Sovereign — Frequently Asked Questions

For the first 50 users. Group by topic. Tone: confident, plain, not defensive.

Getting started

#How do I sign up?

You don't have to. Sovereign works fully without an account — open the web app at sovereign-app.com or the iOS app, and your data lives on your device by default. If you want cloud sync across devices, sign in with Apple or use a magic-link email. That's the only reason to create an account.

#What is E2EE (end-to-end encryption), and why do you keep mentioning it?

End-to-end encryption means your holdings data is encrypted on your device before it's ever uploaded. Sovereign uses AES-GCM-256 via the browser's native Web Crypto API. The server (Supabase) only sees opaque blobs — it can't read your balances, holdings, or net worth, even if it wanted to. Even if Sovereign's database were compromised, attackers would see encrypted gibberish.

#Is my data safe?

Two layers. First, by default your data never leaves your device — it lives in localStorage, which only your browser or phone can read. Second, if you opt into cloud sync, your holdings are encrypted before upload, so the server stores opaque blobs only. There's no analytics SDK, no ad network, and no third-party access to your financial data.

#Can I import from Empower / Monarch / Copilot / Tiller / Mint?

Yes, via generalized CSV. Most trackers and brokerages let you export account history or balances as a CSV file. Sovereign's import handles flexible column layouts — paste or upload, map columns, done. There is no Plaid-based bank linking and there won't be. The CSV path is intentional.

#What does it cost?

Free tier covers holdings tracking and basic net worth dashboard. The full toolset — FI projection, retirement scenarios, history snapshots, exports, GSR analysis — is paid. Three options:

• $9.99/month
• $79/year (saves ~34% vs. monthly)
• $149 one-time, lifetime (no subscription, ever)

The lifetime tier is the headline. No upsell loop.

Metals tracking

#How does the pricing work?

Live spot prices for gold, silver, platinum, and palladium come from gold-api.com, refreshed roughly every 30 seconds when the app is open. The web app caches the last known price via service worker, so if your network drops or the API has a hiccup, you'll still see the last fetched value with a "may be stale" indicator. If the API is unreachable, Sovereign falls back to hardcoded prices the developer updates manually.

#Can I track multiple metals?

Yes — gold, silver, platinum, and palladium are all first-class. Each metal has its own portfolio view, cost-basis log, and contributes to your total stack value. Copper is on the roadmap but not yet live. [TODO: Keith confirm copper status in 1.0.6]

#Can I record purchase prices and dealer info?

Yes. Each acquisition can be logged with date, ounces, price paid (premium over spot is calculated automatically), and optional dealer / location fields. This rolls up into a cost-basis view per metal and feeds the Form 8949 export.

#What about coins vs bars vs rounds?

Sovereign tracks by ounces — pure metal weight. Coins and bars are equivalent for portfolio math; the distinction matters for resale premium, which you can capture in the cost-basis field per acquisition. There isn't (yet) a "coin type" taxonomy with mint marks, slabs, or graded condition. If that's a feature you want, email leinhardtk@gmail.com — it's on the wishlist for a future version if there's demand.

Net worth

#What counts as net worth?

Everything you own minus everything you owe. In Sovereign that breaks down as: cash + investable accounts (brokerage, IRA, 401k, etc.) + retirement-locked accounts + real estate equity + physical precious metals + "other assets" - liabilities (mortgage, credit cards, loans). You decide what goes where.

#Can I split investable vs. locked accounts?

Yes. Sovereign distinguishes between investable assets (what you could touch today) and locked / retirement assets (401k, traditional IRA pre-59.5, etc.). The FI calculator and emergency-fund-runway tab use the investable bucket; the retirement projection uses the full pile.

#How does history / snapshots work?

You can take a monthly snapshot manually, or let Sovereign auto-snapshot on the first of each month. The History tab shows your net-worth curve over time, with markers for each snapshot. Data is local-first; if you've turned on cloud sync, the snapshot history syncs too.

Sync & security

#Is my data really encrypted? How can I verify?

Yes — AES-GCM-256, encrypted client-side via Web Crypto API before any upload. Two ways to verify: (1) Open browser DevTools → Network tab → watch what Sovereign actually sends to the Supabase endpoint. You'll see opaque base64 blobs, not plaintext. (2) Use the app without ever signing in — data never leaves your device, period. Cloud sync is opt-in.

#Can I export my data?

Yes. Settings → Export → downloads a JSON snapshot of all your holdings, accounts, snapshots, and trade history. Form 8949 export for metals trades is a separate option in the Metals → Trade Log tab. Your data is yours; export anytime.

#Can I delete my account?

Yes. Settings → Account → Delete Account. If you've used cloud sync, this wipes your encrypted blobs from Supabase. If you've only used local storage, you can also just clear site data in your browser / app to fully reset.

#What happens if I lose my phone?

If you've opted into cloud sync: sign in on a new device with Sign in with Apple or your magic-link email, enter the encryption passphrase you set up, and your data restores. Important: Sovereign cannot recover your data without your encryption passphrase. Losing it means losing your synced data. Store it somewhere safe (password manager).

If you've never used cloud sync: your data was only on the lost device. There's no remote backup. This is the trade-off of strict E2EE — Sovereign can't read or recover what it can't decrypt.

Billing

#What's free vs. paid?

Free: holdings tracking (metals + accounts), basic net worth dashboard, live spot prices. Paid: FI calculator, retirement projection with bear/base/bull cones, monthly snapshot history, GSR analysis, buy-vs-sell calculator, trade log + Form 8949 export, stacker rank, spending tracker, emergency-fund runway, multi-currency, account tagging, and cloud sync.

#What's the refund policy?

[TODO: Keith confirm exact refund policy] — As a starting baseline: web purchases via Stripe are eligible for refund within 30 days if you're not happy. iOS purchases follow Apple's standard refund process via reportaproblem.apple.com (Sovereign can't process iOS refunds directly — App Store handles them).

#Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. Monthly and annual subscriptions can be cancelled from your account page (web, via Stripe) or your Apple ID subscriptions (iOS, via Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions). You retain access until the end of your paid period. Lifetime purchases are non-cancellable by design — you bought it once, you own it forever.

#Does Sovereign support family sharing?

Not yet. Each Sovereign Pro license is currently per-account. Family sharing (multiple users under one household with privacy walls) is on the roadmap but not a near-term ship. [TODO: Keith confirm family-sharing timeline]

Bugs & support

#How do I report a bug?

Email support@sovereign-app.com with a description, the device + OS version, and a screenshot if possible. The inbound goes to a Cloudflare Email Worker that drafts a reply and files a GitHub issue for review — but a human (Keith) reads every one before any response goes out.

#Where do I email for support?

support@sovereign-app.com for support / bugs / feature requests. leinhardtk@gmail.com for press, partnerships, or direct-to-founder questions.

#What's the response time?

Aim is within 48 hours during launch month, and within 5 business days thereafter. Bug reports affecting data loss or sync issues are prioritized. As a solo dev, response times can stretch on weekends — Sovereign is a one-person operation, not a 24/7 support desk. Patience appreciated.

#What if my issue is urgent (data loss, can't access my account)?

Email support@sovereign-app.com with URGENT in the subject line. Data-loss or access issues get same-day attention when possible. Note that because of strict E2EE, Sovereign cannot recover holdings data without your encryption passphrase — please store it safely.

Anything else?

This FAQ is the first cut for the first 50 users. If you have a question that should be here, email support@sovereign-app.com and it will get added.

Sovereign is a small operation. Talking to the developer directly is a feature, not a bug.