Managing Accounts in SavePoint
Accounts are the foundation of everything in SavePoint, since every transaction, budget, and report flows from them. This guide shows you how to create checking, savings, credit card, and investment accounts, how to keep their balances accurate, and how to manage many accounts at once without losing track. You will also learn about the security features that protect your account data. Get this part right and the rest of SavePoint (your net worth, your reports, your whole financial picture) simply falls into place.
Accounts form the foundation of SavePoint's financial tracking system. The account management system supports both standard and custom account types, categorization with asset classes, balance tracking, and import/export capabilities for financial oversight.
SavePoint's account creation system provides extensive customization options with features including asset class categorization, liability balance handling, and metadata tracking.
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Access Account Creation
Opens the account creation form with all available features.
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Select Account Type
Choose from 30+ built-in account types. Examples include:
💰 Asset Account Types (Examples)
- Checking, Savings, Cash: Everyday accounts and cash management
- 401k, 403b, Roth IRA, Traditional IRA: Retirement accounts
- Brokerage, Investment, Stock, Bond, Mutual Fund: Investment accounts
- HSA, FSA, 529 Plan: Tax-advantaged accounts
- Real Estate, Business Account, Crypto: Specialized asset types
- ...and many more available in the dropdown
📉 Liability Account Types (Examples)
- Credit Card: Credit card accounts with automatic liability handling
- Mortgage, HELOC: Real estate loans and home equity
- Auto Loan, Personal Loan, Student Loan: Installment debt
- Business Loan: Business-related liabilities
- ...and more available in the dropdown
About Account Types: Account Type describes the specific kind of account (e.g., "Checking", "401k", "Mortgage"). This determines how the account functions and which Asset Class categories become available. You can also create custom account types in Settings if the built-in types don't meet your needs.
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Configure Asset Class Category
After selecting an Account Type, choose an Asset Class to categorize the account for net worth tracking and reporting. The system automatically filters appropriate Asset Classes based on your Account Type (asset types show asset classes, liability types show liability classes):
About Asset Classes: Asset Class is a broader categorization used for net worth calculations and financial reporting (e.g., "Liquid Assets", "Retirement Assets", "Long-term Liabilities"). While Account Type describes what the account IS, Asset Class describes what financial CATEGORY it belongs to for analysis purposes. For example, a "401k" Account Type would typically be classified under "Retirement Assets" Asset Class.
🏦 Asset Categories
- Liquid Assets: Checking, savings, cash readily available
- Investment Assets: Stocks, bonds, mutual funds
- Retirement Assets: 401k, IRA, pension accounts
- Real Estate: Primary residence, rental properties
- Household Assets: Vehicles, furniture, valuables
- Business Assets: Business accounts and equipment
- Other Assets: Miscellaneous valuable items
📊 Liability Categories
- Short-term Liabilities: Credit cards, lines of credit
- Long-term Liabilities: Mortgages, student loans
- Business Liabilities: Business loans and obligations
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Enter Account Details
- Account Name (Required): Descriptive name for easy identification
- Financial Institution: Bank or financial institution name
- Account Number: Automatically masked (shows only last 4 digits)
- Opening Balance: Starting balance with automatic liability sign handling
- Opening Date: Account opening date with date picker
- External Link: URL to online banking or account portal
- Notes: Additional information and account-specific details
- Include in Balance Sheet: Toggle for financial reporting (default: enabled)
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Balance Handling & Validation
- Asset Accounts: Positive balances represent money owned
- Liability Accounts: Enter debt amounts as positive, system stores as negative
- Automatic Daily Balance: System creates initial daily balance record
- Real-time Validation: Ensures data consistency and prevents errors
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Save and Verification
Account immediately appears in all dropdowns and is ready for transaction entry.
👥 Account Owner (Household Mode)
When Household Mode is Simple or Advanced, the Add / Edit Account modal includes an Account Owner field. Options are:
- Unassigned: No specific member owns this account. Default for accounts created before household mode was enabled.
- Each active member: Pick a specific person who owns the account.
- Joint / Shared: For accounts both partners contribute to (joint checking, joint mortgage, etc.).
Joint accounts display a "Joint" badge in account lists so they stand out. You can change an account's owner later through an inline owner popover on the account row without reopening the full Edit Account modal. The Balance Sheet member filter uses the Account Owner field to decide which accounts to include when you filter to one person. See Household & Members for the broader household concept.
