Bring your history with you

What it does

Your financial history is worth keeping. Years of transactions tell you what a normal month costs, when the yearly bills land and how far you’ve come. Changing apps shouldn’t mean starting again from zero.

Kemback gets your data in two ways. Import reads the files almost every bank offers for download: OFX, QFX, QIF and CSV. The switch wizards read exports from Quicken, Mint, YNAB and Monarch directly, creating every account and checking that the balances come out right.

How it works in Kemback

Open Import and choose a file. Before anything is saved, Kemback shows a preview: each account in the file, with its transactions (date, payee, category, amount and status). For each one, choose an existing account to import into, A new account with a name and kind, or Don’t import.

• No duplicates. Transactions already in Kemback are recognized and skipped, so you can import an overlapping file, or the same one twice, without cleaning up afterwards. Likely duplicates, such as a bill you entered before the bank showed it, are flagged and left out unless you choose to bring them in.
• CSV mapping, once per bank. CSV files vary, so the first time you match the columns: date, payee, amount (one column, or separate debit and credit columns), the date order and, if there is one, the bank’s transaction id. Save the mapping under the bank’s name and pick it next time.
• Balances checked. Where a file carries a statement balance, the result says whether the account’s balance matches it.
• Undo as a whole. Every import is a batch, listed under Past imports with its file name and transaction count. Undo removes its transactions, and any empty accounts it created.
• Rules run on the way in. Your categorization rules rename payees and fill in categories as transactions arrive, and new transactions wait in the review inbox.

What comes across from each app

Quicken. Export a QIF file with all accounts from Quicken for Windows or Mac and choose Switch from Quicken. Every bank, card and cash account comes across with its categories and transactions, and each balance is checked against Quicken’s to the cent. Investment accounts, classes, memorized payees, securities and price history aren’t brought across yet; Kemback lists anything it left behind, with what to do about it. Exporting changes nothing in Quicken, so you can keep it until you’re happy.

Mint. Mint closed in March 2024, but its transactions export (usually transactions.csv) still works. Kemback splits it into separate accounts, keeping each transaction’s date, payee, amount, category, labels (as tags) and notes. The file has no balances, so Kemback asks for each account’s balance today and sets the opening balance to match. Transfers and card payments between your accounts are linked, even a few days apart.

YNAB. Choose Export Plan in YNAB, unzip the download and pick the file whose name ends in Register. Every account comes across with its starting balance, so the history adds up to YNAB’s balance, or you can enter today’s balance instead. Category groups, split transactions, memos, cleared status and flags (as tags) come across, and transfers are linked. Monthly assignments don’t, but Kemback can suggest a budget from your history.

Monarch. Download your transactions from Monarch’s settings. One file holds every account, with categories, tags and notes. Kemback asks for each account’s balance today, and links transfers and card payments between accounts.

After any switch, Kemback can suggest a budget from the imported history, in envelope or category mode.

Where it runs

Import and the Quicken and Mint switches work in any browser at kemback.com and in the iPhone app, which is in beta. The YNAB and Monarch switches are newer and also work in the browser and the iPhone app (beta). All of it is on the Free plan. Automatic bank sync is coming with the Plus plan; until then, a file from your bank’s website keeps Kemback up to date.

Before you start, QIF, QFX, OFX and CSV explained covers which file to download, and switch from Quicken step by step walks through a whole move.

Questions

What happens if I import the same file twice?

Nothing is duplicated. Transactions already in Kemback are recognized and left out, and the result tells you how many were already there.

Can I undo an import?

Yes. Every import is a batch listed under Past imports. Undo removes its transactions, and any empty accounts it created, in one step.

What doesn't come across from Quicken?

Investment accounts, classes, memorized payees, securities and price history aren't brought across yet. Kemback lists anything it left behind, with what to do about it.

Mint has closed. Can I still use my old data?

Yes, if you saved Mint's transactions export (usually transactions.csv). Kemback reads it directly, with every account, category and label, and asks for each account's balance today.

Does Kemback connect to my bank automatically?

Not yet. Automatic bank sync is coming with the Plus plan. Today, download a file from your bank's website and import it. Kemback never asks for or stores your bank password.

Is switching free?

Yes. Importing and every switch wizard are on the Free plan.