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Align register to bank balance

When your bank connection reports a current balance that differs from your register total, use Align to bank to insert one Balance adjustment so the ledger matches.

Home and net worth already prefer the bank’s balance when one is stored. Align updates the register so running balance and statement work stay consistent.

Before you align​

A mismatch often means transactions have not posted or cleared at your bank yet — not that your register is wrong. Wait about a day (and sync again) before aligning. If the difference is still there after a day or so, use Align to bank.

Prerequisites​

  • Big Picture Money is unlocked
  • The account is mapped to a bank connection and has been synced at least once (so a bank balance is available)
  • The bank balance and register disagree (the app shows how far off you are)
  • You have waited about a day when the gap is likely pending or uncleared activity

Steps​

  1. Open Settings → Bank integration, or open the account’s register under Accounts / Views.
  2. Find the message that the bank is off your register (for example Bank is $X off your register). The message also reminds you that pending or uncleared bank activity is a common cause.
  3. Click Align to bank only after you have waited about a day (or you are sure the gap is real).
  4. Confirm if prompted.
  5. Open the account register and find the new Balance adjustment row.

Expected result​

  • A Balance adjustment transaction appears in the register for the difference, with a green highlight and no spending category
  • The register’s ending balance matches the bank’s stored balance
  • The drift message clears on Bank integration and on the register
  • Balance adjustment rows do not appear in the Bank sync — recent view
  • Everyday spending totals do not treat the adjustment as spending — including Spending and Income vs expense on Reports

Correct the amount from Chat​

If the adjustment amount is wrong, you can ask Chat to propose a new amount (and safe fields such as date or memo). Review the preview and click Apply. The assistant will not categorize a Balance adjustment. Starting bank sync or pasting connection tokens stays human-only — see Using AI Chat.