Instead of creating accounts one by one, you can import multiple accounts at once from a CSV or Excel file. This is useful when you're setting up SavePoint for the first time and have many accounts to add, or when migrating from another financial tool.
- Prepare Your File
- Account Name (required) - "Main Checking", "Retirement 401k", etc.
- Account Type - Checking, Savings, Credit Card, 401k, etc.
- Asset Class - Liquid Assets, Retirement Assets, Short-Term Liabilities, etc.
- Financial Institution - Your bank or credit union name
- Opening Balance - Current balance (positive for assets, negative for debts like credit cards)
- Currency - USD, EUR, GBP, etc. (defaults to your base currency if not specified)
- Account Number - Last 4 digits or full account number (gets masked to last 4 digits for security)
- External Link - URL to your bank's website for quick access
- Notes - Any additional information about the account
- Open the Import Wizard
- Step 1: Upload Your File
- Step 2: Map Your Columns
- Step 3: Review Account Types
- Step 4: Review and Import
You need a CSV or Excel file (.csv, .xlsx, or .xls). Excel files are imported directly, no need to convert to CSV first. The only required column is Account Name - everything else is optional. You can download a template from the import screen to see the format.
What you can include in your file:
Click the "Import" button on the Accounts page. This opens a 4-step wizard that guides you through the process.
Drag and drop your CSV or Excel file into the upload area, or click to browse for it. SavePoint will read your file and show you the first few rows so you can verify it loaded correctly. If you don't have a file ready, download the template to see the expected format.
SavePoint tries to automatically match your file's column names to its fields (e.g., it recognizes "Account Name", "Name", "Account" all as the account name field). You can adjust the mapping if needed - just tell SavePoint which column in your file corresponds to which account field.
For each account, verify that the Account Type and Asset Class are correct. SavePoint will show you what it detected from your file, and you can change them if needed. This step ensures your accounts are properly categorized for net worth calculations and reporting.
Account Type Auto-Detection: If you didn't specify an Account Type in your CSV, SavePoint tries to guess it based on the account name. For example, if the name contains "checking" or "check", it suggests "Checking". Names with "401k", "ira", or "retirement" suggest "Retirement" accounts. You can always override these suggestions.
Review all the accounts that will be created. This is your last chance to spot any errors before importing. When you click "Import Accounts", SavePoint creates all the accounts. If you included an Opening Balance for an account, that balance is recorded as of today's date. You'll see a summary showing how many accounts were successfully imported and if any failed.
- If you include an Opening Balance, it's recorded as of today's date
- If you don't include an Opening Balance, the account is created with no balance history - you can add balances later
- If an account fails to import, SavePoint tells you why (usually a missing required field or invalid data)
- Successfully imported accounts are immediately available for use - you can start entering transactions right away
- For liability accounts (credit cards, loans), enter the balance as a negative number in your CSV (e.g., -1500 for $1,500 owed)
Understanding SavePoint's account type system ensures proper financial categorization and accurate balance sheet generation for professional financial management.
💰 Asset Account Behavior
- Balance Logic: Positive balances represent owned assets
- Transaction Impact: Income increases, expenses decrease balance
- Net Worth Impact: Adds to total net worth calculation
- Balance Sheet Placement: Appears on asset side of balance sheet
- Examples: Checking ($2,500), Savings ($10,000), 401k ($45,000)
📉 Liability Account Behavior
- Balance Entry: Enter debt as POSITIVE numbers (e.g., enter "1000" for $1,000 owed). The system automatically stores it as negative internally
- User Interface: Debt is ALWAYS displayed and entered as positive for intuitive understanding
- Internal Storage: System stores debt as negative values for proper net worth calculations, but you never see or enter the negative sign
- Credit/Overpayment: If you have a credit balance (e.g., credit card refund), enter it as a negative number and it will be stored as positive
- Payment Handling: Payments reduce liability amount displayed
- Purchase Handling: Purchases increase liability amount displayed
- Net Worth Impact: Subtracts from total net worth calculation
- Balance Sheet Placement: Appears on liability side of balance sheet
- Examples: Credit Card opening balance of $1,200 debt → enter "1200" (positive), system stores as -$1,200 internally, displays as $1,200 owed
Scenario: Marcus, a financial planner, needs to set up account tracking for both personal finances and client demonstration purposes.
