Support, Help, and Activation

You need Excel 2016 or later on Windows 10/11 or macOS. LifeLedger Pro is powered by Excel's secure engine but installs and operates like professional software - running entirely on your computer with no internet connection required. Don't have Excel yet? No problem - you'll find a "Get Excel" button on our download page. We found a reseller that offers Microsoft 2024 Standard, that includes Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote for a great price on this website. Many have purchased this version from them and are very satisfied with their support, Office 2024 Standard and the price.

After joining the beta testing program, you'll download a professional installer. The installation creates a "LifeLedger Pro" directory in your Programs folder containing all necessary files: images, program code, your license information, and an automatic update system. While powered by Excel's robust security framework, LifeLedger Pro installs and operates like a true software application - not just a simple workbook.

LifeLedger Pro is designed to feel like professional software, not a typical Excel spreadsheet. While it leverages Excel's powerful and secure engine behind the scenes, the interface, workflow, and user experience are designed to be intuitive and app-like. You get all the security and reliability of Excel without feeling like you're working in a spreadsheet.

As a founding member beta tester, you receive FREE LIFETIME ACCESS to LifeLedger Pro v1.0. During the beta testing period, the software is fully functional with no activation required. Your founding member status gives you permanent access to version 1.0 and all future updates - no payment ever required.

Your license is designed for use on one primary computer, a desktop, laptop, or some tablets (see "Will LifeLedger Pro work on my tablet?" in 'SECTION 9: Technical Support' subsection below') where all your data is securely stored. Since LifeLedger Pro keeps everything private and offline on your local machine, each installation maintains its own separate data. If you need to move to a different computer, you can easily transfer your data using the built-in backup feature and install LifeLedger Pro on your new device.

LifeLedger Pro makes this easy with two simple buttons. On your old computer, click the "Create Backup for New Computer" button on the Home tab. Important: You'll be warned that your old computer will only work for 3 more days after creating the backup. This ensures your license stays valid on one computer at a time. After confirming, all your data saves to a folder on your Desktop. Copy that folder to your new computer (using a USB drive, external hard drive, or cloud storage), install LifeLedger Pro on the new machine, then click the "Restore from Old Computer" button and select the backup folder. Everything transfers seamlessly - all your bills, transactions, contacts, tasks, and settings. The entire process takes just a few minutes and requires no technical expertise. You will be given these simple instructions and LifeLedger Pro will walk you through this process.

Absolutely. LifeLedger Pro operates 100% offline on your computer and leverages Excel's enterprise-grade security architecture. Nothing is uploaded to the cloud or transmitted over the internet. Your financial data never leaves your computer.

As a founding member beta tester, you receive free lifetime updates. When improvements are available, or in the unlikely event a software bug needs to be fixed, LifeLedger Pro will notify you and provide a simple one-click update process. All updates preserve your data while improving functionality and stability.

Mobile Companion is LifeLedger Pro's innovative solution for accessing your essential financial information on any smartphone - without apps, cloud storage, or internet connection. With one click, it exports your current bills, tasks, contacts, and account balances into a simple HTML file that you email to yourself and open on your phone. It's completely self-contained, works offline, and displays beautifully on any device.

From the LifeLedger Pro Home tab, click the "Export Mobile Companion" button. The system instantly generates a file called "LifeLedger-Mobile.html" and saves it to your Desktop. The entire process takes about 5 seconds. The file contains everything you need - bills, tasks, contacts, balances, and all formatting and images embedded directly inside so nothing external is required.

After exporting, you have several options: (1) Email: Email the LifeLedger-Mobile.html file from your Desktop to yourself, then open the email on your phone and download the attachment. (2) AirDrop (iPhone/Mac): Right-click the file on your Mac and select "Share > AirDrop" to send it instantly to your iPhone. (3) Cloud Storage: Upload to Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive from your computer, then download to your phone. (4) USB Cable: Connect your phone to your computer and copy the file directly. Email is usually the easiest method and takes less than a minute.

iPhone: Open the LifeLedger-Mobile.html file in Safari, tap the Share button (square with arrow), scroll down and tap "Add to Home Screen," customize the name if desired, then tap "Add." A LifeLedger Pro icon appears on your home screen for instant one-tap access. Android: Open the file in Chrome, tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner, select "Add to Home screen," confirm the name, and tap "Add." The icon appears on your home screen just like any other app. Once created, tapping this icon opens your Mobile Companion instantly - no need to search through files or email attachments.

