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Import bank statements

CalBudget can read bank statement exports so you can compare real activity against your calendar or turn repeated history into recurring schedules.

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Supported files

CalBudget accepts:
  • CSV files
  • OFX files
  • QFX files
  • TXT files that contain statement-style CSV or OFX content
For CSV files, CalBudget looks for common columns such as date, description, amount, debit, credit, deposit, withdrawal, type, or transaction type.

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Choose an import mode

The import screen has two modes:
  • Reconcile compares imported activity against planned calendar transactions.
  • Recurring scans statement history for repeated bills and income schedules.
Use Reconcile when you want to clean up what already happened. Use Recurring when you want CalBudget to find predictable future items from past history.

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Import a statement

  1. Open Import statement.
  2. Choose Reconcile or Recurring.
  3. Drop the file into the upload area, or select the upload area and choose a file.
  4. Wait while CalBudget analyzes the statement.
  5. Review the results before anything is saved.

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What CalBudget reads from the file

CalBudget reads transaction dates, descriptions, and amounts. It treats positive amounts as income and negative amounts as expenses. For common debit and credit column formats, CalBudget converts debits into expenses and credits into income. Some credit card files export charges as positive numbers. CalBudget detects common credit card statement formats and flips those signs so charges become expenses and payments become income or credits.

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If the file cannot be read

If CalBudget cannot find any transactions, export a fresh file from your bank and check that it includes dates, descriptions, and amounts. CSV, OFX, and QFX exports work best when they come directly from your bank or credit card website.

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Before you save

Always review the import results. Statement files can contain transfers, refunds, bank-specific naming, or unusual sign conventions. The review step is where you confirm what should be matched, created, ignored, or turned into a recurring schedule.