When using Moneydance for the first time, a window is shown that presents two options:
Clicking the Create New File button will begin the process of creating
a new Moneydance file for storing your financial information.
Click the Open Existing File button in order to open an existing
Moneydance file.
To create a new Moneydance file using a file that was exported from another financial
application select the Tools menu, then Import, then QIF or
OFX. For more information about importing data from other financial applications,
see the Importing section.
When creating the data file, there are two decisions to make:
Primary Currency: This is the default currency that will be assigned to all new
accounts. It is usually best to select the currency for the country in which you live.
If the currency for your country is not found in the list, click the Edit button
to add it.
File Type: This option specifies the default set of accounts and categories
that will be created. The Standard Account Set includes a complete set of categories,
while the Minimal Account Set includes a very small number of categories. The
Minimal Account Set is primarily intended for those who will be importing existing
data from another financial application, or those who would like to set up their own
account structure.
Click here to view the accounts and income/expense
categories that are included in the Standard Account Set.
Click here to view the accounts and income/expense
categories that are included in the Minimal Account Set.
Now that a data file has been created, you should save it using the File->Save
menu item. In the future, Moneydance will automatically open the last file that you
use. Other files can be accessed using the File->Open menu item.