---
title: Lump sum matched to a goal — what it means and why it matters | Allocate AI
description: In Allocate, an expected one-off payment, like a bonus or vest, assigned to fund a specific goal, so the goal counts it and stops warning.
canonical: https://allocateai.io/glossary/lump-sum-matched-to-goal
site: Allocate AI — https://allocateai.io
---

# Lump sum matched to a goal

In Allocate, an expected one-off payment, like a bonus or vest, assigned to fund a specific goal, so the goal counts it and stops warning.

Matching a lump sum to a goal is how Allocate lets an expected income event do a specific job. On its own, an expected bonus or vest is just income on a date. Matched to a goal, it becomes that goal's funding: the plan counts it toward the goal on the date it arrives, the goal's monthly amount drops to whatever the lump does not cover, and goal fit stops warning that the goal is short.

Example: a $12,000 kitchen renovation goal with a landing date in July. Funded monthly from salary, it needs $1,000 a month starting now, and goal fit shows it short in three of those months. You expect a $9,000 after-tax bonus in March. Match it to the kitchen goal, and the plan now needs only $3,000 from monthly pay, or $250 a month, which fits comfortably. The goal's line shows a step up in March when the bonus lands.

A lump can be split across goals, for example 60% of a vest to the down payment and 40% to the emergency fund. A goal can also draw on more than one lump, such as the March bonus and the August vest together.

If the lump comes in smaller than expected, or is delayed, the goal recalculates and the morning brief says what changed. If it never arrives, the match is removed and the goal goes back to monthly funding, with a warning if that no longer fits.

The common mistake it prevents is spending the bonus twice: once in the plan, where it was meant for the kitchen, and once at the store, because the account balance looked healthy the week it landed.

## Related terms

- [Expected income event](https://allocateai.io/glossary/expected-income-event) — In Allocate, a bonus, commission, or stock vest you tell the app about in advance, so the plan counts it as income on the date it is due to arrive.
- [Goal fit](https://allocateai.io/glossary/goal-fit) — In Allocate, a month-by-month check that each goal can be funded from take-home pay after bills and the goals ahead of it, with a one-tap fix if not.
- [My plan](https://allocateai.io/glossary/my-plan) — In Allocate, a written plan listing your goals in order, the monthly amount each one gets, and the date each one lands.
- [Annual bonus](https://allocateai.io/glossary/annual-bonus) — A once-a-year cash payment based on company and individual performance, usually expressed as a target percentage of base salary.

**Plan in plain language.**

Allocate answers “can I afford this?” from your own numbers, writes the plan, and stages every change for your yes. It starts from an estimate before you link a bank.

[Get started](https://app.allocateai.io/signup)

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Allocate AI is a budgeting and financial-planning app: link your accounts, say what you want in plain words, and it writes the plan and stages every change for your approval. Read more at https://allocateai.io or see all pages in https://allocateai.io/llms.txt.