ClearCheckbook News & Updates

ClearCheckbook officially turns 20 years old on May 20th, 2026! It’s incredible to think back on the last 20 years and see how ClearCheckbook started and what it’s developed into. We’re also launching a special anniversary premium promotion, so be sure to read through the post to find out more.

From a Project in College to the "Aha" Moment:

Back in 2005, I was nearing graduation from college and was starting to face the reality of my finances. While they were fairly basic back then with just a checking account, savings account and one credit card, I was having trouble finding a tool to help me track my spending. In those days, there really weren’t any online tools for managing your finances and all of the downloadable software was geared more towards people with much more complex finances.

Since I was going to school for graphic design with a focus in interactive multimedia, plus a minor in computer programming, I decided to build myself a financial management tool that worked the way I wanted it to. One that wasn’t overly complex and could run as a website.

For about a year, the yet-unnamed financial tool was running on my laptop purely for my own personal use. I had built some basic reporting tools as well as the ability to reconcile my transactions (a feature I originally called "Jive"). It worked well for my needs and helped me get a better understanding of where my money was going.

After graduating, I continued working for my university while applying for jobs. At some point, I looked at my spending reports and saw several months in a row where my expenses outweighed my income. I knew this wasn’t sustainable and sent some screenshots of these reports to some friends on an internet forum.

To my surprise, they weren’t asking me about my financial situation; instead, they were asking what tool I used to generate the reports and how I was tracking my info. This was the proverbial “aha” moment. After a week of updating the site to allow people to create accounts, coming up with a name, and finding a hosting provider, ClearCheckbook officially launched on May 20, 2006.

Powered by You:

ClearCheckbook quickly gained traction with people who were looking for a security and privacy-focused financial management tool. As more people joined, the feedback and suggestions started flooding in.

I was able to quickly integrate many of these suggestions into tools everyone uses daily, such as reminders, the credit card tool, and importing/exporting transactions. We even had cool features like “CheckBot,” which let you add transactions via SMS, a Mac OSX dashboard gadget, and an iGoogle widget. Back before Apple revolutionized mobile apps, these were easy ways to add transactions and see your balances without having to open the main site.

ClearCheckbook continued to grow, and as we grew, so did our hosting needs. We moved from a small shared hosting plan to larger private plans, to a dedicated private server, and finally to a cloud hosting provider. Each progression in our hosting services led to a faster and more robust site, which in turn led to more customer satisfaction and word-of-mouth growth.

Some of our customers from those early days are still with us and we’re forever grateful for your support.

Going All In:

For the first few years after launch, I juggled a full-time job during the day while working on ClearCheckbook in the mornings and evenings. In early 2009, shortly after the release of ClearCheckbook Premium, I started thinking about what it would mean to do this full time.

The company I was working for was starting to show signs of cracking due to the 2008 financial crisis. To prepare for the worst, I started waking up at 3 AM, working on ClearCheckbook for three hours, going to my day job, coming home, going to bed, and doing it all over again. I did this for several months, knowing that if I could push out enough updates, I could potentially take ClearCheckbook on as my sole income.

And that’s exactly what happened. By late 2009, the company I was working for filed for bankruptcy, leaving me at a crossroads: find a new job, or jump into ClearCheckbook full time. At the time, ClearCheckbook’s revenue was only a few hundred dollars a month, but I had faith in the site. I had a little nest egg saved up from pinching pennies over the previous six months and figured it could last me a year without any real income if I was extremely frugal.

Without a day job taking up my time, I poured all of my attention into ClearCheckbook. The amount of work I put into the site was significantly more than it had ever been, allowing me to launch many new features like the Dashboard, and most notably, the PalmOS app and a mobile-optimized website for the early versions of the iPhone and Android.

Two Decades in Data:

Fast forward through several new versions, full app rewrites, and a massive amount of new tools, and you arrive at today. ClearCheckbook now has around half a million customers managing over 210 million transactions. The website sees about 2.5 million pageviews each month, while the iOS and Android apps have tens of thousands of installs.

To say "Thank You" for 20 amazing years, we’re offering a special 20% off promotion if you upgrade to a monthly ClearCheckbook Premium membership during the month of May. This means you get access to all 70+ Premium features, tools, and settings for just $4 per month. The best part? This discounted rate is locked in for as long as your membership remains active.

To claim this promotion, just log into your account and check out the banner at the top of the page. If you don’t already have a Premium membership, you’ll see a button to learn more and upgrade.