Simply click "Export Mobile Companion" again in LifeLedger Pro. Email the new file to yourself, download it on your phone, and when your phone asks if you want to replace the existing file, tap "Replace." Your home screen shortcut automatically updates to show the latest data - you don't need to create a new shortcut. The timestamp at the top of the Mobile Companion always shows when it was last exported so you know you're viewing current information.

Your Mobile Companion displays: Bills This Week - upcoming bills for the next 7 days with color-coded status (green for paid, gold for upcoming, red for overdue); Tasks & Reminders - your priority to-do list organized by urgency; Emergency Contacts - critical phone numbers formatted for one-tap calling (doctors, plumbers, family, insurance agents); Account Balances - current balance for each tracked account as of your last export; Upcoming Appointments - next two weeks of scheduled events and deadlines. Everything is formatted for easy mobile viewing with large text, clear sections, and collapsible content to keep your screen uncluttered.

No! Once the file is on your phone, it works completely offline. Airplane mode, no cell service, power outage - doesn't matter. The Mobile Companion runs entirely on your device with no external dependencies. Everything (images, formatting, data) is embedded directly inside the HTML file, so there's nothing external to load or break.

Your Mobile Companion is as secure as any other file on your phone. It's protected by your phone's lock screen (PIN, Face ID, fingerprint). The file itself contains useful information like bill status and contact numbers, but never includes sensitive data like bank login credentials, account numbers, or anything that grants access to your money. If you lose your phone, the old Mobile Companion becomes increasingly outdated as you export fresh versions. For maximum security, always use a strong phone lock and enable automatic screen locking.

Yes! Simply email the file to yourself and download it on any phone you want. Each device gets its own copy. Some users keep it on both their phone and tablet for maximum convenience.

No - and that's by design for privacy and security. Your Mobile Companion shows a snapshot of your data at the moment you exported it. When you want updated information, simply click "Export Mobile Companion" again and replace the old file. This manual approach means zero cloud sync, zero automatic uploads, and complete control over your data.

Absolutely not. The Mobile Companion is a self-contained HTML file created locally on your computer. When you email it to yourself, it travels through your email provider (just like any attachment), but nothing gets uploaded to LifeLedger Pro servers because we don't have servers storing your data. Once on your phone, it's just a file - no phone home, no tracking, no external connections of any kind.

Yes! Even if our website disappeared tomorrow, your Mobile Companion would continue working forever. It's completely self-contained with everything embedded inside - no links back to our website, no external resources, nothing that can break. This is privacy and permanence by design.

The Mobile Companion automatically includes your most important information: upcoming bills, active tasks, emergency contacts, and account balances. The selection is designed to show what you're most likely to need while away from your computer. Future updates may include customization options based on beta tester feedback.

No! It opens in any web browser - Safari on iPhone, Chrome on Android, or any browser you prefer. Since it's standard HTML (the same technology websites use), it works on any phone without downloading apps or creating accounts.

Update it whenever your financial situation changes significantly - after paying bills, importing new transactions, or adding important tasks. Most users update weekly or bi-weekly. Since it only takes 30 seconds to export and replace, updating frequently keeps your phone information fresh without any hassle.

LifeLedger Pro guides you through the entire process with easy-to-follow popup instructions. Simply click the "Import Transactions" button and follow the step-by-step prompts that walk you through downloading your last 90 days of transactions from your bank's website. The process takes about one minute, and even if you rarely use a computer, the clear prompts make it simple. Once downloaded, LifeLedger Pro automatically finds the file in your Downloads folder and imports it with one click - no technical knowledge required!

