Categories and PayeesCategories are how spending and income get meaning — the budget, the spending reports, and the dashboard's “where did the money go” all build on them.
Where categories come from
A new file has none. The setup interview offers a starter set; you can add, rename, and organize the list any time under Tools > Categories & Payees…
Categories have kinds — income vs. expense — and a couple of special ones the application treats correctly on its own: a crypto purchase is money moved into an asset, not ordinary spending, so the budget doesn't count it as consumption (see Budgets); network/transaction fees are recognized likewise.
Categorizing transactions
Assign categories from any register. Your categorization is one of the durable edits an import can never overwrite. Uncategorized imported transactions are surfaced on the dashboard's Needs Attention panel so the backlog stays visible instead of quietly growing.
Payees
The payee shown for an imported transaction starts as what the bank wrote (“MCDONALD'S F26871”). You can override the display payee on any transaction — another edit that re-imports preserve. Manage the payee list in the same Tools > Categories & Payees… dialog.
Still need help?
If you're still stuck, contact us or email support@rockriverresearch.com — you will reach the people who build RockSolid Money.