Budgeting App Glossary: Terms Without the Hype

Reference — These working definitions help you read product documentation and compare your own costs. They do not certify a particular product or replace the meaning of a term in its actual contract.

Budget

A plan for allocating money across expenses, reserves and other priorities. Compare the plan with what actually happened and revise it when circumstances change.

Recurring charge

A payment that repeats on a stated schedule. The charge, billing interval and renewal terms are separate details worth recording.

Monthly equivalent

An annual cost divided by twelve. It is not necessarily an amount you can pay each month. The subscription calculator makes that distinction explicit.

Transfer

A movement between accounts. If you track both sides, use a consistent method so the movement does not become both new income and new spending in your totals.

Account aggregation

Bringing information from different accounts into one view. Check the actual permissions and connection method rather than assuming the view can only read data.

Household sharing

Giving other people access within a product's shared setup. A separate login, an ownership label and a privacy permission are not interchangeable. See the couples' guide.

Forecast

An estimate based on inputs and assumptions. It is not an observed future balance or a guaranteed outcome.

Source-based comparison

An analysis of documented information. It is different from firsthand testing, which requires records of actual observations under a defined protocol. Our evidence standard explains the distinction.