Ran Out Of Check Numbers

Unknown

Ok, I have been using Quicken for a very very long time and always with one bank.  I am about to run into a major issue.  I have run out of check numbers for one of my quicken accounts.  The bank only accepts numbers from 1000-9999.  I am currently at number 9860.  The bank said that once I reach 9999, the next number will automatically reset to 1000.  Problem is, I already have check numbers starting at 1000 and up.

I am not sure what to do now.  I don't want to close this account and open another one as this account is a grandfathered account with no fee's and special interest rates.  Having duplicate check numbers is not going to work either (besides just having constant duplicate check number errors, I wouldn't be able to properly sort, etc).

One option might be to turn off online banking for the account, then change the account number to something different (to archive it), then add a new account with the correct account number and start all over again.  This way I would still have all my data stored (for reports) but I would have to have 2 accounts for this one account.  Not sure exactly how this will work, and I would have to manually clear checks until all are under the new account.  

Anyway, I am looking for suggestions on what to do now!

Michael

NotACPA

Michael,
Since you don't want to start a true new account, and you don't want duplicate check numbers, I think that your only option is the one you proposed.

RE: the uncleared check situation, why not just move those from the existing account to the new account?  Thus everything in the existing account would be reconciled and you can proceed normally in the new account.

Just be careful in setting the opening balance of that new account, including both Q's current "balance" figure AND  those uncleared checks.

In doing so, record Q's balance (including the uncleared checks).  This is the figure that you want to end up with after everything else happens.  Then create the new account and move the uncleared checks to it.  The old account balance should change, and that's the number that you want to use as the 'Opening Balance" in the new account.

Be SURE to take a backup before you start any of this .... just so you've got a fall-back in case things get weird.

splasher

I vote on creating the new account in Quicken and doing the cut-over on the end-date of the statement and making a transfer from old to new of the current balance on that date.

Yes, reconciles will be a little messy until all the old transactions are in, but if you move the uncleared transactions to the new account, they will eventually cause duplicate check numbers when you get close to 9999 again.

MrTimmy

If I understand your issue  correctly, I might have an easy solution. I ran into this a long time ago and when entering items in the register, I simply precede my actual check number with the two digits of the current year (i.e. 171001, 171002, 171003, etc.). Then, when I download to clear/reconcile, I manually match the item in my register. In 2018, I will switch to placing an 18 in front of check numbers. A little manual, but has worked well for me for multiple years.

Rocket J Squirrel

Are years-old check numbers really important? I would say "not really". Date, payee, amount, and category are important.

You could simply erase old check number ranges. You'd lose the numbers, but avoid future duplicates. The Edit > Find & Replace function allows you to find all checks with numbers less than a specified number. You can't replace them with sensible numbers like 0001, 0002, etc., but you can easily wipe them all out.

splasher

Are years-old check numbers really important? I would say "not really". Date, payee, amount, and category are important.

You could simply erase old check number ranges. You'd lose the numbers, but avoid future duplicates. The Edit > Find & Replace function allows you to find all checks with numbers less than a specified number. You can't replace them with sensible numbers like 0001, 0002, etc., but you can easily wipe them all out.

Good idea, the OP could blank out a thousand at a time as they needed to, that way preserving the more recent ones until they would probably not pertinent.

smayer97

If I understand your issue  correctly, I might have an easy solution. I ran into this a long time ago and when entering items in the register, I simply precede my actual check number with the two digits of the current year (i.e. 171001, 171002, 171003, etc.). Then, when I download to clear/reconcile, I manually match the item in my register. In 2018, I will switch to placing an 18 in front of check numbers. A little manual, but has worked well for me for multiple years.

I've used this approach because my bank limits me from100 to 999 and I have about 24 yrs of data.

Clayton200

Another option would be do a "File>File Operations>Year-End-Copy" keeping only the most recent 2-3-4 or 5  years data in the current file. It keeps the historical data in a file and compacts file size of the current file.

Unknown

Another option would be do a "File>File Operations>Year-End-Copy" keeping only the most recent 2-3-4 or 5  years data in the current file. It keeps the historical data in a file and compacts file size of the current file.

To each his own, but no way would I recommend this option. Archiving is not a recommended way to go by most longtime Quicken user's. 

splasher

Another option would be do a "File>File Operations>Year-End-Copy" keeping only the most recent 2-3-4 or 5  years data in the current file. It keeps the historical data in a file and compacts file size of the current file.

Agree with Rhinecliff, my current data file dates back to 1996 and I would never delete any of it, history is too important and separating it into two or more files is throwing it away because there is no way to get a report of the combined data files from Quicken in the future.