*****************************************************************
-> This file introduces PERS-PLAN, explains how to get started 
   etc. It should be read by all first-time users.

-> The file has been supplied as an integral part of PERS-PLAN.     
   This is a personal financial planning software package developed 
   as a shareware package for use on a 'try-before-you-buy' basis 
   by Invest-Tech Limited. For contact details, see end of this file.

-> To print this file, type "PRINT README.TXT"
*****************************************************************

                              WELCOME
                              =======

PERS-PLAN (r3.0) is an easy-to-use software package for 
preparing a personal/household budget and cashflow projections
for twelve months ahead. It enables you to project your income 
and expenditure and to forecast monthly cashflows and end-month 
bank and credit card balances. Use PERS-PLAN to plan ahead
and save money !!!!!!!!

PERS-PLAN is NOT free software. It has been supplied on a "try-
before-you-buy" basis. If you continue to use PERS-PLAN after
a 30-day trial period, you must register with the author,
Invest-Tech. 

In return for registering, you will receive a copy of the latest 
release of PERS-PLAN with its printing and file options fully 
enabled, a spiral-bound 90-page manual incorporating tutorial 
exercises etc. You also gain access to full support etc. 

The registration fee is only US$29 (29 pounds sterling), so it 
will not break your family's finances. Full registration details 
are contained in the REGISTER.TXT file.

PERS-PLAN is fully protected by copyright. However, the shareware 
version may be copied in its entirety and without modification for 
FREE distribution to friends and, subject to the conditions set out
in the VENDINFO.DIZ file, by shareware libraries, BBSs etc.

             Good luck with PERS-PLAN.

                  Brian Flanagan, Invest-Tech Limited 

*****************************************************************

                       FILE CONTENTS/INDEX
                       ===================

This file (README.TXT) covers the following topics in separate
sections below:

        A - Details of supplied text files etc.
        B - General introduction PERS-PLAN and related matters
        C - Guidance on how to run PERS-PLAN
        D - Explanation of shareware
        E - Software revisions
 
*****************************************************************

                  A - SUPPLIED TEXT FILES
                  =======================

Before starting to use PERS-PLAN, we recommend that you review
this entire file either on-screen or, preferably, after printing
it. It includes brief instructions for loading PERS-PLAN which
should enable you to start using the package. 

Another supplied text file (MANUAL.TXT), explains, in much more 
detail, how to load and use PERS-PLAN. Because PERS-PLAN is
very intuitive and contains very extensive 'on-line' help, you
may only need to refer to this file on an occasional basis.
However, you may wish to print it at this stage in order to
have it readily accessible for future reference, or if you get
"stuck",  or need detailed guidance on a specific issue.

We have also included with PERS-PLAN a text file (MONEY.TXT)
which contains dozens of famous (and not so well-known)
quotations on the subject of "money". If you feel depressed
about your personal finances after using PERS-PLAN, you should
have a look at MONEY.TXT. It MIGHT cheer you up !! We welcome
further quotations for inclusion in the next release of 
PERS-PLAN. More seriously, have a look at Section 6.5 within
the manual text file (MANUAL.TXT) for some basic ideas on
utilising the output from PERS-PLAN to improve your financial
planning and/or position.

Other supplied text files as follows:
   
   PICPRT     About the PICprint graph printing utility)
   REGISTER   Details and Form for registration
   ENTERASS   Detailed guidance on entering assumptions.

To print a text file:

 1.  Make sure your printer is 'on-line' and is supplied with 
     ample paper. 
     
 2.  Type "PRINT *.TXT" at the drive prompt (e.g C:\PERS>)
     to which you have installed PERS-PLAN and press the RETURN
     key in respond to a prompt about the name of devices. 
     Replace the * by the appropriate file name.

        For example, type "PRINT REGISTER.TXT" to print the 
        supplied file containing the Registration Form.

If you are using Windows, you can print the text files using the 
Notepad or Write accessory.

For details of PERS-PLAN's Limited-Use and -Distribution License
Agreements refer to the VENDINFO.DIZ file.

*****************************************************************

                  B - GENERAL INTRODUCTION
                  ========================

PERS-PLAN is an easy-to-use software package for preparing a
personal budget and cashflow projections for twelve months ahead.
It can be used to improve the management of your finances by
forecasting your income and expenditure. The resulting budget
can then be used to improve your financial planning & control
and, ultimately, to save yourself money. 

