Reports¶
FRacker provides several reports to help you analyze your financial data and make informed decisions.
Available Reports¶
Monthly Report¶
Path: Reports → Monthly Report
View detailed financial data for a specific month:
- Income vs. expense summary
- Category breakdown with charts
- Top spending categories
- Month-over-month comparisons
- Transaction details by category
Use Cases: - Monthly budget review - Expense tracking - Identifying spending trends - Planning next month's budget
Annual Report¶
Path: Reports → Annual Report
Year-end financial summary:
- Total income and expenses for the year
- Monthly trend charts
- Category totals across all months
- Year-over-year comparisons
- Tax preparation data
Use Cases: - Annual financial review - Tax preparation - Long-term trend analysis - Setting next year's goals
Income & Expense Report¶
Path: Reports → Income & Expense
Detailed breakdown of income and expenses:
- Side-by-side income and expense comparison
- Category-level detail
- Customizable date ranges
- Net income calculation
- Savings rate analysis
Use Cases: - Cash flow analysis - Understanding income sources - Expense category analysis - Financial planning
Retirement Report¶
Path: Reports → Retirement
Track retirement savings and contributions:
- Retirement account balances
- Contribution history
- Employer match tracking
- Growth over time
- Account allocation
Use Cases: - Retirement planning - Contribution tracking - Progress toward goals - Account performance review
Report Features¶
Date Range Selection¶
All reports support flexible date filtering:
- This Month - Current month to date
- Last Month - Previous calendar month
- Year to Date - January 1st through today
- Last Year - Previous calendar year
- Custom Range - Any date range you specify
Export Options¶
Export report data for further analysis:
- View the report
- Click Export to CSV
- Open in Excel, Google Sheets, or other tools
- Perform custom analysis
Exported files include: - All transaction details - Summary calculations - Category breakdowns - Date ranges
Filtering¶
Refine reports with filters:
- Category - View specific categories only
- Account - Filter by account type
- Transaction Type - Income, expenses, or transfers
- User - Individual family member (for family accounts)
Visualization¶
Reports include interactive charts:
- Bar Charts - Compare categories or time periods
- Line Charts - Track trends over time
- Pie Charts - Category distribution
- Stacked Charts - Combined category view
Charts support: - Hover for details - Click to filter - Export as image - Print-friendly views
Using Reports Effectively¶
Monthly Review Workflow¶
- Run Monthly Report at month end
- Compare to Budget - Check over/under budget categories
- Identify Patterns - Look for unusual spending
- Note Anomalies - One-time expenses vs. recurring
- Plan Next Month - Adjust budgets based on findings
Quarterly Analysis¶
- Run 3-Month Report using custom date range
- Review Trends - Are expenses increasing or decreasing?
- Seasonal Adjustments - Account for seasonal variations
- Goal Progress - Check progress toward financial goals
Annual Planning¶
- Run Annual Report in December/January
- Calculate Totals - Total income, expenses, savings
- Identify Changes - Year-over-year differences
- Set Goals - Plan for next year based on data
- Tax Preparation - Export data for tax filing
Report Insights¶
What to Look For¶
In Monthly Reports: - Categories consistently over budget - Unexpected large expenses - Missing or incorrect transactions - Opportunities to reduce spending
In Annual Reports: - Overall savings rate - Major expense categories - Income growth - Long-term spending trends
In Income & Expense Reports: - Income diversity - Fixed vs. variable expenses - Discretionary spending percentage - Net worth changes
Red Flags¶
Watch for these warning signs:
- Increasing Expenses without income growth
- Low Savings Rate (< 10% of income)
- High Discretionary Spending (> 30% of income)
- Irregular Income Patterns without buffer savings
- Growing Debt Balances
Positive Indicators¶
Signs of financial health:
- Consistent Savings (15-20% of income)
- Controlled Spending within budgets
- Growing Net Worth over time
- Emergency Fund building
- Decreasing Fixed Expenses as percentage of income
Customizing Reports¶
Custom Date Ranges¶
Create reports for any period:
- Select "Custom Range" in date filter
- Enter start and end dates
- Click Generate Report
Use Cases: - Tax year analysis (if different from calendar year) - Project-specific tracking - Comparison periods - Post-major-event analysis
Category Grouping¶
Group similar categories for clearer reports:
- Transportation (Gas + Public Transit + Parking)
- Food (Groceries + Dining Out)
- Housing (Rent/Mortgage + Utilities + Maintenance)
Saved Report Configurations¶
While FRacker doesn't currently save report configurations, you can:
- Bookmark report URLs with parameters
- Document your standard report settings
- Create a monthly reporting checklist
Troubleshooting¶
Report Shows No Data¶
- Verify date range includes transactions
- Check filters aren't too restrictive
- Ensure transactions are properly imported
- Confirm you're viewing correct account/family
Incorrect Totals¶
- Check for duplicate transactions
- Verify transfers aren't counted as income/expense
- Review uncategorized transactions
- Ensure all transactions are in selected date range
Charts Not Displaying¶
- Refresh the page
- Clear browser cache
- Check that JavaScript is enabled
- Try a different browser
Export Issues¶
- Ensure pop-up blocker allows downloads
- Check disk space for large exports
- Try exporting smaller date ranges
- Use CSV format if Excel export fails
Next Steps¶
- Set Up Budgets to track against
- Create Categories for better organization
- Import More Data for comprehensive reports
- Configure Account Types for accurate categorization
