Security & privacy

Your records stay on your computer

Family Wealth Vault runs on your own Windows PC or Mac. Your records, attachments and backups are stored there, in one encrypted file. They are never uploaded to us or to any cloud service, and the program doesn't send information about you or how you use it to anyone.

Phones and iPads in your home connect to your computer over your own Wi-Fi. Nothing passes through our servers.

Encryption

Everything is encrypted with AES-256-GCM, the same standard used by banks and governments.
The key is locked with each person's PIN or password, strengthened with Argon2id to make guessing slow and expensive.
When nobody is signed in, the key is wiped from memory. After repeated wrong PINs, sign-in pauses.
The most sensitive details, like crypto wallet recovery words, can have an extra lock: a second passphrase that even other signed-in family members need.

Who can get in

Each person has their own PIN or password, and only sees the areas you allow. People can be "view only".
New phones and computers must be approved on your computer before they can sign in, even if someone knows a PIN.
An administrator can require passwords instead of PINs for everyone.
The vault locks itself after a period without use, and every change is recorded in an activity log.

If you forget your PIN

When you set up, you're given a recovery code to write down and keep safe. Because only your family holds the keys, nobody else (including us) can open your vault. Keep the recovery code somewhere safe; the printable "If something happens to me" guide tells your family where you keep it.

Backups

Encrypted backups are made automatically. You can also keep a second, encrypted copy on a USB stick, an external drive or your OneDrive folder. Backups stay encrypted wherever they are.

Internet use

The program doesn't need the internet. The only exception is an optional "check for updates" setting, off unless you turn it on, which asks this website whether a newer version exists and sends only the version number.

This website

This website doesn't use cookies or tracking scripts, and we count visits without identifying anyone. If you download Family Wealth Vault or ask us a question, we keep the details you give us securely and use them only as described in our privacy notice.

Security is a shared job: keep your computer's software up to date, use a PIN that isn't your bank card PIN or birthday, only allow phone access on your own home Wi-Fi, and keep your recovery code safe.