LifeLedger Pro remembers custom save locations. The first time it can't find your file automatically, it will search your entire computer for the most recent bank CSV. Once found, it remembers that location for next time.

No. You download transactions from your bank's website yourself (takes 60 seconds), then LifeLedger Pro imports them offline. This keeps your banking credentials completely private and secure - you never enter them into LifeLedger Pro at all.

After import, LifeLedger Pro automatically matches transactions to your bills by merchant name and amount. You can review and confirm matches, and the system learns your preferences over time.

LifeLedger Pro is designed to manage one primary bank account, keeping everything simple and focused. If you need to track multiple accounts separately (such as personal and business), you can install additional instances. Each installation maintains its own complete financial picture.

You can manually adjust your balance at any time. On rare occasions, some banks make small adjustments to accounts (usually just a few cents for interest, fees, or rounding) that may not appear in your downloaded transactions. If your bank balance in LifeLedger Pro doesn't match the exact balance of your online bank account, simply click the "Adjust Balance" button, enter the correct amount, and add a note explaining the adjustment. The 'user adjustment' will be added to your 'All Transactions' section of LifeLedger Pro. LifeLedger Pro maintains a permanent audit trail of all transactions, including changes.

Absolutely! Add any bill and choose your payment schedule: weekly, monthly, quarterly, twice yearly, or yearly - even bills you pay manually with variable amounts (credit cards, lines of credit, etc.). LifeLedger Pro will remind you when it's due until you check it off.

Yes! For bills that don't follow standard patterns - like property taxes due in April and October, or seasonal services active only during specific months - you can specify exactly which months to monitor. This prevents false alerts during inactive periods and keeps your dashboard focused on bills that are actually due right now.

Credit Tracking is LifeLedger Pro's automatic system for detecting and monitoring all credits that hit your account - refunds, returns, canceled subscriptions, rebates, or any money coming back to you. After each transaction import, LifeLedger Pro scans for incoming credits and displays them in your alerts, making sure you never miss an expected refund or overlook money that's been returned to your account.

Every time you import transactions from your bank, LifeLedger Pro automatically identifies all credits (deposits that aren't regular income like paychecks) and highlights them in your alert dashboard. You'll see exactly what came in, when, and from whom - no manual searching through transaction lists required.

Click the Credits icon on your Banking & Bills worksheet for instant access to your complete credit history. The default view shows the last 30 days, but you can filter to see any timeframe you need - 2 months, 6 months, 1 year, or a custom date range using the calendar picker.

LifeLedger Pro shows you ALL credits that hit your account and lets you verify them based on your knowledge. For credits that look unusual or unexpected, the system can optionally add a "(possible refund)" flag to help you investigate further. This approach prevents false alerts while ensuring you catch everything that matters.

Absolutely! The Credits section offers flexible filtering with quick-select options (30 days, 2 months, 6 months, 1 year) plus a visual calendar picker for custom date ranges. Need to see all credits from tax year 2024? Just select January 1 through December 31. Need to verify last quarter's refunds? Pick the exact 3-month window. It's completely flexible.

Yes! Once you've filtered to the exact timeframe you need, click the CSV Export button to download your entire credit list. Perfect for tax preparation, record keeping, or verifying that expected refunds actually came through. The exported file opens in Excel or any spreadsheet program.

Credit Tracking shows all credits regardless of source - one-time refunds, partial refunds, flex pay credits, or installment reversals. Since you know your own payment arrangements, you can easily identify which credits are expected installment payments versus unexpected refunds that need investigation.

Credit Tracking shows credits that have already hit your account from your last transaction import. If you're waiting for a pending refund, simply import your transactions again in a few days and it will appear once the merchant processes it. The system doesn't predict future credits - it shows you what's actually arrived.

No setup required! Credit Tracking works automatically as soon as you start importing transactions. LifeLedger Pro handles all the detection behind the scenes - you just review the results and verify that everything looks correct.

Check whenever you import transactions or whenever you're expecting a refund. Credit alerts appear immediately after each import, so you'll know right away if that expected return refund or canceled subscription credit has posted. Most users check weekly along with their regular bill review.

