Manual Entry (the Bucket Approach)
Manual Entry puts you in control: you add up your balances by account type and enter the totals directly in the Setup Panel. No app subscriptions, no CSV exports, nothing to configure beyond the numbers you already know.
Best for: first-time users, quick what-if scenarios, users without an app subscription like Monarch.
The Five Buckets
Section titled “The Five Buckets”Your net worth is made of different “buckets.” For Manual Entry, add up the balances in each type and enter the totals:
| Bucket | What Goes Here | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | Checking, savings, money market accounts | $45,000 |
| Taxable brokerage | Regular investment accounts (not retirement) | $120,000 |
| Traditional IRA / 401(k) | Pre-tax retirement accounts | $380,000 |
| Roth IRA / 401(k) | After-tax retirement accounts | $95,000 |
| Home value | What your home is approximately worth today | $620,000 |
| Liabilities | Mortgages, car loans, other debts | $393,000 |
Don’t worry about perfect categorization — you can change it later.
