This article explains how to use the Auto-Cast feature in Magnifi to quickly project income and expenses for the next 12 months. Auto-Cast saves time by applying a percentage increase or decrease to your past 12 months of results, instead of manually entering every value.
Use Auto-Cast when you want to:
Build a 12-month projection quickly
Apply consistent % increases or decreases at the overall, category, or account level
Apply projections across all divisions or for each division separately
Go to Profit and Loss.
Select Auto-Cast from the options.
Projection start month: Projections update only from the month you choose under Update Projections From. Earlier months stay the same.
Last 12 months values: Auto-Cast looks back at the 12 months before your start month.
If actual results exist, they are used.
If actuals don’t exist, budgets are used (if available).
Example: If preparing budgets in May 2025 for July 2025 onwards, and you only have actuals to April 2025:
July 2024–April 2025 = actuals
May–June 2025 = budgets
Note: If no budgets exist (e.g. in a new file), only actuals can be projected. You can run Auto-Cast once, then move the start month forward and re-run to extend projections.
Where you can apply Auto-Cast:
Overall (Quick Setup) – Apply a % change to income and expenses
Category level – Apply different % changes to each income or expense category
Account level – Apply % changes directly to individual accounts for more control
Divisions: If divisions exist, you can run Auto-Cast at the All Divisions level or for each division separately. If you choose All Divisions, the changes flow through to each division.
Calculation options:
Last Year Value: Applies the % to the same month last year (e.g. March 2025 = $50,000 + 5% = $55,000 in March 2026). Best when income/expenses are seasonal.
Last Year Average: Applies the % to the average monthly value over the past 12 months (e.g. $120,000 ÷ 12 = $10,000 × 5% = $10,500/month). Best when you want a smooth monthly budget.
% of account: Projects a value as a % of another account. (You can also do this directly in Profit and Loss by double-clicking the account.)
Excluded accounts: Accounts linked to Income Drivers or Labour Drivers are not updated. These appear as “Income Drivers” or “Calculated Amount”.
Once you’ve set your preferences, select Update Budgets. Two extra options are available:
Update from last actual date only: Keeps recent actuals unchanged. For example, if you’re projecting from July 2025 but have actuals for July and August, ticking this box will start projections from September.
Round up:
Values under $1,000 round to the nearest 10
Values over $1,000 round to the nearest 100
Can I apply Auto-Cast only to specific accounts?
Yes. You can apply % changes overall, by category, or by account.
Will Auto-Cast overwrite my actuals?
No. Actuals stay the same. Only projections from the start month forward are updated.
Why didn’t all accounts update?
Accounts using Income Drivers or Labour Drivers are excluded from Auto-Cast.