Every time you import transactions, LifeLedger Pro scans for merchants you've never paid before and highlights them in your alert list. This catches fraudulent charges immediately - before they become a problem.

AutoPay Reminders notify you before automatic payments are due so you can verify your balance. Bill Change Alerts are customizable - when you set up each autopay bill, you define a threshold amount (for example, $5.00). If the vendor charges you more or less than your default payment by that amount or greater, you'll receive an alert. This catches significant price hikes or billing errors while ignoring small normal fluctuations.

No. Import your transactions once a week (or whenever you want), and LifeLedger Pro will instantly flag any suspicious activity from the past 90 days. The system shows you exactly what needs attention.

Yes. You can mark merchants as "trusted" to stop getting New Merchant Alerts for them. You can also adjust sensitivity for Bill Change Alerts if you have highly variable bills.

Alerts stay visible until you acknowledge them. Red highlighted cells and persistent checkboxes ensure you don't overlook important issues, even if you don't check LifeLedger Pro for several weeks.

The Survivor Roadmap is a comprehensive checklist organized into five timeframes: First Week, First Month, Second Month, Four Months, and One Year after loss. It guides your spouse through every critical task with clear instructions and checkboxes to track progress.

Yes! You can add, delete, or modify tasks in any section. The system automatically adjusts and maintains all functionality even when you make changes.

The calculator helps you plan for survivor benefits by entering three key pieces of information: your date of birth, your spouse's date of birth, and the monthly Social Security benefit amount of whichever spouse has (or is expected to have) the higher benefit. If your spouse has already passed away, enter their actual last monthly Social Security check amount. If you're planning ahead, enter the expected monthly benefit of the higher-earning spouse at their full retirement age. The calculator then shows exactly what survivor benefits would be received at different claiming ages (60 through full retirement age), helping you make informed financial decisions about when to claim. If you don't know the benefit amounts or need to verify expected benefits, you can find this information by creating an account at https://www.ssa.gov/ where you can view complete Social Security statements and benefit estimates.

The Survivor Roadmap uses simple checkboxes and includes screenshot-based popup guidance. Everything is designed for someone with zero Excel experience. If they can click a checkbox, they can use it.

Yes! While the LifeLedger Pro software itself is licensed for your use only, you can easily print the Survivor Roadmap and give the printed copy to trusted family members, your executor, or your attorney. This allows them to review the step-by-step plan and understand exactly how to help if needed - without having access to your private financial data or the full workbook.

The Survivor Roadmap focuses on the step-by-step tasks your spouse needs to complete. Contact information is stored separately in the dedicated Reminders and Contacts section of LifeLedger Pro, which includes all important contacts: family members, medical providers, professional advisors, executor information, and emergency contacts - all in one secure, easy-to-access location.

During the initial setup process, LifeLedger Pro presents you with a comprehensive list of common household maintenance tasks, reminders, and recurring items that most individuals, families, and even businesses typically track - things like HVAC filter changes, vehicle maintenance, birthday reminders, and seasonal tasks. Simply select the ones that apply to your situation - no need to spend hours thinking about what you might need. You can always add custom tasks later as needs arise. To add a new task anytime, just click the "Add Task" button and follow the simple popup guidance. Choose your category (Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Twice Yearly, or Yearly), enter the task details, and LifeLedger Pro handles the rest.

Tasks are non-financial reminders like vehicle maintenance, filter changes, or birthday reminders. Bills are financial obligations tracked in the Accounts & Bills section. Both use the same checkbox system.

Yes! Tasks recur based on their schedule category. Weekly tasks repeat every week, monthly tasks repeat every month, and so on. Check them off when complete, and they'll reappear on schedule.

Yes. One-time tasks appear in your list until you check them off, then they're marked complete but stay in your history for reference.

