Documentation
Set up BalVault and export bank balances to CSV
A straightforward guide to connecting SimpleFIN Bridge, configuring BalVault, and opening your balances in a spreadsheet.
Before you begin: prerequisites
- A Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer.
- A SimpleFIN Bridge account ($1.50/month, billed separately by SimpleFIN).
- A spreadsheet app such as LibreOffice Calc, Microsoft Excel, or Google Sheets.
BalVault does not need your bank username or password. SimpleFIN handles bank connections and authentication.
Step 1: Sign up for SimpleFIN Bridge
Open bridge.simplefin.org and create a SimpleFIN account. Follow the prompts to connect the banks, cards, loans, or investment institutions you want to use.
Complete any bank verification or two-factor authentication in SimpleFIN. Wait until your accounts appear in the SimpleFIN dashboard before continuing.
Step 2: Download BalVault
Download BalVault from the download page. Extract the downloaded ZIP to a folder you control, such as Documents\BalVault.
Open the extracted folder and double-click BalVaultStart.bat. If Windows shows a security prompt, verify that you downloaded the file from the BalVault site, then choose to keep or run it. Do not run the app from inside the ZIP file.
Step 3: Get your SimpleFIN setup token
In the SimpleFIN dashboard, open the setup-token or API access area and choose the option to generate or reveal a setup token. Copy the complete token exactly as shown.
A setup token is a long, opaque value (often containing letters, numbers, and punctuation). It is not your SimpleFIN password and is not your bank password. Treat it as sensitive: do not paste it into a public document or send it to anyone.
Step 4: Configure BalVault
In BalVault, paste the setup token into the SimpleFIN token field and save it. BalVault stores the token locally on your computer; it does not send your financial data to BalVault servers.
- Choose a CSV output path, for example
Documents\BalVault\balances.csv. Use a location your spreadsheet can access. - Choose the refresh interval available in the app. Once per day is generally sufficient because SimpleFIN data may not update more often.
- Run a refresh or fetch. Confirm that the CSV is created at the path you selected.
Keep the CSV in a private folder. Anyone who can open it can see the balances it contains.
Step 5: Open your CSV in a spreadsheet
Open the CSV from your file manager, or import it from inside your spreadsheet app. If an import dialog appears, select UTF-8 encoding and comma as the separator.
- LibreOffice Calc: File → Open, select the CSV, then choose comma and UTF-8 in the import dialog.
- Excel: Data → Get Data → From File → From Text/CSV, then check the delimiter and encoding before loading.
- Google Sheets: File → Import → Upload, choose the CSV, and select “Replace spreadsheet” or “Insert new sheet” as appropriate.
The CSV is a snapshot of the latest successful fetch. Refresh BalVault first, then reload or re-import the file in your spreadsheet to see new values.
Troubleshooting
“Token invalid” or setup token rejected
Copy the token again from SimpleFIN, including all characters, with no leading or trailing spaces. Make sure you are using a setup token rather than your account password. If the token was revoked or expired, generate a new one and save it in BalVault.
No accounts are showing
Confirm the institutions finished connecting in SimpleFIN and that the token belongs to the same account. Run a refresh with an internet connection. If the institution reports an error in SimpleFIN, resolve it there before retrying BalVault.
The CSV is not updating
Check that you are looking at the exact output path configured in BalVault, and that the file is not read-only or open with an exclusive lock. Run BalVault manually, then check the file’s modified time. Finally, reload the CSV in your spreadsheet; spreadsheets may not automatically reread an open file.
CSV format reference
BalVault writes one row per account with these columns, in this order:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Account Name | Name supplied by the institution. |
| Type | Checking, savings, credit card, loan, mortgage, investment, or another supported type. |
| Balance | Current numeric balance. A negative value commonly represents money owed. |
| Currency | Three-letter currency code, such as USD. |
| Last Updated | Timestamp associated with the fetched account data. |
Frequently asked questions
For privacy, billing, supported institutions, licensing, and other deeper questions, see the BalVault FAQ.