **Manual Data Entry:** Asset information and updates currently require manual input.
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- **Single User Focus:** Primarily designed for individual financial planning.
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### Future Work
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- **Third-Party API Integrations:** Connect with financial institutions (e.g., Plaid) for automated asset tracking and transaction importing.
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- **Advanced Reporting:** Implement more detailed financial reports, customizable charts, and data export options (e.g., PDF, CSV).
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- **Enhanced Security Features:** Implement Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and advanced security audits.
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- **Educational Resources:** Integrate a section with articles, tips, and resources on financial literacy and planning.
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---
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## License
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[MIT LICENSE](/LICENSE)
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