# Getting Started: Frequently Asked Questions > Get answers to common questions about getting started with YNAB, like where your transaction history went, where monthly income goes, and how to start over. Source: https://support.ynab.com/en_us/getting-started-frequently-asked-questions-r1EiQk75Ml Last updated: 2026-10-29T22:09:02.625Z Get quick answers to common questions about getting started with YNAB, from setting up your accounts to assigning your money and building the habit.  ## Setting Up  ### Why is there just one transaction in all my linked accounts? Where's all the transaction history? When you set up a new linked account in YNAB, it will import only the cleared balance from the bank as of today. Any transactions that clear the bank on or after today will import as individual transactions. You'll give them a category and fund them in your plan. Any prior transactions are represented by the Starting Balance and were taken into consideration when YNAB suggested categories and targets for you during onboarding. ### Where do I put my monthly income? YNAB is a little different from other methods which have you forecast your income and expenses for the full month at once. When you connect a cash account to YNAB, the Starting Balance of the account will determine how much you have to assign. Then you'll ask yourself ["What is this money for?"](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/the-ynab-method-an-overview-SJmiqpi6j) and assign those dollars only to what you'll need between now and when you get paid again. When the amount you have ready to assign reaches zero, you're done until you get new money! * * * ## Assigning Your Money ### What's the difference between my Target amount and Assigned amount? Your target is the full amount you intend to assign to a category each month. Your assigned amount is how much you've actually put there so far. Depending on your pay schedule, you may not be able to fund every target with your first paycheck of the month. Each time you get paid, cover what's due before you get paid again, and fill in the rest of your targets as more income arrives. Learn more in [Getting Started: Targets in YNAB](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/getting-started-targets-in-ynab-r1FTiSaTbe). ### How can I know if my plan works with my monthly income? Great question! The [Cost to Be Me](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/plan-and-adjust-with-edit-plan-and-cost-to-be-me-ByR7vpqPyx#cost-to-be-me) feature can help with this! You will need to first create Targets to tell YNAB how much you want to assign or spend in each category each month. You can set a target for $600 for Groceries because that's the amount you think you spend each month. You can set a target for $100 each month for car repair because you have a goal of creating a sinking fund for car repairs. If you set a target on all the categories you intend to fund monthly, the Cost to Be Me feature (only shown in the current month) will tell you how much your plan costs. You can enter your average monthly income and compare them! ### What if I don't have enough money to cover all my expenses/targets right now? Every time you get new money in your plan, you'll assign money to cover your obligations first: monthly bills and monthly spending. Then you'll move on to non-monthly expenses like health care, vet bills, home and auto repairs. If you're having trouble covering even your obligations—or you're currently spending more than you bring in or intentionally creating credit card debt—prioritize funding any expenses that you pay out of a cash/checking account. ### What if I've covered all my obligations before my next paycheck and I have money left over? If you've covered everything due before your next paycheck, think about things beyond monthly obligations. Ask yourself how much of your money can be set aside for later: for non-monthly expenses like annual bills and subscriptions, seasonal expenses like holiday spending and back to school costs, and "don't know when it will happen" expenses like car and home repairs and vet bills. Think about fun money, hobbies, and what you want to spend your money on. You can also think about funding the rest of your obligations this month and clicking ahead to next month and covering obligations there. Check out our [What's It For?](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/the-ynab-method-an-overview-SJmiqpi6j) article to think through the five things your money can be for. * * * ## After Setup ### Okay, I've set up my plan and assigned my money. Now what? You did it! Now make sure you have the YNAB app on your mobile device and logged in with the same credentials. When you go to spend money, check the available balance to see how much is available in that category. If you need more money in Groceries or Dining Out, move money between categories so you're ready to spend it. If you forget to check first and overspend, that's okay! Move money between categories to cover the overspending. The goal isn't to do it perfectly, the goal is to keep opening the app until it becomes a habit. Every day over coffee, open YNAB, approve/categorize any new transactions, then check the plan to cover overspending and make sure your money is where you need it! Want to build the habit with others? Join one of our [live hangouts](https://www.ynab.com/live-hangouts) to assign your money alongside other YNABers. ### I set up a plan and haven't opened the app in a while and now everything is a mess. How do I start over? If you don't have much (or any!) transaction history you want to preserve, we recommend making a [Fresh Start](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/plan-resets-and-fresh-starts-HkXYR_c0q#fresh). This feature allows you to maintain any customization (categories, accounts, targets, etc.) but clears out any uncategorized transactions and pulls an updated starting balance from the bank. This is great for starting over as of today and not having to worry about old uncategorized transactions. This also works well if you added accounts to YNAB that aren't a part of your current spending and you'd like to simplify your setup for now. * * * ## Help Us Help You **Are you stuck or do you need more help?** [Tell the chatbot you need a human or send us an email](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/how-to-get-help-SygqcvtC5) to ensure that your message gets to our Support team!