Knowledge Base

Knowledge Base

Guides and how-tos to help you use the product and understand family loans.

The Export menu on the loan page, with Loan summary, Full amortization schedule and Tax year summary as options
App Guide

How to Export Your Full Amortization Schedule (PDF or CSV)

Where the Export menu is, what the full schedule PDF and the CSV contain, what each column means, and why the Loan summary PDF only shows the next 12 payments.

Sep 15, 2026Read
The top of the loan creation form: loan name, the role selector (I am the Lender or I am the Borrower), and currency, which together determine who owns the loan
Getting Started

How Loan Ownership and Licenses Work

Who owns a loan in Family Loan Tracker, why only the creator needs a license, and how families avoid duplicate accounts and loans.

Sep 7, 2026Read
An overdue payment row highlighted in red, with the overdue badge and Mark All Paid button in the Upcoming Payments header
App Guide

How to Handle Overdue Payments in Family Loan Tracker

What it means when a payment shows as overdue, what actually changes, and how to clear it, with no late fees or rate changes involved.

Sep 7, 2026Read
The Deferred Interest card showing disbursement date, grace period length, accrued interest, and effective principal
App Guide

Understanding Deferred Interest: Disbursement Date vs. First Payment Date

Why a loan's balance can start higher than the amount lent when there is a gap between the disbursement date and the first payment date, and what to do about it.

Sep 7, 2026Read
An active interest payback configuration showing 50 percent payback and a single bank interest tier
App Guide

How Interest Payback Works

How Family Loan Tracker's interest payback percentage actually works, and how to configure it for a clean share of the interest.

Sep 7, 2026Read
The Manage loan modal showing editable principal, interest rate, and duration fields
App Guide

How to Change Your Loan's Terms After It's Set Up

How to correct a family loan's amount, rate, term, or dates after setup in Family Loan Tracker, and what locks once payments exist.

Sep 7, 2026Read
An open notebook filled with handwritten entries, the manual way families track each draw on a line of credit
App Guide

How to Track a Family Line of Credit With Multiple Withdrawals

Set up a family line of credit where the borrower draws money in stages. Learn how draws differ from repayments and how interest accrues per withdrawal.

Jul 14, 2026Read
The Payment settings button with a New badge in the Upcoming Payments section of a family loan
App Guide

How to Pay Back a Family Loan with Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle

Pay back a family loan in one tap via Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, or Tikkie — amount prefilled, no transaction fees, and every payment tracked automatically.

Jul 4, 2026Read
An interest payback configuration showing a lender gifting back part of the interest charged
Taxes & Compliance

The Annual Gift Tax Exclusion: What Family Lenders Need to Know

The 2026 annual gift tax exclusion is $19,000 per recipient. Here's how it interacts with family loans, interest gifting, loan forgiveness, and Form 709.

Jun 25, 2026Read
The Record Payment dialog showing the amount to confirm and the payment date field
App Guide

How to Record a Payment in Family Loan Tracker

Step-by-step guide to marking a payment as paid in Family Loan Tracker, including batch payments, confirmation emails, and what trial accounts can and can't do.

Jun 25, 2026Read
The loan's Total Progress, Loan Summary, and Monthly Payment cards on the dashboard
App Guide

Understanding Your Loan Dashboard: What Every Number Means

A plain-English breakdown of every stat on your Family Loan Tracker dashboard — periodic payment, total interest, paid principal, overdue amount, and the progress bar.

Jun 17, 2026Read
A written family loan agreement documenting the amount, interest rate, and repayment terms, the kind of documentation the IRS looks for
Tax & Legal

What Counts as a "Family Loan" for IRS Purposes?

The IRS doesn't take your word for it. Here's the three-part test that separates a real family loan from a disguised gift, and why documentation is what tips the scale.

Jun 17, 2026Read