Create Your Vault
Your vault is a local SQLite file on your device. It never leaves your machine — backups are AES-256 encrypted before they sync, and you can optionally encrypt the live vault file at rest (AES-256 via SQLCipher), off by default and switched on in Settings → Vault.
- 1 Open the application — you will be taken directly to vault setup on first launch.
- 2 Click Create New Vault.
- 3 Choose a secure PIN when prompted and confirm it. This PIN unlocks your vault every time you launch — store it somewhere safe offline.
- 4 Once inside, navigate to the Entities section in the sidebar.
- 5 Click Add Entity and fill in the basic details for your first entity — company, trust, personal account, or other structure.
- 6 Save the entity to complete initial setup.
There is no PIN recovery mechanism. If you lose your PIN, the vault cannot be opened. Write it down and store it securely offline — a password manager or physical safe.
You have a vault with your first entity. Every transaction you record from here will be automatically SHA-256 hash-chained, and backups are AES-256-GCM encrypted on your machine before they sync.
Tamper-Evident Records — Active from Your First Entry
The moment you record your first transaction, Aethelgard begins building a cryptographic hash chain. Each entry links to the previous via SHA-256. If any historical record is ever altered, the chain breaks at that point — making tampering immediately visible.
Import a Bank or Broker Statement
The fastest way to a populated ledger. Drag in a statement and the rule engine proposes the categories — you approve them before anything posts.
- 1 Navigate to the Universal Vault importer in the sidebar.
- 2 Select the entity you are importing into from the dropdown at the top.
- 3 Drag in a CSV, OFX, QIF or PDF statement — Barclays, HSBC, Santander, Starling, Amex, IG, Wise and others are read directly, and the OFX/QIF/CSV formats cover almost any other institution.
- 4 Review the suggested accounts against each row. The rule engine learns from what you correct, so later imports need less work.
- 5 Adjust anything it has read wrongly, then click Post to commit the batch to the ledger.
Nothing posts until you approve it, and an import can be rolled back as a batch from Import History if a statement goes in wrongly.
A month of transactions is in the ledger, categorised and hash-chained, in about the time it takes to type one by hand.
Record a Transaction
Double-entry accounting — every debit has a matching credit, and every entry is balanced.
- 1 Navigate to the Transactions or Ledger tab from the main sidebar.
- 2 Click New Transaction or the + button.
- 3 Select the date and enter a description.
- 4 Choose the debit account from the dropdown — this is what increases (e.g. an expense account, or an asset account).
- 5 Choose the credit account — this is what decreases or what the debit is funded by (e.g. a bank account).
- 6 Enter the amount. The entry must balance before it can be saved.
- 7 Click Save to post the transaction to the ledger.
You can import bank transactions in bulk via the Universal Vault importer — drag in a CSV from Barclays, HSBC, Amex, or other supported banks and the rule engine will categorise entries automatically.
Your first transaction is recorded and hash-chained. The P&L and Balance Sheet will reflect it immediately.
Revalue an Illiquid Asset
Property, private equity, carried interest, and alternatives — update carrying values when appraisals or NAV statements arrive.
- 1 Navigate to the Asset Register in the sidebar.
- 2 Locate the illiquid holding you want to revalue — a property, a fund stake, or other alternative asset.
- 3 Click Revalue on that asset record.
- 4 Enter the new fair value and the effective date (typically your quarter-end or the date of your appraisal).
- 5 Add the basis for the revaluation — e.g. "Savills residential survey, Q1 2026" or "Fund NAV statement, March 2026".
- 6 Click Preview to review the auto-generated journal entries before posting.
- 7 Click Post to record the revaluation.
IFRS accounting is applied automatically. Under the fair-value model (IAS 40 / FRS 102 s.16), investment property revaluations are recognised in profit or loss. The correct treatment is selected based on how the asset is classified in your Chart of Accounts.
The asset's carrying value is updated. The Balance Sheet, Wealth Summary, and consolidated net worth all reflect the new value immediately.
Illiquid Asset Revaluations — What This Covers
Residential and commercial property, private equity fund stakes, carried interest entitlements, wine and art collections, structured notes, and any other asset tracked at fair value rather than cost. Use the revaluation workflow whenever a new appraisal, fund statement, or market event changes the carrying value.
Run a P&L and Balance Sheet
IFRS-aligned reports that consolidate across all your entities and currencies.
- 1 Go to the Reports section in the sidebar.
- 2 Select the report you want: Profit & Loss or Balance Sheet.
- 3 Use the Entity filter to select a single entity — or choose All Entities for a consolidated view.
- 4 Set the Period filter to your required date range — Year to Date, Last Quarter, or a custom range.
- 5 The report generates automatically. FX conversion to your reporting currency is applied on-demand using the latest rate on the report date.
- 6 Use the Export button to save as PDF or CSV for advisors, accountants, or your own records.
The Wealth Summary tab in Reporting shows your multi-year equity roll-forward — opening net worth, net movement, and closing value across all entities and tax years. It's the single most useful view for understanding the trajectory of consolidated wealth.
You have a complete, formatted financial report. The same data is available for every entity, consolidated or individual, for any period.
Set Up WebDAV Backup
Optional encrypted backup to your own infrastructure — Nextcloud, NAS, or any WebDAV-compatible storage.
- 1 Go to Settings from the main navigation.
- 2 Open the Backup or Sync & Backup tab.
- 3 Click Configure WebDAV.
- 4 Enter your WebDAV server URL, username, and password.
- 5 Save the connection and click Test Connection to verify.
- 6 Click Backup Now to trigger your first encrypted backup.
Your vault is encrypted before it leaves your machine — AES-256-GCM with an Argon2id-derived key. Even if your backup destination is compromised, the vault file cannot be read without your PIN.
Your vault is backed up to infrastructure you control. Aethelgard makes no other network calls — this is the only optional network activity in the entire application.
Fully Offline Operation
Aethelgard makes zero background network calls. No telemetry, no crash reporting, no analytics, no sync unless you configure it here. If you never set up WebDAV, the app never touches the network. Your financial data stays entirely on your device.
Activate Your Licence Key
Delivered by email after purchase. Validated on-device — no internet required.
- 1 Navigate to Settings.
- 2 Open the Vault tab and scroll to the Licence section.
- 3 Paste your licence key into the field and click Activate.
- 4 The key is validated instantly on your device — no internet connection required for activation.
- 5 A confirmation message appears and your tier features unlock immediately.
Your key was delivered to the email address you used at checkout. Check your spam folder if you don't see it within a few minutes. Contact contact@aethelgard.finance if you need it resent.
Your licence is active. The 30-day trial period ends and your tier features remain unlocked permanently (Lifetime) or until renewal (Annual).
Verify Your Ledger Integrity at Any Time
Navigate to Settings → Integrity Dashboard to run a full hash-chain verification across your entire transaction history. Every entry is checked against its predecessor — the result is a complete tamper-evidence certificate for your records.
This is useful before sharing records with advisors, at period-end, or any time you want to confirm the integrity of your financial history. The verification runs entirely on-device.
Need your licence key?
Check the email you used at checkout — delivered automatically after purchase within a few minutes.
Not finding it? contact@aethelgard.finance