The monthly check-in

What is the monthly check-in?

Elsewhere you take projected inputs (the plan) or log actuals wherever you like (Tracking, Cashflow). The check-in is neither. It is an ordered set of steps that brings this month’s real numbers up to date in one sitting, so Tracking’s trend stays honest.

The check-in closes out the month just gone. In early October, for example, it closes September: the review, the savings and the verdict all cover September, and the titles say so. Balances are as of today.

It is built for your phone, full-screen, and always resumes wherever you left off.

How do I start the check-in?

On your phone, two things on Home lead here.

• A compact “Monthly Loop” card, titled “Close <Month>”, shows three stations: Balances, Spending and Verdict, each marked done or outstanding. The card header reads “1 task”, “1 alert” or “Done”, and you can collapse the card. Tap Balances or Spending to land there directly. Verdict becomes tappable once no step is outstanding.
• An outstanding check-in also shows a card further up Home, headlined “Complete <Month> check-in” with an “Open check-in” button.

The Monthly Loop card also has a statements row with an upload button for each account still to come in, and a link to see them all. It counts statements for the month being closed, not this month. A “welcome back” nudge and other prompts open the same ritual at whichever step fits.

What is on the checklist?

The ritual opens on “Close out <Month>” (the month just gone), with a quiet “About 2 min” estimate and a progress line, say “2 of 4 done”, above a short checklist.

• Import statement. The same import as Cashflow, balance check included (see Importing a statement). The step is done once every account’s statement for that month is in or skipped. Its line lists what is still to upload, for example “DBS, OCBC still to upload”, or reads “All September statements in”.
• Review flagged transactions. A quick look at anything the import flagged.
• Confirm <Month>’s savings. A one-tap nod to that month’s net cash flow, right on the checklist.
• Update balances. Confirm or edit your current balances and holding values.

A dimmed fifth row for the verdict lights up once every step above is done or skipped. Every step is optional: “Every step is optional. Come back to any of them later.” is printed on the screen, and “Continue” always takes you to whatever is still outstanding.

What does the review step flag?

This step covers exceptions only. Three things get flagged:

• a possible duplicate (same amount and day as one already imported);
• an uncategorised transaction;
• one larger than usual.

Nothing flagged shows “Nothing to review.”

Each flagged card gets one real action. An uncategorised transaction gets category chips to sort with one tap. A duplicate or an unusually large transaction gets “View transaction”, taking you to it in Cashflow rather than a dismiss that just hides it. “Mark N as reviewed” returns you to the checklist.

How do I confirm my balances?

This step lists everything you have logged a balance for (cash, other groups, any live-priced holding) with its current value. Tap a row to edit it, or tap “Confirm” if it has not moved. CPF sits at the bottom, muted, noted as “Projected from your plan. Nothing to log.”

Nothing logged yet this month offers an “Add a balance” button instead. “Confirm balances” confirms everything outstanding in one tap, and “Skip for now” sits below it.

What does the verdict mean?

The ritual ends on a card headlined “<Month> check-in done”, with one of these verdicts underneath. They are the same sources Home’s Monthly Loop card reads.

• “On track. This month is within your plan’s range.”
• “Not enough logged yet to compare with your plan.” Home’s Monthly Loop card shortens this to “Quiet month”. It means there is nothing to compare yet, not that the month was uneventful.
• “One issue to review this month.” With no specific nudge to open, it reads “Behind plan this month. See Home for the gap.” instead.

Below the verdict, a figures line sums up what you saved or spent and how your net worth moved, ending at your current figure. On a shared plan, a line also notes who last updated the numbers. “Back to Home” closes the ritual out.

When the verdict flags an issue, a button takes you to it. If your home, mortgage or CPF is left out of the net-worth figure, a short note says so.