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Linking a bank pulls your transactions in automatically through Plaid, the same connection layer your bank already trusts. Budget Bandit never sees your bank password — you sign in inside Plaid’s secure window.
1

Open Connections

Go to Settings, then Connections. Under “Link a new institution,” choose Connect a bank.
2

Sign in through Plaid

Find your bank, then enter your credentials in the Plaid window. If your bank uses a one-time code or app approval, complete it there.
3

Map the accounts

Plaid returns the accounts at that institution. For each one, choose to create a new account in Budget Bandit or attach it to an existing account you have been tracking by hand. Attaching keeps the transactions you already entered and lets the linked feed take over from there.
4

Finish

Budget Bandit creates or links the accounts and pulls the first batch of transactions. They land in your To Review queue uncategorized, so nothing is filed until you confirm it.
Linking a bank does not create a new budget. It adds or links accounts inside the budget you are in. Only the file migration importers (YNAB, Monarch, Actual) create a separate budget. See Import overview.

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What auto-sync does

Once linked, Budget Bandit pulls new transactions from the institution on a recurring basis. Each sync:
  • Adds new transactions to the matching account, unapproved, in To Review.
  • Promotes a pending transaction to posted in place when the bank clears it, so you do not get two rows for the same purchase. See Pending vs posted.
  • Removes a transaction if the bank reverses or drops it.
You can also pull on demand. On the Connections page, choose Sync now next to an institution. The toast tells you how many were added, updated, or removed.
Imported transactions are denominated in the amounts your bank reports. Confirm and categorize them from To Review, then they flow into your budget.

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When a connection needs attention

Banks periodically require you to re-authenticate. When that happens the institution shows Reconnect required or Expiring soon on the Connections page. Fix it with Reconnect a bank.

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If something looks wrong

Supported banks

Coverage through Plaid, and what to do if your bank is not found.

Reconnect a bank

Restore a broken or expired connection, including the MFA step.

Manual accounts

Track an account by hand when a feed is not available.

Sync and privacy

How your data moves and what stays on device.