First-Run Setup

The first time you open RockSolid Money with an empty file, it offers a short setup interview. It takes a few minutes, every step is skippable, and nothing is written until you click Finish on the last page. You can re-run it any time from Help > Get Started…

Step 1 — Name your household

The household name is just a label for your file — “The Smiths,” “Personal,” whatever you like. It appears in the file selector at the top left of the window. It is optional and can be changed later (file selector > Rename This File…).

Step 2 — Add your accounts

Add each account with its current balance. Quick-add buttons cover the common types (checking, savings, credit card, investment, loan); the full list includes cash, mortgage, retirement, property, and more.

• For an asset (checking, savings, cash), enter the balance you have.
• For a debt (credit card, loan, mortgage), enter how much you owe. The application stores and displays it correctly — you will see it as “$415.12 owed,” never an ambiguous signed number.
• Not sure of a balance? Leave it blank. You can set it later.

The balance you enter becomes an anchored opening balance dated the day you set up. When you later import history, the account's balance accrues correctly relative to that anchor — it is never re-summed from zero.

Step 3 — Start with some categories

A new file has no categories, and categories are what power the budget and reports. Setup offers a common starter set (Salary, Groceries, Housing, Utilities, and so on) — uncheck any you don't want, or skip the step entirely and build your own list later under Tools > Categories & Payees…

Step 4 — Finish

The last page summarizes exactly what will be created — nothing is written until you click Finish. Check Import bank or card statements right after setup and Finish hands you directly to the Import Wizard.

Step 5 — Bring in your history: the Import Wizard

Setup gives you accounts with today's balances; the Import Wizard is what fills them with history — and it's where the dashboard, budget, and reports come to life. If you didn't check the import option, start it any time with the Import button in the top bar or File > Import File… (Ctrl+I).

Point it at a file downloaded from your bank, card, or brokerage (CSV, OFX/QFX, or QIF) and it walks you through the rest:

• Files from recognized institutions import against a shipped profile — usually nothing to do but review the preview and commit.
• For an unrecognized layout, the wizard proposes a column mapping, shows your own rows interpreted under it, and proves the money-in/money-out direction against the file's running balance instead of guessing. Confirm once and later files from that bank import in one step.
• Nothing reaches the ledger until you commit, every import can be rolled back as a unit, and every imported transaction keeps evidence of the exact source row it came from.

Start with one or two months from your main checking account and a credit card — the balances you anchored in Step 2 stay correct as history arrives. The full walkthrough is in Importing Your First Statement.

If you skipped setup

Nothing is lost. Add accounts from the Accounts screen or the + New button, categories from Tools > Categories & Payees…, and run the interview any time from Help > Get Started… (it only offers itself automatically on an empty file).

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Still need help?

If you're still stuck, contact us or email support@rockriverresearch.com — you will reach the people who build RockSolid Money.