FAQ and Troubleshooting

FAQ and Troubleshooting

Contents

• General
• Data and categories
• Numbers
• Starting the app
• Error messages

General

Is my data uploaded anywhere? No. The app runs on your computer and only answers requests from it. See Privacy and Safety.

Where are my changes saved? Settings in config/*.yaml; numbers changed on the page and scenarios in .financial_planner/state.json, both in the plan folder.

Why is a box blue? You changed it from its starting value.

I edited the YAML by hand. Do I need to restart? No, reload the page.

Can two people use the same plan? Each person can keep a copy of the plan folder and send scenarios back and forth with share codes (Scenarios and Sharing). Opening one folder from two computers at the same time isn't supported.

Can partners retire in different years? Not yet: everyone retires in the same calendar year as the first partner.

Data and categories

A transaction is in the wrong category. Open Settings › Categorize, click it, and choose the right category: just that transaction, or a rule for all like it. Or use Recategorize in Explore Spending. The row's Set by column shows which rule put it there.

My spending looks far too high. Card payments, transfers between your own accounts or savings transfers are probably counted as spending. Put them in an ignore category (Categories).

My paychecks show up as credits. Add {category: Paychecks, contains: PAYROLL, direction: credit} (with an ignore category Paychecks), adjusting the text to what your bank writes.

Purchases show as money in. The source's sign is backwards: flip outflow, or swap debit and credit (Data Sources).

Some transactions appear twice. Two exports overlap in dates. Export non-overlapping ranges or delete the older file.

One huge month distorts a category. Make the big item its own one_time category with a rule (e.g. min_amount), so it's kept out of the average and gets its own toggle.

I renamed a category in YAML and rules broke. Rename in Settings › Categories instead: it updates the rules for you. In YAML, update the category of each rule too.

Numbers

Why doesn't the planner total match my bank balance change? The planner is spending only: transfers, paychecks and savings are excluded by design, and accounts you didn't export aren't included.

Why is "income at retirement" lower than "once all Social Security starts"? Someone claims Social Security after retiring (or retires before 62).

What does "today's dollars" mean? Future amounts adjusted for inflation, so they compare with what things cost now.

The retirement numbers seem optimistic / pessimistic. Try the presets, and check the Social Security and pension estimates; the defaults are placeholders. All formulas: How the Numbers Work.

Starting the app

"Address already in use". Another app (or another copy of the planner) uses port 8765: financial_plan start --port 8766.

The browser didn't open. Open http://127.0.0.1:8765 yourself.

"the web app is not built". Only happens in a development checkout after deleting the built files: pixi run -e dev web-build.

The shortcut doesn't start. Re-create it with financial_plan launcher (paths change if you move the code or reinstall pixi). See Desktop App.

Error messages

Message	Meaning / fix
no config folder at …	That folder isn't a plan. Run financial_plan init or pass the right folder.
section "rules" is defined in both a.yaml and b.yaml	A section may live in one file only; merge them.
plan.titel: Extra inputs are not permitted	A typo in a field name; check the Config Reference.
a rule needs exactly one of row, equals, contains, matches, similar_to	A rule has none or several conditions.
bad regular expression …	Fix the matches pattern (quote it in YAML).
category 'X' offsets 'Y', which is not a spending or one_time category	offsets must name a listed spending or one-time category.
child 'Child 1': unknown school 'uc'	Use a key from assumptions.college.schools.
plan.today: must look like 2026-01	Use YYYY-MM (same for last_month and hs_graduation).
Source warnings	See Data Sources › Troubleshooting.