I can't get my checking account to reconcile

CO-Kris

HI there - I have used Quicken on my Mac for decades (really!!) I have religiously reconciled my checking account every month to the penny - but back in December 2019 I noticed a discrepancy - thought I would be able to sort it out the next month so I held off on reconciling in December. Then January was worse, February was even worse and now its time to do March .
I have tried to find my error to no avail - I've deleted all the transactions back to December, re-entered them (yes I still do this by hand each month) I cannot figure out where my error is. I've even worked with another person who has double checked my work - so now I have a mess on my hands - because I can't figure out how to move forward - each month that goes by stresses me out because I have a different balance on my register than I have on my bank website. I don't know what to do
I think it may be related to a change in the software (I noticed a change in how my entries looked in December 2019) and transactions that the software remembered weren't functioning like normal - When I went in and deleted all my transactions I went back to the last time it balanced. But then after entering the transactions again I can't figure out how to begin reconciling because the beginning and ending balance don't match my statements anymore.

Does anyone know how to proceed?

John_in_NC

Howdy, Co-Kris

Easiest solution? Reconcile and accept the adjustment. Then move on.

I don't prefer that solution, either. I would lose sleep at night. :-) But, it depends on how much time you wish to devote to this.

Keep in mind that the "Beginning Balance" is merely a calculation (sum) of all your (decades old) reconciled transactions. If that balance is wrong, then something went awry with your older transactions. (Perhaps you accidentally deleted, unreconciled, or edited an older transaction(s)?) The recent transactions you keep reentering may have nothing to do with your error.

If you want to make your register "right", you have to get your file back to when it was correct in say November 2019. You have to find out why your beginning balance is off.

I can't see your data, so I can't give you a magic solution. But, I think you need to get your reconcile starting balance correct to a few months back when things worked. You might even have to enter an adjustment for then-I don't know. But, after that, your later months should reconcile. I really think something in your prior history is coming back to haunt you.

Good luck!

John_in_NC

Howdy, Co-Kris

Easiest solution? Reconcile and accept the adjustment. Then move on.

I don't prefer that solution, either. I would lose sleep at night. :-) But, it depends on how much time you wish to devote to this.

Keep in mind that the "Beginning Balance" is merely a calculation (sum) of all your (decades old) reconciled transactions. If that balance is wrong, then something went awry with your older transactions. (Perhaps you accidentally deleted, unreconciled, or edited an older transaction(s)?) The recent transactions you keep reentering may have nothing to do with your error.

If you want to make your register "right", you have to get your file back to when it was correct in say November 2019. You have to find out why your beginning balance is off.

I can't see your data, so I can't give you a magic solution. But, I think you need to get your reconcile starting balance correct to a few months back when things worked. You might even have to enter an adjustment for then-I don't know. But, after that, your later months should reconcile. I really think something in your prior history is coming back to haunt you.

Good luck!