How do I edit multiple transactions with split categories?

jmrcrp

I have a recurring (daily) transaction that Quicken keeps putting in the wrong category. I'm trying to edit more than 30 of these transactions at the same time. I know how to edit multiple transactions, but what I need to do is split categories. When I try to edit several of these at once, there is no option for splits.

Chris_QPW

I did an experiment and it looks like it worked fine, but for it to work you might have to start over, which I normally wouldn't even consider suggesting, but since you haven't been using Quicken long it might be worth it.

When you are starting out and have yet to setup any renaming rules or memorized payees Quicken is just going to guess at the category, and that is what you are seeing here.

There are settings for "learning" what you want for the future, but these will not affect what happened in the past.

So here main point, whenever you download transactions Quicken first runs through the renaming rules.  You may or may not need to set one here to make sure that all of the payee names are consistent.  It is important that they are consistent for the next step.

Quicken looks at your memorized payee list for this payee.  If it finds it it will assign the category on it to the transaction. This includes changing it to a split if the memorized payee "category" is a split.  Now it gets very "iffy" of exactly how it is split if the net amount of the transaction changes, but for a consistent amount it should do this kind of match/split with no problem.

I was going to suggest creating a new data file and setting this up and then downloading the transactions, but I think you can even get away with deactivating the account for downloading.  Set this up and then adding a new account linking to the online account.  This way if you need to transfer transactions between the accounts to fill gaps or such you can use a process like this:
FAQ: How Do I Move Transactions Between Quicken Accounts? — Quicken

So here is the renaming rule (just in case they put "extra information"):


Now the memorized payee.


Note I locked this one so that if you ever enter it in the register for some change it won't change the memorized payee for future transactions, whether that is right for your case or not you will have to determine that.


Now I'm going import some transactions into a new account and show the result (note you can right click on the image below and open it in a new tab to see full size).


Ignore the "Retail Direct..." ones I just was trying both one that withdraws money (Digit) and one that deposits the money in the account.

UKR

How do you record these transactions? Do you have Scheduled Reminders, one for each weekday, or do you use Memorized Payee List entries?

To fix future transactions, have you updated those yet?

As to fixing already recorded past Split transactions, that's always been a problem when trying to mass-update transactions.
Are these daily transactions the only ones that use the old (incorrect) category? Or are there other ones that must not be changed?
If possible, consider merging the old category with the new one: Go into Tools / Category List. Right-click the old category name, select "Merge with another category", then select the new category name. Backup your Quicken data file BEFORE you start making mass-updates!

jmrcrp

The problem is that these are transactions downloaded from my bank account. Quicken keeps assigning them to one (incorrect) category, when actually they are transfers to two different savings accounts, so they each need to be split.

If you are familiar with Digit, these are daily automatic withdrawals from my bank account (connected to Quicken) to my Digit accounts (also connected to Quicken). Since I am saving for two different things in Digit, it shows up as two separate Digit accounts. The withdrawal from my bank account shows up as one transaction, but it has to be split between the two Digit accounts.

All the downloaded entries in the Digit accounts in Quicken are messed up because they aren't matching up with anything in the bank account.

Quicken keeps categorizing each withdrawal as "Home Improvements".

I only started using Quicken a month ago but I am including transactions going back to August. So I have literally hundreds of these incorrect downloaded entries to fix, and they are all the same amounts. I was hoping there was a way to edit all of them at once, changing the category from "Home Improvements" to a split transfer.

Quicken_Tyka

Hello @jmrcrp

Thank you for the response and the additional details, although I apologize that you have not received a response.

If you have not done so already, I would recommend taking a moment to review the steps and information available here.

You may also find the following articles here and here helpful for more control on downloaded transactions.

I hope this helps!
-Quicken Tyka

Chris_QPW

I did an experiment and it looks like it worked fine, but for it to work you might have to start over, which I normally wouldn't even consider suggesting, but since you haven't been using Quicken long it might be worth it.

When you are starting out and have yet to setup any renaming rules or memorized payees Quicken is just going to guess at the category, and that is what you are seeing here.

There are settings for "learning" what you want for the future, but these will not affect what happened in the past.

So here main point, whenever you download transactions Quicken first runs through the renaming rules.  You may or may not need to set one here to make sure that all of the payee names are consistent.  It is important that they are consistent for the next step.

Quicken looks at your memorized payee list for this payee.  If it finds it it will assign the category on it to the transaction. This includes changing it to a split if the memorized payee "category" is a split.  Now it gets very "iffy" of exactly how it is split if the net amount of the transaction changes, but for a consistent amount it should do this kind of match/split with no problem.

I was going to suggest creating a new data file and setting this up and then downloading the transactions, but I think you can even get away with deactivating the account for downloading.  Set this up and then adding a new account linking to the online account.  This way if you need to transfer transactions between the accounts to fill gaps or such you can use a process like this:
FAQ: How Do I Move Transactions Between Quicken Accounts? — Quicken

So here is the renaming rule (just in case they put "extra information"):


Now the memorized payee.


Note I locked this one so that if you ever enter it in the register for some change it won't change the memorized payee for future transactions, whether that is right for your case or not you will have to determine that.


Now I'm going import some transactions into a new account and show the result (note you can right click on the image below and open it in a new tab to see full size).


Ignore the "Retail Direct..." ones I just was trying both one that withdraws money (Digit) and one that deposits the money in the account.

jmrcrp

Thank you, Chris, that was VERY helpful. And I appreciate the effort you put into explaining your answer.

And thank you, Tyka, for those helpful links.

I think, even though I have spent quite a bit of time setting up Quicken, that I am going to take your advice and start over. I realize I have made some other mistakes, anyway, such as not setting up my rental property and my two Direct Sales businesses properly from the beginning. I think I will get more accurate and useful results by starting over.