Share purchase transaction shows negative share amount; wipes out share balance

Unknown

I just upgraded to Quicken 2017.
I have a Vanguard 401(k) account that has online updates in Quicken that used to be perfectly in sync with Vanguard's records. But after I upgraded, I noticed that for the first year and half of transactions, the share balance increases with each purchase, as one would expect. But, at the end of August 2014, there's a purchase transaction with the correct number of shares and price, but the share balance goes from 479.45 to -11.26! I tried deleting and re-entering the transaction, but this didn't solve the problem. Any idea what's causing this and how I can fix it.

mshiggins

It sounds like a placeholder.

Unknown

Nope, that wasn't it. I ended up having to delete the account and type everything in manually to fix it.

rigginbe

I have the same problem. Except mine doubled the value of the account. There is no transaction showing, but the balance between two existing transactions is grossly wrong. I am using Quicken Premier 2017.

Jim_Harman

Have you made the hidden placeholder transactions visible by going to Edit > Preferences  > Investing transactions and checking the Show hidden transactions box?

shera

I am having the same issue.  A transaction to buy shares actually REDUCES the share balance. However, this only happens after a certain date.  If I edit the transaction changing ONLY the date, the share balance sums correctly.  There are no placeholder transactions in this account.  See attachment.  I am using Quicken Premier 2019.  Please help!

Jim_Harman

The display in your screenshots could be caused by a hidden Placeholder transaction dated sometime between 11/19 and 12/28, setting the Vanguard 500 Index Fund share balance to -12.47783 shares.

Go to Edit > Preferences > Investing transactions and make sure the "Show hidden transactions" box is checked.