What is SimpleFIN Bridge?
SimpleFIN Bridge is a read-only account aggregation service. It connects to participating financial institutions, handles authentication and two-factor verification, and makes account data available through its API. SimpleFIN costs $1.50/month, billed separately by SimpleFIN. BalVault does not replace or bundle that service.
SimpleFIN Bridge tutorial: three steps
- Create your SimpleFIN account. Visit bridge.simplefin.org and follow the signup prompts.
- Link your banks and accounts. Choose the institutions you use and complete any authentication or 2FA inside SimpleFIN. Wait until the accounts appear there.
- Copy your setup token. In SimpleFIN’s setup-token or API-access area, generate or reveal the token and copy it exactly. It is not your password; treat it as sensitive.
Connect SimpleFIN to a spreadsheet with BalVault
Download BalVault, open it on your Windows PC, and paste the setup token into the SimpleFIN token field. Choose where to save the CSV, then run a fetch. BalVault consumes the token, requests read-only balances, and writes a spreadsheet-friendly CSV to your chosen path. Open that CSV in your spreadsheet app.
The full setup guide includes CSV import tips for LibreOffice Calc, Excel, and Google Sheets. Refresh BalVault before reloading the file when you want a newer snapshot.
The privacy model
SimpleFIN handles the bank relationship; BalVault never needs your bank username or password. BalVault stores only the SimpleFIN setup token in local SQLite and keeps account data on your computer. The token does not leave your PC to a BalVault cloud service. Keep both the token and exported CSV in private locations, because anyone who can access them may be able to request or view financial information.
Learn more about BalVault’s features, see how it compares with other approaches on compare, or review pricing for the one-time BalVault purchase.