Reading the Retention Heatmap

What Patterns Look Like

Consistent horizontal bands — if retention stays relatively stable across columns for a cohort, those clients are maintaining engagement over time. A row that stays in the medium-to-dark range through Months 3, 6, and 12 indicates sustained activity.

Sharp drop after Month 1 — a noticeable color shift from dark to light between Month 0 and Month 1 across multiple cohorts suggests that clients are connecting but not returning after the initial setup. This is a signal about your onboarding process.

Improving recent cohorts — if your newer cohorts (bottom rows) show darker cells in early months compared to older cohorts at the same stage, your onboarding or initial experience may be improving over time.

Seasonal variation — lighter columns at consistent intervals (e.g., every December) may reflect seasonal patterns in client activity rather than any change in your practice.

Evaluating Onboarding Effectiveness

The most actionable use of the retention heatmap is evaluating the Month 0 → Month 1 → Month 2 transition. This three-month window is where most client engagement patterns are established.

The heatmap does not tell you why clients stay or leave — it shows the pattern. The interpretation depends on your knowledge of your practice, your clients, and what was happening during each period.

Policy Stack is a tracking and visualization tool. It does not provide financial advice, recommendations, or opinions on what you should do with your banking system.

Policy Stack is independent of and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Infinite Banking Concepts, LLC or the Nelson Nash Institute.