Based on your estimates and assumptions, PERS-PLAN compiles a
detailed and summary budget for twelve months ahead. It also 
produces reports analysing the budget and detailing all
your underlying assumptions on income and expenditure. 
PERS-PLAN incorporates facilities for graphing key results;
overwriting assumptions by actuals; undertaking 'what-if' 
analysis; and rolling-forward assumptions and projections one
month at a time.

PERS-PLAN is very suitable for users with limited or no
prior experience of computers as well as for more experienced
computer users who do not wish to go to the very considerable
trouble, or to waste valuable time, developing their own 
planning system on a spreadsheet. Bear in mind that PERS-PLAN
involved hundreds of hours of development and years of 
"know-how".

To run PERS-PLAN you need the following system:
 
 * Industry-standard PC with DOS 3.30 or higher and a hard disk,
   or dual 3.5" or 5.25" drives. 
 * Conventional memory of 640k. 
 * VGA, GCA, mono, Hercules or LCD display (or equivalent). 
 
A printer (dot-matrix, ink-jet or laser) is desirable. You can 
run PERS-PLAN as a DOS program within Windows (use the supplied
icon called PERSPLAN.ICO).

PERS-PLAN complements the very many personal financial packages
currently available in the market. Most of these are basically
household accounts systems with only very limited budgeting
facilities. To our best knowledge, very few of them have any
dynamic planning capabilities, similar to PERS-PLAN's. To 
produce any form of projections with most of these systems, 
you must first keep historic accounts. For many people, this is 
a pain in the ......  Most of us are much more interested in 
projecting our income/expenditure and making ends meet in the 
FUTURE, rather than in learning about the past ("water under 
the bridge", "closing the stable door after the horse has 
bolted" and that sort of thing).
 
Historic data is NOT required to use PERS-PLAN. However, if you 
do happen to keep household accounts (either manually or 
computer-based), past data on income and expenditure patterns 
etc. should help you make more accurate projections for the 
future.

Please note that we only provide limited support by Fax or 
e-mail for unregistered copies of PERS-PLAN. See end of file
for contact numbers.

Features
--------
PERS-PLAN's features include the following:

* Thirteen categories of income (salaries for one or two wage 
  earners, reimbursed work expenses, dividends, rent etc.).

* Facilities for handling salary deductions based on absolute
  amounts and simple percentages as well as different
  percentages related to bands and thresholds (as for 
  pay-as-you-earn income tax) specified by the user. PERS-PLAN 
  is not restricted to any particular tax system or currency.

* Seventeen main expenditure groups (household, car,
  accommodation etc.) incorporating over fifty subgroups
  which can be defined by a user. 

* Facilities for planning credit card expenditure and payments
  and for calculating interest on any outstanding balances.

* Current and deposit accounts with facilities for calculating
  interest on the basis of specified interest rates, handling
  accrued interest and specifying interest payment dates.

Help
----
PERS-PLAN is entirely menu-driven and incorporates very
comprehensive context-sensitive help facilities. These 
include extensive menu prompts, error trapping, on-line Help 
Pages, pop-up Hint & Guidance Windows, annotated variable 
descriptions and "drill-down" values. A very comprehensive 
manual is supplied as an accompanying text file (MANUAL.TXT).

Specification   
-------------
  Number of reports                                  13  
  Number of graphed variables                        18  
  Approximate maximum number of user assumptions  1,100 
  Approximate total number of built-in formulae   1,700 

Registration
------------
The idea behind shareware is to allow a user to evaluate a 
software package at minimal cost - "try-before-you-buy". 

PERS-PLAN is NOT FREE software. If you decide that you would
like to retain and continue to use PERS-PLAN after a 30-day
trial period, you must register with Invest-Tech, the author
and copyright holder. 

In return for registering, a user is licensed to continue
using PERS-PLAN on one computer without any time limit and
receives a copy of the latest fully-operational version of 
PERS-PLAN with its 90-page spiral-bound printed manual 
(incorporating tutorial exercises etc.). You also gain access 
to full support.

If you prefer, you can remotely upgrade this shareware version of 
PERS-PLAN. Press U (for Upgrade) from PERS-PLAN's Main Menu
for details.

See the REGISTER.TXT file for further details and a Registration 
Form.

See the VENDINFO.DIZ file for details of the Limited-Use and 
-Distribution Licenses for the shareware version of PERS-PLAN.

Invest-Tech Limited
-------------------
We are management consultants specialising in financial and
business planning software. Formed in 1983, Invest-Tech is a 
Registered Practice within the Institute of Management
Consultants in Ireland. Our banker is Bank of Ireland, 
Dublin, and our auditors are Deloitte & Touche, Dublin.