No problem! LifeLedger Pro uses persistent red highlighting and reminders that stay visible until you mark them complete - they won't slip through the cracks. Unlike calendar apps like Google Calendar, Yahoo Calendar, or other notification-based systems where reminders disappear after the alert, LifeLedger Pro keeps tasks front and center until you actually finish them. You can't accidentally dismiss and forget them.

Absolutely! Set up recurring tasks for oil changes, tire rotations, inspections, and registration renewals. LifeLedger Pro reminds you at the right intervals.

Yes! For seasonal tasks like lawn care (March through November), pool maintenance (summer months only), or winterizing sprinklers (October only), you can specify exactly which months each task should appear. This eliminates unnecessary reminders during off-season periods and keeps your dashboard focused on what actually needs attention right now.

LifeLedger Pro helps you organize and track all your important information in one secure place. You can store details about insurance policies, financial accounts (banks, investments, retirement), medical records (providers, prescriptions, conditions), legal documents (wills, trusts, POAs), and personal records (SSN, passport, vehicle titles). For each record, you can note exactly where the physical documents are located - whether in a safe deposit box, at your attorney's office, in a specific file drawer, or tucked away in the top drawer of your bedroom dresser. This ensures your spouse or executor knows exactly where to find everything. You can also store usernames and passwords for free online accounts like email, social media, government websites, and retail accounts - anything that isn't already tracked in your Accounts & Bills section where paid services are managed. All information you store in LifeLedger Pro benefits from Excel's enterprise-grade security architecture - the same advanced encryption and protection technology that Fortune 500 companies and government agencies trust to safeguard their most sensitive data. Your personal information stays completely offline on your computer, never uploaded to the cloud, providing bank-level security without the vulnerability of internet-based storage.

Absolutely. Since LifeLedger Pro runs 100% offline on your computer and never connects to the internet, your sensitive information stays completely private. During the initial setup process, you'll have the option to set a master password that protects your entire LifeLedger Pro installation - meaning anyone who tries to open it must enter your password first. This protection is powered by Excel's enterprise-grade security architecture, the same military-level encryption technology that governments and Fortune 500 companies rely on to protect their most classified information. Your data is locked down with bank-vault-level security, stored only on your computer with zero cloud exposure or internet transmission. You have complete control over who can access your information, and it never leaves your physical possession. Important: Be sure to share your LifeLedger Pro master password with your spouse, significant other, attorney, or trusted executor - anyone who will need to access this information in case of emergency or after your death.

Yes! There's a dedicated section for free online accounts (email, social media, government sites, retail accounts) separate from paid financial services. This helps your spouse access everything they need.

Trusted Contacts is where you store key people's information: emergency contacts, family members, medical providers (doctors, pharmacists, hospitals), professional advisors (financial planner, attorney, CPA), your executor, and local service providers (plumber, electrician, HVAC, etc.).

Yes. You can print any worksheet or section. Many users keep a printed copy in a fireproof safe as backup, while using the digital version for easy updates.

Simply edit the cells with new information. The system timestamps your changes, and everything updates automatically. Most users review and update records quarterly or when something changes.

As a founding member beta tester, you receive FREE LIFETIME ACCESS to LifeLedger Pro v1.0. No payment required - ever. No credit card needed to join, no hidden fees, no trials that expire. Download it, use it, and own it permanently. This is our way of thanking early adopters who help perfect the product.

No catch! Beta testers are invaluable - you help us identify bugs, suggest improvements, and validate that LifeLedger Pro works perfectly for real users before our official launch. Your feedback makes the product better for everyone. In exchange, founding members get lifetime access to v1.0 completely free. It's a fair trade that benefits both of us.

Absolutely not! FREE FOREVER means free forever. Once you join as a beta tester, you have permanent lifetime access to LifeLedger Pro v1.0 and all future updates. Your data stays on your computer, and you can use LifeLedger Pro for as long as you want - no expiration, no payment required.

As a founding member, you receive FREE LIFETIME ACCESS to v1.0 and all updates to v1.0. If we release a major v2.0 in the future with substantial new features, that may be a separate product. But v1.0 is yours forever, and we'll continue supporting and improving it with free updates.

