Dashwell User Guide

Four Modes, One App

• Portfolio — a consolidated, cross-mode dashboard: the "look here first" view pulling in widgets from Stocks, Banking, and Custom.
• Stocks — broker holdings, positions, options, dividends, reports, and Planning tools (Roth Conversion and Option Exercise planners).
• Banking — cards and bank statements: a checkbook-style register per account, categorization, monthly/annual budgets, and reconcile — with optional automatic Apple Wallet capture on iPhone.
• Custom — turn any CSV into its own dashboard (inventories, collections, project trackers, and more). Included at no extra cost.

Getting Started

1. Launch Dashwell on Mac, iPad, or iPhone
2. On first launch, read the short disclaimer, tick I have read and agree to the Terms of Use, and choose Agree and Continue — it's shown once per device
3. Mac: if Dashwell Portfolio Creator or DashCSV is installed, portfolio, Custom Modes, and API keys copy over automatically on first launch
4. iPad / iPhone: open your saved .findash or .dashcsv file (AirDrop, Files, or Import), or use Import from DashCSV or Dashwell Portfolio
5. Otherwise, import your first CSV — a broker positions export, a bank/card statement, or any data file — and Dashwell routes it to the right mode

Importing Your Data

Every mode is CSV-first — nothing requires a purchase or a cloud account to get started:

• Stocks: import broker positions (Fidelity and Schwab auto-detected) and optional transaction history
• Banking: import a card or bank statement CSV — Apple Card exports are auto-detected — or connect Apple Wallet on iPhone for automatic capture
• Custom: import any CSV; Dashwell detects column types and a unique-key column automatically

Planning — Roth Conversion & Option Exercise

Under Stocks → Planning (or on Mac, File → Roth Conversion Planner…), Dashwell includes educational planners that use your own numbers. Results are estimates under your assumptions — not tax, investment, or financial advice. Consult a CPA or qualified advisor before acting.

• Roth Conversion Planner — based on published Vanguard research, it finds a break-even tax rate: the future rate above which converting traditional IRA money to a Roth comes out ahead under your assumptions. It can start from your imported account balances (IRA, taxable yield, gains, and cash), shows a dollar breakdown and a chart, and lets you save scenarios to compare. Export as CSV, HTML, Excel, or PDF, and pin a scenario to the Roth Break-Even dashboard widget. Dashwell is not affiliated with or endorsed by Vanguard.
• Option Exercise Planner — choose which expiring calls to sell to raise tax cash with the least realized gain, and see what exercising the rest costs in each account. Available as a dashboard widget or a full Planning page with a month-by-month view and the same export formats.

On first launch, Dashwell shows a short disclaimer that the app is for education and planning. You can re-read it from Help → Disclaimer & Terms… or About Dashwell.

Apple Wallet Bank Sync & iCloud Sync

On iPhone, connect Bank Sync (Settings → Bank Sync) to download new Apple Card, Apple Cash, and Apple Savings activity into Banking mode automatically, using Apple's on-device FinanceKit framework — nothing leaves your device during capture. It's included with Dashwell, no separate purchase.

On iPhone Duo, unfold to use the whole inner display — two widgets per row, full Register and Budget tables, and room to work side by side. Fold and you're back to the familiar single-screen iPhone layout. Tap any spend total or category to see the transactions behind it.

Enable optional iCloud Sync to keep Portfolio, Stocks, Banking, and Custom data aligned across your devices — off by default. A single sync status pill, visible from every screen, shows sync status and runs a one-tap Sync All (on iPhone, Wallet capture first, then iCloud). iCloud keeps your data in sync; each device can arrange its own widgets — a wide Mac overview, an unfolded Duo workspace, and a compact iPhone glance from the same holdings. API keys stay per device.

Settings & Configuration

• API Keys — optional market data providers for live quotes (Alpha Vantage, Tiingo, Massive, FMP — all free-tier)
• Accounts & Registers — manage broker accounts (Stocks) and banking registers, including hide/deactivate/delete with a totals-inclusion toggle
• iCloud Sync — create or join a cloud environment; choose Editor or Viewer
• Bank Sync (iPhone) — connect, pause, disconnect, or reset Apple Wallet capture

Data Security & Privacy

• Local-first: all data stored on your device, not our servers
• Apple Wallet data is processed entirely on-device via Apple's FinanceKit — Dashwell never sees or transmits it
• iCloud Sync, when enabled, uses your own private CloudKit container
• API keys are stored in Keychain, never transmitted to us

For complete details, see our Privacy Policy — one policy covers Dashwell, Dashwell Portfolio Creator, and DashCSV.

Frequently Asked Questions