Assigning transactions to (budget) categories

jimarcher6837

Long time user with Premium Ver R30.21 on Windows 10. It appears that transactions are not always properly assigned to budget categories. See below png. This image is from the Budget / Actuals Only form by clicking on the January value for _DivInc, notice that the values, 260.43 and 164.14 are shown as both positive and negative values, for the same date, apparently for the same transactions. This is verified in the register transactions where there is only one entry for each. What is going on?

Quicken Anja

Hello @jimarcher6837,

Thank you for reaching out to the Community to tell us about your issue, though I apologize that you are experiencing this.

Could you please provide which version of Quicken you have currently running?

• Help > About Quicken

First, if you haven't already, please navigate and select All Transactions at the top of your Account List.



Then, on the top-right of the transaction register, click Search and search for the amounts to double-verify that the incorrect values aren't found in any of your currently visible accounts.



Also, do you happen to have any hidden accounts that these numbers could possibly be pulled from? To check, please navigate to Tools > Account List. Then check the Show Hidden Accounts checkbox. From there, click Edit on the hidden account(s) and navigate to the Display Options tab and verify that the checkbox for "Keep this account separate- account will be excluded from Quicken reports and features" is checked.



Please, check back and let us know what you find.

jimarcher6837

20 year user with Premium Ver R30.21 on Windows 10. Neither transaction appears in the Search all function. The entry does exist, see the capture. Hidden accounts defined as noted.


Also, there are monthly negative entries for _DivInc in the 2020 Actuals rollup.

jimarcher6837

2020 monthly rollup for _DivInc

jimarcher6837

If I am sending actual data, can we do this in private?

Quicken Anja

@jimarcher6837 Thank you for checking on those details and providing the results.

jimarcher6837 said:

If I am sending actual data, can we do this in private?

In regard to sending "actual data", I won't need to collect any data from you. However, if for any reason we end up needing to go that route, I will let you know and we can absolutely do so in private.

Since the search didn't produce any results and the hidden accounts have the correct Display Options settings set, if you haven't already, I suggest you create a copy of your data file in an attempt to rebuild all of the internal lists and database tables. Then, try to Validate your data file in the copied file by following the steps below. However, I do recommend that you also Save a backup of your data file first before trying these steps. Just to make sure you can restore your current data in case anything goes wrong. 

1. Navigate to the File menu
2. Select File Operations
3. Copy...
4. Leave the presets as is and click OK
   
5. Wait for the copy procedure to complete
   
6. Select New Copy and click OK                                                                              
7. Once the newly copied file opens, navigate back to the File menu
   
8. Select File Operations
9. Validate and Repair...
10. Select Validate file
    
11. Click OK
12. Close the Data Log
    
13. Close Quicken (leave it closed for at least 5 secs)
14. Reopen Quicken and see if the issue persists.

You can also try to Super validate the copied file by holding down the Ctrl + Shift keys on your keyboard while selecting Validate and Repair... (step 9) which will give you the option to Super validate file instead of Validate file.

If this does not resolve the issue, you can either switch back to your original file or restore the backup you saved prior to performing the above troubleshooting instructions (both the original and backup files should remain unaffected by the steps performed in the copied file).

Follow the steps below to switch back to your original file:

1. Click the File menu.
2. Look near the bottom of the options list.
3. Select the data file you want to open. 

Quicken will list the most recently opened data files, with a checkmark next to the file you are currently viewing.

Let us know how it goes!

jimarcher6837

It sounds like this process rebuilds the database, tables, links etc. Will do, but maybe not tomorrow. I will keep you informed.

jimarcher6837

Thanks for you quick response

UKR

Something similar happened to me a while ago where, one day, the brokerage recorded one each of CGLong and CGShort transactions. The next they went in and booked the same transactions again, but with a negative amount, thus voiding the earlier transactions. Somebody goofed and they corrected it real quick.

I'm wondering if what you're seeing is something similar: a correction to a booking error.
Or did you, perhaps, get a dividend paid, followed by a reinvest ... and both weren't recorded properly? To review that, I'd have to see the actual Quicken register transactions together with an extract from the printed brokerage statement showing the transactions in question.

jimarcher6837

UKR, thanks for your offer of help. The brokerage has recorded transactions such as those described in your first paragraph. I have done the comparisons you described in your last paragraph. I am sure you will understand when I say that the only ones seeing my statements are me, my wife, and the broker.
Regards, Jim

jimarcher6837

Quicken Anja, Did as you suggested, including super validate, but the problem persists. What now? I am using XL for budgeting, so I guess I will stay with that since I cannot trust Quicken budget data, at least until there is some functioning resolution.

jimarcher6837

All other aspect of the application work fine, no errors.
Jim

jimarcher6837

The workaround is not to use the _DivInc category, and use another for this purpose. This is the only attribute that I can see which is incorrectly associated to transactions.

Quicken Anja

Hello @jimarcher6837,

Thank you for trying the troubleshooting instructions previously provided and consistently providing us with an update afterward.

Unfortunately, since the previous steps provided have failed thus far, at this point, I would recommend that you reach out to Quicken Support instead, for more extensive troubleshooting and possible escalation if they see fit.

I apologize that our efforts from the Community were unable to resolve this for you.

Click here to review Quicken Support's hours of operation.

jimarcher6837

Thanks, I will.