Account Structure Strategy:
🏦 Liquid Assets
- City Bank Business Checking: Asset → Liquid Assets ($8,500)
- Personal Checking: Asset → Liquid Assets ($3,200)
- Emergency Fund: Savings → Liquid Assets ($25,000)
- Money Market: Savings → Liquid Assets ($15,000)
📈 Investment Portfolio
- Retirement Fund 401k: Investment → Retirement Assets ($125,000)
- Roth IRA: Investment → Retirement Assets ($35,000)
- Investment Brokerage: Investment → Investment Assets ($45,000)
- Real Estate Investment: Other → Real Estate ($180,000)
📊 Liabilities
- Rewards Credit Card: Credit Card → Short-term Liabilities ($2,100)
- Business Credit Card: Credit Card → Business Liabilities ($4,500)
- Primary Mortgage: Mortgage → Long-term Liabilities ($285,000)
Professional Benefits:
- Balance Sheet Accuracy: Proper asset/liability classification for financial statements
- Net Worth Tracking: Wealth calculation ($437,600 assets - $291,600 liabilities = $146,000)
- Professional Reporting: Category-based reports for client presentations
- Tax Planning: Clear separation of business and personal accounts
Outcome: Account structure supporting financial planning and client consultation requirements.
You can create custom account types through the Settings system for specialized financial tracking needs.
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Access Custom Types
Opens the custom account types configuration interface.
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Create Custom Type
- Type Name: Descriptive name for the custom type
- Classification: Asset or Liability designation (Assets = things you own that add value; Liabilities = debts you owe that reduce net worth)
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Review Added Account Type
- Active Status: Enable/disable type availability
- Custom vs Built-in Indicator: An icon shows whether it's a custom or built-in type
- Delete Button: Available for types with no accounts tied to it
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Apply Custom Types
Custom types immediately appear in account creation dropdown alongside built-in types.
SavePoint provides account management tools including display options, status controls, bulk operations, and professional import capabilities.
🔢 Summary Cards
- Total Assets: Sum of all asset account balances (checking, savings, investments, etc.)
- Total Liabilities: Sum of all debt account balances (credit cards, loans, etc.)
- Net Worth: Assets minus Liabilities
- Account Count: Number of active accounts
- Cards update automatically when you add, edit, or remove accounts
🖥️ Account Display & Organization
- View Mode Options: Choose between two display modes in Settings:
- Traditional View: Scrollable list showing all accounts in a continuous table - classic layout for quick scanning
- Collapsible View: Accounts grouped by type with expand/collapse controls - all accounts visible without scrolling, ideal for viewing many accounts at once
- Color-coded Balance Display: Green for assets, red for liabilities
- Account Type Icons: Visual identification with banking, investment, and credit card icons
🔧 Display Customization Options
- Toggle External Links Column: Show/hide external banking links
- Toggle Asset Class Column: Show/hide category information
- Active/Inactive Filter: Display all accounts or active only
- Preferences Persistence: User preferences saved per browser session
⚙️ Account Status Controls
- Account Activation/Deactivation: Toggle account active status without deletion
- Soft Delete System: Deactivation preserves all historical data
- Status Impact: Inactive accounts hidden from transaction dropdowns
- Reactivation: Instantly restore deactivated accounts with full history
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Account Overview Dashboard
- Review total assets, liabilities, and net worth calculations
- Monitor account count and active/inactive status
- Identify accounts requiring balance updates
- Access quick creation for missing account types
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Account Details Management
- Update all account information except user association
- Modify balances with automatic daily balance record creation
- Change account types with automatic category re-filtering
- Update external links and banking information
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Account Deactivation Process
- Confirm deactivation with account name display
- System warns about impact on transaction visibility
- Account hidden from dropdowns but data preserved
- Option to reactivate at any time with full functionality
Accounts are used throughout SavePoint. Here's how they connect to other pages and features. This is not an exhaustive list, but gives you an idea of how accounts tie into your financial tracking.
💳 Transactions
- Every transaction must be assigned to an account - you can't record a transaction without selecting which account it affects
- Transfers between accounts (like moving money from checking to savings) are supported
- Your transaction history is tied to accounts, so you can see all transactions for a specific account
📊 Balance Sheet
- The Balance Sheet page groups all your accounts by Asset Class (Liquid Assets, Retirement Assets, Real Estate, Liabilities, etc.)
