Importing Your History - The CSV Wizard

📥 Importing Your History - The CSV Wizard

You shouldn’t have to leave your financial history behind just because you’ve upgraded your tools. Whether you’ve been tracking your life in a spreadsheet, using an app like TrailWallet, or you want to pull in a year of bank statements, the CSV Import Wizard is your bridge to a perfect 10-year forecast.

The magic of the Wizard is that it doesn’t care how your old data is formatted. It teaches the app how to read your specific file, ensuring every grocery run and fuel stop from the last five years is accounted for.

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🛠️ Step 1: Prepare Your File

Before you start, ensure your data is in a .csv format. Most banks and budgeting apps have an “Export to CSV” button.

💡 Pro-Tip: Keep the Headers Your file is easier to import if the first row contains labels (like “Date”, “Amount”, “Store”). Don’t worry if the names don’t match our app—you’ll “map” them in the next step!

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📂 Step 2: Start the Wizard

1. Open the Money tab and navigate to Settings (the gear icon).
2. Tap Import Data (CSV).
3. Select your file from the iPhone/iPad Files app.

The Wizard will now open and show you a preview of your raw data.

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🧩 Step 3: Teaching the App Your Language (Mapping)

This is where the engine gets to work. You will see a list of fields that the app needs to function (Date, Amount, Vendor, etc.). Next to each one, you will pick the column from your file that matches.

• The Essentials: You must map the Date and Amount columns at a minimum.
• Smart Mapping: Map the Vendor (Store) and Memo (Notes) columns to keep your history searchable.
• Category Translation: If your old file has categories, map them! The Wizard is smart enough to try and match your old categories to your new ones automatically.

✨ Magic Feature: Multi-Currency Logic If your export contains transactions in multiple currencies (like a summer trip through Europe), you can map the Currency Code column. The app will automatically use its internal exchange rate “Oracle” to convert those old Euros or Pesos into your home currency!

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🛡️ Step 4: The Safety Filter (Review)

Before a single transaction is saved to your ledger, the app runs a Pre-Flight Check.

• The Preview: You will see a list of every transaction the app is about to import.
• Duplicate Detection: The engine looks for transactions with the same date and amount to prevent you from accidentally double-counting your expenses.
• Final Destination: You can choose exactly which Account these transactions should be imported into (e.g., your “Old Spreadsheet” account or your “Main Bank”).

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✅ Step 5: Execute and Forecast

Once you hit Import, the app processes the data locally on your device. Within seconds, your Money Dashboard will update.

Suddenly, those “12-Month Heartbeat” charts and “10-Year Runway” forecasts aren’t just guesses—they are powered by your real-world history.

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What’s Next?

Now that your history is in the app, it’s time to see what your future looks like! Head over to the dashboard to see your newly calculated lifetime runway.

👉 The Money Dashboard - Your Financial Command Center 👉 Understanding Financial Scenarios