Where is my data stored, and how do I back it up?
In a single database file on your Mac, inside the app's sandbox container. Open Backup & Restore in the sidebar and click Back Up to write a copy anywhere you like — an external drive, a folder, wherever you keep things. Restoring is the same screen in reverse. If you are moving to a new Mac, back up on the old one and restore on the new one. MacMoney also keeps a week of automatic daily backups on its own. If you switch on iPhone Sync there is a second copy in your own private iCloud database as well — see the iPhone questions below.
Does MacMoney connect to my bank?
No. MacMoney does not link to bank accounts and never asks for banking credentials. You bring transactions in by downloading a file from your bank — QIF, OFX, QFX or CSV — and using Import Transactions. Most banks offer at least one of those under a "download" or "export" option in their online banking.
My bank's CSV file looks wrong when imported.
MacMoney detects columns rather than assuming a fixed layout, and handles both comma and semicolon files as well as European number formats. If a column is still matched to the wrong field, the review screen shows you every row before anything is saved, so you can correct it there. If a particular bank's file defeats it, send us the file with the personal details removed and we will look at the format.
My reconciliation will not balance.
The difference figure at the top of the Reconcile screen tells you how far off you are. The usual causes are a transaction that has cleared at the bank but is not ticked, a transaction entered twice, or an opening balance that does not match the statement you started from. Work backwards from the difference — if it matches a single transaction's amount, that is your answer.
I have accounts in more than one currency.
Each account stores its own currency and its own exchange rate, and every cross-account total is reported in whichever currency you pick from the toolbar. Choose Refresh Rates in that menu to fetch current rates, or type a rate in yourself. Transactions keep the rate they were recorded at, so refreshing rates does not rewrite last year's reports.
How do I get live stock prices for my holdings?
MacMoney fetches quotes from Finnhub, which is free but needs a key of your own. Register at finnhub.io/register, then in MacMoney open Investments, click the gear beside Refresh prices, paste the key in and Save. From then on Refresh prices updates every holding on screen: the latest price, the day's move on each position, and the day's move across the whole portfolio. The key is kept in your Mac's Keychain rather than in your MacMoney file, so it never travels inside a backup or an export. Quotes arrive in US dollars and are converted into each account's own currency at that account's exchange rate, so a euro account still reads in euro.
One of my holdings did not get a price.
A refresh tells you which symbols came back with nothing, and leaves those holdings at the price they already had rather than zeroing out a position. The usual cause is a typo in the ticker, or a security the free tier does not cover — it quotes US-listed stocks and ETFs, not mutual funds, foreign listings or crypto. Check the symbol against the one your broker shows. If a whole refresh fails rather than a single holding, the message says why: a rejected key, no connection, or the free tier's ceiling of 60 lookups a minute. A large portfolio refreshes a little more slowly rather than failing, but repeated rapid refreshes can reach that ceiling — wait a minute and try again.
The day's change disappeared after I reopened the app.
That is deliberate. The price itself is saved with the holding, but the day's move belongs to a single trading session, so MacMoney does not store it. If it did, opening the app on Monday would show Friday's move as though it were today's. Press Refresh prices and the day column comes back with current figures.
Is the Financial Checkup financial advice?
No. It is an educational tool that applies documented assumptions to the numbers you enter, and it says so on the results screen. It is built around United States retirement and tax rules — Social Security, 401(k) and IRA accounts, Medicare timing, required minimum distributions — and reports in US dollars, so enter your figures in USD. For decisions that deserve professional precision, speak to a licensed advisor.
How does the trial work, and what happens after it?
MacMoney is free to download and fully usable for 30 days, with no card required and nothing held back — every feature is available from the first day. After the trial it renews at $39.99 a year unless you cancel first, and it covers every Mac and iPhone you sign in to — and, through Family Sharing, up to five other people in your Apple Family. You can cancel any time from your Apple Account settings, and cancelling still leaves you the rest of the year you paid for. If your subscription does end, MacMoney keeps opening in read-only mode: you can always view, back up and export everything you entered. We will not lock you out of your own records.
I bought MacMoney but a new Mac says it is unpurchased.
Use Restore Purchases on the purchase screen, and make sure the Mac is signed in to the same Apple Account you bought with. Apple ties the purchase to the account rather than the machine, so there is no license key to find or transfer. If someone in your Apple Family bought it, Restore Purchases works for you too — MacMoney is set up for Family Sharing.
Can I change which cards appear on the Home screen?
Yes. Click the sliders icon at the top right of the Home screen. Every card has a checkbox to switch it off and arrows to move it up or down, and Reset to default puts the original set and order back. Changes apply straight away and are remembered the next time you open MacMoney. Hiding a card changes nothing about your accounts, transactions or totals — it only stops that card being drawn, and switching it back on brings everything with it. A few cards are marked with an information icon because they appear only when they have something to report, so switching one on may show nothing until there is data for it.
Can I change the language?
Yes. Use the globe button in the toolbar to pick from English, German, Spanish, French, Italian or Portuguese. MacMoney will offer to relaunch so the change takes effect throughout the app.
How do I put MacMoney on my iPhone?
Install the free MacMoney companion from the App Store on your iPhone, then on your Mac open Settings → iPhone Sync and turn it on. MacMoney saves a backup first, then reopens and begins mirroring your data through your own private iCloud — both devices need to be signed in to the same Apple Account with iCloud on. Your accounts, budgets and bills appear on the phone within a minute or two of the first sync. Nothing about this involves a server of ours: the only place your data travels is your own iCloud database, encrypted in transit and at rest.
Where do entries I make on the iPhone show up on my Mac?
Quick Entry on the iPhone records a real transaction — balances and budgets update on both devices right away. On the Mac, the account's register shows a banner counting entries from your iPhone that you haven't looked at yet, each marked with a small iPhone symbol. Right-click one and choose Mark as Reviewed once you've confirmed the category the phone guessed, or use the banner's filter to see just those entries. Editing a transaction remains a Mac job, which is deliberate — it keeps sync simple and your ledger trustworthy.
What happens to the iPhone app if my subscription ends?
The same thing that happens on the Mac: nothing is taken away except the ability to add. The iPhone keeps showing your accounts, budgets and bills, keeps syncing, and keeps reminding you before bills are due. Quick Entry and mark-bill-paid need an active subscription, matching the Mac's read-only mode. We will not lock you out of your own records on either device.
Can I restore a backup, or take my data back out of iCloud?
Both, in that order if you want the restore to win. While iPhone Sync is on, the Restore button is disabled — restoring under an active sync would merge the old file with what iCloud sends back down rather than replacing it. Turn sync off in Settings → iPhone Sync first, restore, and if you want the restored file to become the authoritative copy, use Delete iCloud Data on the same screen before turning sync back on. Deleting the iCloud copy never touches the data on your Mac or your iPhone — it removes only the synced copy in your private database.
What are the system requirements?
macOS 15.0 (Sequoia) or later, on any Mac that runs it. MacMoney works entirely offline apart from three optional things you turn on yourself: exchange rates, stock prices for your holdings, and iPhone Sync through your own iCloud. The iPhone companion needs iOS 17.2 or later, an iCloud account, and MacMoney for Mac with iPhone Sync switched on.