No! For beta testers, LifeLedger Pro is completely free - no monthly fees, no annual renewals, no subscriptions ever. Own it forever.

We're launching within 14 days and accepting a limited number of founding member beta testers. Once we reach our target number of testers, the FREE FOREVER offer closes. After that, LifeLedger Pro will be available for purchase only. Join now to lock in your lifetime access.

Just use LifeLedger Pro! If you encounter any bugs or have suggestions for improvement, we'd love to hear from you at support@lifeledgerpro.com. But there's no required testing tasks or reporting obligations. Use it however works best for you.

Your data is automatically protected. LifeLedger Pro installs in C:\Program Files\LifeLedger Pro\ (or the Mac equivalent) and automatically backs up all your data every time you close the workbook. If your computer crashes and you need to move to a new machine, have a technician (at Best Buy, a local computer shop, or a trusted tech person) retrieve the entire "LifeLedger Pro" folder from your old hard drive. Copy that folder to the same location on your new computer (C:\Program Files\), then download and run a fresh installer from lifeledgerpro.com. When you first open LifeLedger Pro on your new machine, it automatically detects your existing data and seamlessly continues right where you left off - bills, transactions, contacts, tasks, and all settings intact.

LifeLedger Pro installs in C:\Program Files\LifeLedger Pro\ on Windows (or Applications folder on Mac). During installation, a desktop shortcut with the LifeLedger Pro shield icon is automatically created for easy access. All your data, images, and settings are stored securely in this program folder on your computer - never in the cloud.

This usually means macros aren't enabled. Close the file, reopen it, and click "Enable Content" when Excel shows the security warning. This activates the VBA code that makes everything work properly.

First, make sure macros are enabled (see above). If macros are enabled and it still doesn't work, check that your bank CSV file is actually comma-delimited (not tab or semicolon separated). Most banks offer multiple download formats - be sure to select CSV.

This is extremely rare. LifeLedger Pro works with virtually all bank CSV formats. When LifeLedger Pro imports the transaction download file from your bank, the workbook will ask you to confirm a few simple details to make sure everything lines up correctly.

Yes, especially if you have lots of transaction history. LifeLedger Pro loads all your data and rebuilds dynamic sections when opening. Initial load typically takes 10-30 seconds depending on your data volume - this is completely normal for a full-featured application.

No. LifeLedger Pro requires the desktop version of Excel installed on your Windows or Mac computer. It won't work with Excel Online (web version) or mobile apps because they don't support the VBA macros that power LifeLedger Pro's features. You'll need Excel 2016 or newer on your computer.

It depends on your tablet. LifeLedger Pro will work on Windows tablets (like Microsoft Surface) that have the full desktop version of Excel 2016+ installed. However, it will NOT work on iPads or Android tablets, even if they have the Excel app installed, because those mobile versions don't support the advanced features LifeLedger Pro needs.

Yes! LifeLedger Pro works on Excel 2016 or later for Mac. The interface looks slightly different, but all features work the same. Note: Some popup animations may display differently on Mac, but functionality remains identical.

LifeLedger Pro automatically backs up your data every time you close the workbook. For additional protection, you can manually copy the entire C:\Program Files\LifeLedger Pro\ folder to an external drive, USB stick, or cloud storage service. The folder contains everything - your data, settings, and images. We recommend occasional manual backups to multiple locations for maximum peace of mind.

Yes, but you'll need separate installations in different folders. For example, you could install one in C:\Program Files\LifeLedger Pro Personal\ and another in C:\Program Files\LifeLedger Pro Business\. Each installation operates independently with its own data. Contact support@lifeledgerpro.com for guidance on multi-installation setups.

No - that's the emergency kill switch! Pressing ESC during any operation cleanly aborts it and returns you to normal operation. This is a safety feature designed to give you instant control, not a bug. Use it anytime you need to stop a process immediately.

Email us at support@lifeledgerpro.com. We typically respond within 24 hours (usually much faster). Include a description of the issue and any error messages you're seeing, and we'll get you sorted out quickly!