The Future of Your Finances:

Our goal has always been “Money management made easy.” As we continue to develop new features and gradually freshen up the user interface, your feedback will remain our guiding light. We are deeply committed to making sure that any visual improvements to the site and apps will feel natural, intuitive, and maintain the seamless flow you already know and love.

Having just talked about your feedback helping to direct the future of ClearCheckbook… if you have some new features or tweaks you’d like to see in the site or apps, please reach out and let us know! We’d also love to hear how ClearCheckbook has helped you in your financial journey! Leave us a comment below or send us an email to share your story.

Thank you for an incredible 20 years. Here’s to many more in the exciting journey that is ClearCheckbook.

We're currently testing dark mode for both the iOS and Android apps and hope to have it released for everyone soon.

Dark mode will be available to anyone with a premium membership (mobile or full) once it's released to the public. If you'd like to test it out now, it's available in our beta testing channels. Links to join the beta testing groups can be found below:

• iOS - https://testflight.apple.com/join/w56F828E
• Android - https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.clearcheckbook.app

We're looking for feedback on how dark mode looks on various devices and if we need to update any colors to make the app look better in dark mode.

Some sample screenshots of dark mode:

Account Overviews

Transaction list

Reminders tab

Bills tab

Budgets

Settings

Financial scams are ever-evolving, with scammers using sophisticated methods to exploit people’s trust, create urgency, or take advantage of confusion. We’ve been hearing a lot of first hand accounts from our customers about various financial scams and wanted to post this to help others be aware of them.

Here are some of the most common scams to be aware of, including details on how they operate and tips to recognize and avoid them:

1. Advance Fee Scam (also known as “419 scam” or “Nigerian Prince Scam”)

• How it works: The scammer contacts the victim, often with a story about needing a small payment (an "advance fee") to unlock or release a large sum of money. They might claim that this money is an inheritance, a charitable donation, a lottery win, or even an investment return. The scammer will usually provide a fake backstory or show fake screenshots of a bank account, payment slip, or deposit that supposedly holds the large sum. They’ll say that if the victim pays a small fee—often for "processing," "taxes," or "administrative" reasons—they can release the funds. After the victim sends the initial "small fee," the scammer might disappear, or they may come back with additional demands, asking for more payments under various pretenses before releasing the funds, which, of course, never arrive.
• Spotting it: Someone reaches out to you through unofficial means, like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Whatsapp, Snapchat, email, or other social media apps saying they have a large sum of money for you. You may or may not have ever heard of the person or business before.
• Prevention: Be skeptical of “too good to be true” offers, verify the legitimacy of the claim independently by not relying on screenshots or images as proof and don’t pay any fees upfront. Legitimate businesses, especially banks or reputable institutions, do not require small upfront payments to release money.

2. Phishing Scams

• How it works: Phishing scams typically arrive via email, text, or phone calls, with scammers posing as legitimate entities like banks, tech companies, or government agencies. The goal is to trick the target into providing sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card numbers, by clicking a link that leads to a fake website resembling a genuine one.
• Spotting it: Look out for unusual URLs, misspelled words, or generic greetings like “Dear Customer.” Genuine organizations will usually address you by name and avoid pressuring you into immediate action.
• Prevention: Avoid clicking links or downloading attachments in unsolicited messages. Use multi-factor authentication and regularly update your passwords.

3. Investment Scams

• How it works: Investment scams involve fraudsters convincing individuals to invest in bogus schemes, such as Ponzi schemes, fake stocks, or non-existent projects, by promising high returns with little to no risk. They often target inexperienced investors but can prey on anyone.
• Spotting it: Promises of “guaranteed returns” or pressure to act quickly are major red flags. Legitimate investments rarely, if ever, guarantee returns, especially high ones.
• Prevention: Research investments thoroughly, consult with financial professionals, and be skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true.

4. Tech Support Scams

• How it works: Scammers posing as tech support representatives from well-known companies, like Microsoft or Apple, contact victims claiming their computer has a virus or some other issue. They may ask the victim to install software that gives the scammer remote access to the device, allowing them to steal information or install malware.
• Spotting it: Real tech companies typically won’t reach out unsolicited to report issues on your personal device. Also, be cautious if asked for payment in unusual forms, like gift cards.
• Prevention: Hang up or ignore unsolicited tech support calls. Don’t give control of your computer to anyone unless you’ve verified their legitimacy.

