PrivateChief Books: Household Bookkeeping, Closed Every Month With Your Chief
Books is the PrivateChief tool that keeps the household books for you. Your Chief collects each month's statements, sorts the transactions into categories, asks only about the ones it cannot sort, and prepares the monthly reports when you approve the close. The household in this walkthrough, the Ashfords, is invented for the demonstration, and every bank, merchant and amount on screen is made up.
Chapters
- 0:00The household books, closed every month
- 0:16September at a glance
- 0:32Connecting accounts securely through Plaid
- 0:49Importing a downloaded statement
- 1:00Profit and loss by category
- 1:12Searching and recategorizing transactions
- 1:26Questions grouped by description
- 1:38A suggested category, with confidence and reason
- 1:51Your answer is remembered
- 2:01Ready to close
- 2:15Find out more
What Books does
- Starts each month's close on the day and time you choose and emails you a checklist.
- Connects bank and card accounts through Plaid's secure bank authorization; PrivateChief receives the account data, never your bank password. A supervised secure browser, where you sign in yourself, is the fallback.
- Imports downloaded statement files (CSV, TXT, OFX, QFX, XLSX, XLS) without duplicate rows.
- Shows profit and loss by category, with transfers excluded, and every transaction behind each total.
- Lets you search and filter transactions and move any one to another category, keeping the earlier category on record.
- Groups unclear transactions by description and suggests a category with its confidence and reason; nothing is applied until you accept.
- Remembers your answer for future statements.
- Prepares the final monthly and accountant reports when you approve the close, with a private spending review by email.
What the narrator says
0:00The household books, closed every month
Statements arrive from different banks, and some transactions always need a decision. Books collects the statements, sorts the transactions, asks only about the unclear ones, and prepares the monthly reports.
0:16September at a glance
This is September for the Ashfords, a family invented for this demonstration. On the day they choose each month, Savannah, their Chief, starts the close and emails a checklist. One of three accounts is in so far.
0:32Connecting accounts securely through Plaid
Accounts connect through Plaid's secure bank authorization, so PrivateChief receives the account data, never the bank password. Once connected, one button retrieves the whole month. A secure browser, where you sign in yourself, is the fallback.
0:49Importing a downloaded statement
If a bank won't allow automatic retrieval, download the statement file and add it here. PrivateChief sorts it and prevents duplicate rows.
1:00Profit and loss by category
Once everything is in, Profit and Loss totals the month by category, with transfers left out. Select a category to see the transactions behind it.
1:12Searching and recategorizing transactions
Transactions can be searched, and filtered to expenses, income, transfers or recurring payments. Any one can be moved to another category, and the earlier category stays on record.
1:26Questions grouped by description
Savannah asks only about what she cannot sort herself. Matching descriptions are grouped, so three visits to the farm stand are one decision, not three.
1:38A suggested category, with confidence and reason
Open one, and she suggests a category, with her confidence and her reason. Nothing is applied until you accept it, and you can discuss it with her first.
1:51Your answer is remembered
Or choose a category yourself. Your answer covers every matching transaction, and it is remembered for future statements.
2:01Ready to close
When every account is in and every question is answered, the month is ready to close. Approve it, and the final monthly and accountant reports are prepared, with a private spending review by email.
2:15Find out more
Books. The household books, closed every month, with you deciding only what needs you. PrivateChief. Find out more at privatechief.com.