In addition to PERS-PLAN, we also offer a very extensive
range of finanical planners for use by businesses of all sizes
 and types. They include:

EASI-PLAN    Fully-integrated 3-year financial planner.
             Three versions available, Micro, Lite and Pro,
             to handle different applications.
             Shareware versions: EASIPLAM.ZIP and EASIPLAN.ZIP.

BANK-PLAN    12-month cashflow planners for small businesses.
             Shareware version: BANKPLAN.ZIP.

Contact us for further details about these and other planners.

******************************************************************

                   C - HOW TO RUN PERS-PLAN 
                   ========================

Refer to Section 3 of the MANUAL.TXT text file for more detailed 
instructions if you run into any problems.

The following guidelines assume that you have already installed
(i.e. copied, unzipped, unarchived, uncompressed etc.) the
complete set of PERS-PLAN files onto a hard disk or a 3.5" disk. 

If PERS-PLAN has been installed onto a hard disk:
------------------------------------------------
     a) Get into the sub-directory where you have installed
        all PERS-PLAN's files. For example, if the sub-directory
        PERS was used, type "CD PERS" and press RETURN at the 
        DOS prompt.
    
     b) For general introductory information, type "GO".  If your
        PC uses a very old type of display, do not select this
        option - choose d) or e) below.
     
     or
     c) For guidance on the syntax for loading PERS-PLAN etc. 
        type "PP".
     
     or
     d) Type "PP MASTER" to load PERS-PLAN along with a set of
        specimen assumptions in a file called MASTER.ASS (Make 
        sure that there is a single space between "PP" and 
        "MASTER"). 

If you are running PERS-PLAN from a 3.5" drive:
----------------------------------------------          
     a) Place the disk to which you have installed PERS-PLAN
        into a drive. If necessary, switch to that drive by
        typing the drive designation followed by a colon,
        e.g. "A:" and press RETURN.
     
     b) For general introductory information, type "GO".  If your
        PC uses a very old type of display, do not select this
        option - choose c) or d) below.
     
     or
     c) For guidance on the syntax for loading PERS-PLAN etc. 
        type "PP".
     
     or
     d) Type "PP MASTER" to load PERS-PLAN along with a set of
        specimen assumptions in a file called MASTER.ASS (Make 
        sure that there is a single space between "PP" and 
        "MASTER"). 

By following the on-screen Hints and Guidance Notes and by
accessing Help Notes and Help Pages, have a go at building
your first budget. Good luck !

Using a LCD Display
-------------------
xxx Take from Vendinfo

Running Pers-Plan through Windows
---------------------------------

xxx Take from Vendinfo

****************************************************************

                    D - WHAT IS SHAREWARE ?
                    =======================

"Shareware" is a method of software distribution designed to
give users a chance to test a package before purchase at a very
competitive price. Copyright rules apply to shareware and the
authors retain all the rights except as indicated in their licence
agreements. As you will see from PERS-PLAN, shareware does not 
signify cheap (in the nasty sense) or poor quality software.

Subject to the terms and conditions of our Distribution License
you are free to copy PERS-PLAN for friends etc. provided that no charge 
is made and recipients are made aware of the need to register 
as users if they wish to retain the package. As all the supplied 
files must be copied in their entirety and without modification, 
we suggest that you only copy the archived file, PERSPLAN.* 
for this purpose.

Shareware distributors, bulletin board and commercial on-line 
system operators are invited to become distributors of 
PERS-PLAN and to list it for supply or downloading to their
customers or users. 

See the VENDINFO.DIZ file for further license information.

*****************************************************************

                  E - SOFTWARE REVISIONS
                  ======================

r3.0   20th June 1995
---------------------
First shareware release of PERS-PLAN. 

Enhancements since r2.0 and r2.1 of PERS-PLAN include the provision 
of additional rows for income and expenditure and a facility to 
suppress the printing of rows containing zero values. An utility 
for customising the printing of graphs has been provided.

r3.1  21st July 1995
--------------------
Special version of r3.0 for US market.

*****************************************************************
PERS-PLAN (c) Copyright Invest-Tech Limited 1992-95   
All Rights Reserved     

    Invest-Tech Limited  
    27 Ardmeen Park, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland
    
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    
    
    CompuServe: 100606,2665
    Internet: 100606.2665@compuserve.com
*****************************************************************
           To print this file, type "PRINT README.TXT"
            
               *** End of README.TXT file ***

