Understanding Account Types
Last updated June 26, 2026
OwnBudget uses account types to understand the role each account plays in your financial picture. The type you choose when setting up an account determines how OwnBudget counts your balances, calculates your net worth, and handles your imported transactions. Getting this right at setup saves confusion later.
OwnBudget groups your accounts into three sections: Everyday Accounts, Debt & Loans, and Long-Term Accounts. The account type you choose determines which group it appears in.
Everyday Accounts
These are your active spending and saving accounts. OwnBudget calculates their balances automatically from imported transactions. They support CSV and OFX import and show a Reconcile button.
Checking
Your primary spending account. Transactions import as expenses (money out) or income (money in). Use this for checking and debit accounts.
Savings
Works like Checking for import purposes. Interest credited to a savings account is treated as income. Use this for savings accounts, high-yield savings accounts, and money market accounts.
Cash
Works identically to Checking — supports CSV and OFX import, auto-calculates balance from transactions. Use this if you operate primarily in cash and want to log cash income and expenses manually or import them from a CSV you maintain yourself.
Debt & Loans
These are liability accounts — they carry balances you owe, not money you have. Their balances reduce your net worth.
Credit Card
Purchases on a credit card are expenses. Payments from your checking account to your credit card are not expenses — they are transfers between two accounts you own, and should be tagged as Transfer when you import them. OwnBudget will attempt to detect these automatically when both accounts exist in your vault, but detection depends on how your bank describes the transaction. Always verify the Transfer tag is present on credit card payment rows after importing.
Mortgage
A liability account for a home loan. The balance is the amount you still owe — enter it as a negative number. Monthly payments from your checking account are expenses, not transfers, because the lender is not an account you own. Tag these as Mortgage when importing. OwnBudget will attempt to detect external mortgage payments automatically, but always verify the category after importing. Balance is manually updated — use the Update Balance button when your statement changes.
Loan
Works like Mortgage but for non-mortgage debt: auto loans, personal loans, student loans. Balance is manually updated. Monthly payments from your checking account are expenses — tag them with the appropriate category (Car / Auto Loan, etc.) when importing.
Long-Term Accounts
These accounts track your long-term assets and liabilities. None of them support transaction import — balances are entered and updated manually using the Update Balance button. They contribute to your True Net Worth but most are excluded from your Liquid Net Worth by default.
Investment
For brokerage accounts and general investment holdings. Balance-only, manually updated. Excluded from Liquid Net Worth by default.
401k / IRA
For retirement accounts. Balance-only, manually updated. Excluded from Liquid Net Worth by default.
HSA
For Health Savings Accounts. Balance-only, manually updated. Appears in Long-Term Accounts but counts toward your Liquid Net Worth by default — unlike other long-term account types. This reflects the fact that HSA funds can be used for current medical expenses. You can change this by checking the Long-term / illiquid asset box when editing the account.
Real Estate
For tracking property values. Enter the current market value of each property. Balance-only, manually updated. Use this alongside a Mortgage account to see both sides of a property in your net worth: the asset value (Real Estate) and what you still owe (Mortgage).
How account type affects your numbers
| Account type | Group | Balance source | Counts toward Liquid Net Worth | Import supported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checking | Everyday | Auto — from transactions | Yes | Yes |
| Savings | Everyday | Auto — from transactions | Yes | Yes |
| Cash | Everyday | Auto — from transactions (import or manual entry) | Yes | Yes |
| Credit Card | Debt & Loans | Auto — from transactions | Reduces net worth | Yes |
| Mortgage | Debt & Loans | Manual | Reduces net worth | No |
| Loan | Debt & Loans | Manual | Reduces net worth | No |
| Investment | Long-Term | Manual | No — illiquid | No |
| 401k / IRA | Long-Term | Manual | No — illiquid | No |
| HSA | Long-Term | Manual | Yes — liquid by default | No |
| Real Estate | Long-Term | Manual | No — illiquid | No |
Common setup questions
My mortgage is with an external lender (Rocket Mortgage, Wells Fargo, etc.). Should I add it as an account?
Yes. Add it as a Mortgage account with the current outstanding balance as a negative number. You won't import transactions into it — just update the balance manually when your statement changes. Your monthly payment will import as an expense from your checking account, which is correct.
I have a Chase mortgage that I pay through my Chase checking account. Should I add both?
Yes — add both. The checking account handles your day-to-day transactions. The mortgage account holds the liability balance. Payments between them will appear as expenses in your checking register, which is correct behavior.
Should I add my 401(k) or IRA?
Yes, as a 401k / IRA account. You won't import transactions. Enter the current balance so it appears in your True Net Worth. Update it manually when you check your statement.
What about a Health Savings Account (HSA)?
Add it as an HSA account. It will appear in Long-Term Accounts but counts toward your Liquid Net Worth by default. If you treat your HSA as a long-term investment rather than spending it on current medical expenses, check the Long-term / illiquid asset box when setting it up.
I own rental properties. How do I track them?
Add each property as a Real Estate account with its current market value — this tracks the asset value of the property for net worth purposes. Add a separate Mortgage account for each property's outstanding loan balance. Rental income flows through whichever checking account receives the deposits and will import as income transactions from there. OwnBudget will show the full picture: what the property is worth, what you owe on it, and what it earns.
Choosing the right type — quick reference
| If your account is… | Choose… |
|---|---|
| Checking, debit account | Checking |
| Savings, HYSA, money market | Savings |
| Cash income and expenses | Cash |
| Credit card, store card | Credit Card |
| Home loan | Mortgage |
| Auto loan, personal loan, student loan | Loan |
| Brokerage, investment account | Investment |
| 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA | 401k / IRA |
| Health Savings Account | HSA |
| Property, real estate | Real Estate |