- Your net worth calculation comes from adding up all account balances: Assets minus Liabilities
- When you enter or import daily balances on the Balance Sheet page, each account's balance updates automatically
- You can import balance history to track how each account's balance has changed over time
- Account types and asset classes determine where each account appears on your balance sheet
🎯 Goals
- Debt payoff goals can be linked to specific liability accounts (like a credit card or loan) to automatically track your payoff progress
- Savings goals can have allocation rules that specify which account(s) the money should be saved in
- Some goal types track progress based on account balance changes
🔥 FIRE Planning
- FIRE uses your total net worth from all active accounts (checking, savings, investments, minus debts) for progress tracking
- Your current net worth is compared to your target portfolio size to see how close you are to FIRE
- The calculation includes all account types, not just investments
📈 Reports
- Net worth trend reports show how your total account balances have changed over time
- Cashflow reports can be filtered by account to see income and expenses for specific accounts
- Yearly Trends shows year-over-year changes in account balances and net worth
Security and privacy controls protect your sensitive financial information with data masking, secure link handling, and user data isolation.
Security & Privacy Features
- Account Number Masking: Shows only last 4 digits as "•••• 1234"
- Secure External Links: Opens with noopener and noreferrer security
- URL Validation: External links must start with http/https
- Data Isolation: All operations scoped to authenticated user
- Session Security: Secure session management with automatic cleanup
- Input Validation: Validation on all account data entry
🛡️ Data Protection
- Local Database Storage: All financial data stored locally in a shared database on your device
- User Data Separation: Multi-user environments maintain complete data isolation by account - each user only accesses their own accounts, transactions, and budgets
- Session Auto-lock: Configurable inactivity timer locks your session and requires password re-entry, with 30-second warning before lock
Every major page in SavePoint includes a contextual help button (usually marked with a question mark or "Help" icon) that opens page-specific documentation. This built-in help system provides immediate access to guidance, workflows, and examples without leaving the application or searching external documentation.
📚 How Help Works
Click the Help button on any page to open a modal window with tabbed documentation specific to that page's features. Help content is organized into multiple tabs covering different aspects of the page's functionality - typically 3-5 tabs depending on page complexity.
Help Content Structure: Each help modal follows a consistent pattern: an Overview tab explaining what the page does, a Getting Started tab with step-by-step setup instructions, feature-specific tabs explaining individual capabilities, and a Tips or Best Practices tab with advanced usage guidance. This structure lets beginners start with basics while giving experienced users quick access to advanced features.
Examples Include: The Accounts page help covers account types, balance tracking, and management features. The Budget page help explains budget creation, tracking, and analysis. The FIRE Planning help documents scenario creation, Monte Carlo simulations, and milestone tracking. Transaction help covers importing, categorization, and bulk operations.
Always Up to Date: Built-in help is packaged with SavePoint and updates with each version release. You don't need internet access to read help content, and the documentation always matches your installed version's features.
SavePoint supports 8 languages and allows you to specify any currency for your accounts.
🌍 Language Support
- 8 Languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese
- Interface updates when you change the language in Settings
- If a translation is missing, English is shown as a fallback
💱 Currency Settings
- Any Currency Supported: Choose from 150+ preset currencies or enter any custom currency code
- Each account can have its own currency (e.g., USD checking account, EUR savings account)
- Set your base currency in Settings for consolidated reporting
- For detailed information on multi-currency features, exchange rates, and cross-currency transactions, see the Multi-Currency Support section
- Use systematic naming conventions: "Institution-Type-Purpose" (e.g., "MainBank-Checking-Primary", "RetirementFund-IRA-Roth")
- Configure asset classes carefully for accurate balance sheet generation
- Use account deactivation rather than deletion to preserve historical data
- Use external links for quick online banking access during reconciliation
- Use the help system to learn features
- Account deactivation preserves all transaction history and is reversible, while deletion is permanent
- Liability account balances are automatically handled - enter debt amounts as positive values
- Asset class selection affects balance sheet categorization and cannot be easily changed later
- Always validate account setup with a test transaction before bulk data entry
- Account numbers are masked for security - only last 4 digits display