5. Romance Scams

• How it works: Romance scams often occur on dating websites or social media. Scammers create fake profiles and build relationships with victims over time. Eventually, they ask for money for an “emergency” or a personal crisis, often appealing to the victim’s emotions to manipulate them.
• Spotting it: Be cautious if an online acquaintance quickly professes love or has excuses to avoid meeting in person. Requests for money, especially in situations that prevent them from meeting or explaining in detail, are red flags.
• Prevention: Avoid sharing personal details or money with someone you haven’t met in person. Take time to verify the person’s identity and intentions.

6. IRS or Tax Scams

• How it works: Scammers impersonate tax authorities like the IRS, claiming the victim owes back taxes and demanding immediate payment. They often threaten arrest, deportation, or other legal action if the victim doesn’t pay right away, usually through wire transfers or prepaid debit cards.
• Spotting it: Tax agencies generally communicate through official letters, not phone calls or emails, and they won’t ask for payment via unconventional means like gift cards.
• Prevention: Never provide personal information or payments over the phone. If in doubt, contact the IRS or relevant authority directly using an official number.

7. Lottery or Prize Scams

• How it works: Scammers tell the victim they’ve won a large prize, but to claim it, they need to pay a fee or provide personal details. These scams aim to either get the victim to hand over money or gather information for identity theft.
• Spotting it: If you’re asked to pay a fee for a prize or if you never entered the lottery or contest, it’s almost certainly a scam.
• Prevention: Legitimate lotteries don’t require fees to claim winnings. If it sounds suspicious, avoid providing any information.

8. Charity Scams

• How it works: During times of crisis, scammers exploit people’s goodwill by setting up fake charities or impersonating real ones. They may solicit donations for fabricated causes or disaster relief efforts.
• Spotting it: Look for vague organization names or lack of information about how funds will be used. Be cautious if contacted through email or social media rather than official channels.
• Prevention: Verify the charity’s legitimacy through platforms like Charity Navigator or the IRS website before donating.

9. Online Marketplace and Shopping Scams

• How it works: Scammers either pose as buyers or sellers on online marketplaces, offering fake products or sending counterfeit checks. In some cases, fake online stores lure people into purchasing non-existent items.
• Spotting it: Deals that seem too good to be true, requests for unconventional payments (like wire transfers), or sellers who avoid providing specific details about the product are all red flags.
• Prevention: Stick to reputable sites, and only make purchases or payments through secure, traceable methods.

General Tips to Avoid Financial Scams

• Stay skeptical: Question unsolicited communications, especially those that require urgency or secrecy.
• Verify: Independently verify any request by contacting the organization directly through official channels.
• Secure your devices: Keep security software updated, enable two-factor authentication, and create strong, unique passwords.
• Report suspicious activity: Report scams to local authorities, consumer protection agencies, or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the U.S.

Staying informed and vigilant is your best defense against financial scams, which increasingly rely on social engineering and urgency to succeed.

Remember that ClearCheckbook will never reach out to you asking for any private information such as bank account or credit card numbers, or promising to deliver you money of any kind.

With Intuit shutting down Mint, we've had a lot of people find ClearCheckbook to replace their financial management software. We know it's always difficult transitioning from a software you're familiar and comfortable with to a new one, but we hope this blog post makes that transition to ClearCheckbook easier.

• Getting Started - This article walks through how our various accounts, categories, budgets, recurring transactions, etc all work together. This will help you familiarize yourself with how ClearCheckbook works compared to Mint.
• Adding Transactions - You can manually add transactions, import them, have them automatically synced from your bank or schedule recurring transactions. This article explains all these options.
• Transaction Register - Our transaction register is where you can see all of your transactions in one place. You can perform reconciliations, view specific types of transactions or transactions for specific accounts.
• Reconciliation Methods - We have two ways of reconciling your transactions and accounts. Which one you decide on will depend on what you're used to doing and what makes the most sense to you.

The term Jiving has been replaced with Clearing to help avoid confusion about the reconciliation process.

When ClearCheckbook was first founded back in 2006, we had used the term Jive (a homonym for jibe/gibe, to be in accordance), but over the years this has lead to a lot of confusion about what it actually meant and what the purpose was. To make things a little clearer, we're changing Jive/Jiving/Jived to Clear/Clearing/Cleared. This will make it more apparent what the term is and help make the reconciliation process easier for new customers.

Nothing has changed as far as the process for clearing your accounts and transactions go, it's just the naming that has been updated. If you're used to the jiving process, just keep an eye out for the updated terminology.

The website has been updated and we'll be working on getting the mobile apps updated soon.