Longer pieces on encryption, MCP design, and what it's actually like to run an open-source personal-finance app.
2026-07-29
Monarch, YNAB, Actual, Firefly III, Era, and Finlynq: who actually ships an MCP server, who relies on community wrappers, and what each one asks you to hand over before your AI can see your money. Plus a short checklist for connecting any assistant to your finances safely.
2026-06-01
The native app is finally here, on the App Store and Google Play. Check your balances, budgets, portfolio, and net worth from your phone. Add transactions, import statements, the works. Same encryption as the web app, no shortcuts. And if you self-host, just point it at your own instance.
2026-05-13
Envelope encryption, explained like a human would. AES-256-GCM, a scrypt-derived key from your password, a DEK per user, and the tradeoffs I'm not going to pretend away (the operator can still see anonymized amounts, and if you lose your password, your data is gone).