ETF Wizard

Replacing the ETF Course spreadsheets with a guided tool, so students can practise while they learn.

THE CHALLENGE

76.53% of Ethical ETF clients did not continue with the course

Students of the Ethical ETF course were stalling at the same step: the Excel files used to build and track a portfolio.

We turned those spreadsheets into the Wizard ETF, a guided web app that takes a student from their profile to a recommended portfolio, a PAC simulation and purchase tracking.

The app was used live for the first time at the in-person ETF course in Chiasso on 26 September 2026.

CONTEX

Ethical ETF is Moneysurfers' video course on building and running an ETF portfolio, sold as the Ethical ETF Boost bundle since 2022.

The practical part of the course relies on Excel files. Students use them to pick a model portfolio, plan a monthly investment plan (PAC) and log their ETF purchases to see how far they drift from the target allocation.

PROBLEM DISCOVERY

The Excel files were the point where students dropped out of the course. We reached that conclusion in two steps:

1. Customer care emails. Reading the support emails about the Ethical ETF course showed one recurring theme: students stuck on the portfolio and investment-tracking spreadsheets.

2. Database. We sized the problem against our client base: 1645 Ethical ETF clients in total, of whom 1259 did not go on with the course.

Excel files uploaded for learning how to track ETF portfolios

There was a gap between knowing and doing. Students learned the theory but had no simple tool to practice while studying, so many quit before investing and came to the live lessons asking what to do next…

PROPOSAL & APPROACH

We proposed a small web app where students enter their data step by step and build their ETF portfolio without touching Excel. The first proposal, ETF / Web-app minimale, listed five problems raised by students:

1. Applying the portfolios and tracking deposits with rebalancing

2. Applying strategies in a real political and economic context

3. Knowing when an ETF should be reviewed or removed, and by which criteria

4. Getting a clear view of the markets and of their own goals

5. Excel files that are hard to use for people who are not at ease with a computer

It sketched a 4-step flow investor profile, asset allocation, ETF selection, summary.

From there the work moved from idea to product in four documents and one build

• Proposal

  1. Contesto e Vision

  Problema

  Una parte consistente degli studenti del Corso ETF non prosegue nel percorso:
  i file Excel su cui oggi si appoggia la pratica sono un ostacolo che si frappone tra la comprensione teorica e la messa in pratica, e molti si bloccano proprio in quel passaggio.

  Manca uno strumento pratico per fare pratica mentre si studia.

  Vision del prodotto

  Un tool didattico online, che semplifica i file Excel in uno strumento online.

  In una prima fase

  • L'app semplifica la creazione e il tracciamento dei portafogli, sostituendo il file Excel attualmente usato: dopo aver scelto il portafoglio, l'utente può esplorarne la composizione, simulare un piano di accumulo (PAC) verso un obiettivo economico e attivare il tracciamento degli acquisti con suggerimenti di ribilanciamento, tutto con lo stesso set di dati (portafogli, fondi, matematica di PAC e tracking) usato internamente.

  • Collegamento interno con il corso ETF e con Inner Circle (risultato PDA)

  In una seconda fase

  • La visione è integrare progressivamente gli altri strumenti Excel (tool) presentati nel Corso ETF, coprendo l'intero percorso in un unico ambiente guidato per ogni lezione del video corso.

• Product specification PRD

  PRD — Wizard ETF:
  11 epics and 26 user stories, owned by Florencia Zanovello

• Business case

  Business plan — Mini App ETF (3 September 2026): benefits, roadmap, costs, risks

One rule held throughout: the app reuses the portfolios, funds and PAC and tracking maths already used in the course. No new financial content was created.

THE SOLUTION: WIZARD ETF

Wizard ETF replaces the course spreadsheets with one guided path, from the student's profile to tracking real purchases. It runs on desktop and mobile, embeds 14 course video lessons, and was live in production before the event.

1. Profile. Age band, target year, risk appetite and type of deposit, after accepting a disclaimer that the tool is for teaching, not financial advice.

2. Recommended portfolio. One or two portfolios that fit the profile, with the reason for the choice.

3. Composition. Allocation, categories and underlying funds of the chosen portfolio.

4. Video lessons. The 2 course lessons about that portfolio, shown in context.

5. PAC simulation. A monthly investment plan towards a money goal, with a check on whether the goal is reachable.

6. Tracking. Real purchases logged, drift from the target shown, and rebalancing suggested in the same two modes as the spreadsheet.

7. Dashboard. All started portfolios, how capital is split and overall performance.

8. Exit. The plan as a PDF and a list of 8 brokers to start investing.

The app was built with three deliberate limits:

• Teaching tool, not advice. Every screen is labelled "for teaching purposes".

• No user data stored. A privacy choice: each session starts from zero.

• Neutral broker list. The same fixed list for every user, with direct links and no profile-based ranking.