How do I get rid of ancient transactions in my 2021 file?

ShortDrive

Two years ago, I posted this question. It was answered by someone who had no problem getting rid of his past transactions. Not helpful. Again this year, I have followed Quicken's directions, backed-up my 2020 file and tried to open a file for 2021 transactions, but still find cleared checks from as far back as 2011 hanging around. I'm don't want to start a brand new file because I want to keep my investment info, but this is really irritating.

splasher

If you are using the Year-End-Copy process, it does not remove cleared "C" transactions, it only removes Reconciled "R" transactions.

See this FAQ: FAQ - Year End Copy

GermanBlueRam

I do use the YEC process and it generally works well for me. One thing that I need to get rid of, at some point, are ancient car loans, like from 2010. The long-reconciled payments to those loans still appear in my checking accounting register in Quicken, and for me, this data has no information value.

splasher

@GermanBlueRam
You have to reconcile the transactions in the loan's register, otherwise YEC will not remove them or the matching transfer transaction in checking(?) where the funds came from.

GermanBlueRam

Thanks @splasher - I hadn't even realized it is even possible to reconcile a loan account. I see now that the feature is not on the "gear" pulldown in the loan register, as it with credit card accounts, but rather on the Tools menu. I'll have to give it a try next year with YEC, but this type of reconciliation doesn't seem to mark any of the loan transactions (e.g., payments) with the typical "R"?

splasher

I only have two loans in my Quicken file from several years back and they both have "R"s in every transaction, so I was able to reconcile them some how.  Neither of these two loans were setup for downloading, so I don't know if that makes a difference.
BTW, I'm a firm believer of NOT doing YEC, I consider my Quicken data file to be a long term financial diary to easily reference when I did something in the past.