Switching Between Households

If you have access to more than one household - your own plus any you've been invited to join - you can easily switch between them using the household switcher.

The Household Switcher

When you have access to multiple households, a household switcher appears in the header. It shows the name of the household you're currently viewing.

Click the switcher to see all households you can access, then select the one you want to view.

What Each Entry Shows

The household switcher displays:

• My Finances - Your own household (where you're the Owner)
• Other households - Shown with the owner's name and your role
  • Example: "Sarah's Finances (Full Access)"
  • Example: "Mum & Dad (Read Only)"

Switching Households

1. Click the household switcher in the header
2. Select the household you want to view from the dropdown
3. The page refreshes to show data from that household

All navigation and data now reflects the selected household. When you view accounts, transactions, reports, or any other data, you're seeing that household's information.

Remembering Your Selection

Financio remembers which household you last accessed. When you log in:

• You'll automatically land on the household you were viewing in your previous session
• If that household is no longer accessible (you were removed), you'll land on your own household

Visual Indicators

Current Household

The header always shows which household you're viewing. Look for:

• The household name in the switcher
• Your role if you're not the Owner

Read Only Mode

If you're viewing a household where you have Read Only access:

• A "Read Only" badge appears in the header
• Add and edit buttons are hidden throughout the interface
• You can browse and view but not make changes

Common Scenarios

Managing Your Own and Shared Finances

Many users have their own household for personal finances plus access to a shared household with a partner:

1. Use My Finances for personal accounts and spending only you need to track
2. Switch to the shared household for joint accounts and household expenses
3. Each household has separate accounts, categories, and transactions

Helping Family Members

If you have Read Only access to help a parent or family member:

1. Switch to their household when they need assistance
2. Review their accounts and transactions
3. Discuss findings with them - they can make any needed changes
4. Switch back to your own finances when done

Multiple Shared Households

There's no limit to how many households you can access. You might have:

• Your own personal finances
• A shared household with your spouse
• Read Only access to help an elderly parent
• Full Access to a household you manage for a family member

Keeping Data Separate

Each household is completely independent:

• Transactions in one household don't appear in another
• Categories and tags are household-specific
• Rules only apply within their household
• Reports show data from the current household only

There's no way to view combined data across multiple households - you always view one at a time.

Troubleshooting

I don't see the household switcher

The switcher only appears when you have access to multiple households. If you only have your own household, there's nothing to switch to.

A household disappeared from the list

You may have been removed from that household. Contact the Owner if you believe this was a mistake.

I switched but see my old data

Try refreshing the page. If the issue persists, sign out and sign back in.