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Bought transactions are not reducing the cash amt

WCK

I've been using Quicken for many years and this is a new issue that just started happening. Recently, when I record a Bought transaction, it is showing the cash amount as n/a. I'm recording the same way I always have. The transaction is "Buy-Shares Bought" and I'm entering the total cost. Has anyone else encountered this issue and found a solution?

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Accepted answers

Jim_Harman

This situation is often caused by having one or more Placeholders in the account for the affected security. If you have not already, please go to Edit > Preferences > Investment transactions and make sure Show hidden transactions is checked.

Then review: https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7267839/quicken-faq-managing-placeholder-entries-in-quicken-for-windows

All comments

WCK

It seems to have something to do with the new securities I added. When I add an old security, it is working fine.

Frankx

Hi @WCK,

Is it just this one account or is it happening in more than one? This may have something to do with placeholders. To find out:
1) Go to "Edit" > "Preferences" > "Investment Transactions";
2) The "Show hidden transactions" box should be checked. If is wasn't check it and click "OK".

Then go back to the account register and you should see additional activity. If you do and you can't figure it out, post back about what you are seeing and we'll go from there.

Frankx

WCK

Hi Frank,

By doing this, it added another line entered by Quicken to "balance" the cash. However, the cash balance is still not being reduced. I tried entering as boughtx and selecting the cash in this account. It still isn't reducing cash. It is just in one account.

Jim_Harman

Frankx

Hi @WCK

Just to explain what actually happened - it actually did not "add another line", it just enabled you to see the placeholder entry that it already had made. In other words, it made the placeholder entry - which was already there - visible to you.

I believe the problem is with that "BoughtX" transaction. I suggest that you remove the "X" and make it a "Bought" transaction. You can do this as follows:

1) Click on the transaction to highlight it and select "Edit";
2) Use the "Alt + G" combination to change the type of transaction to a "Buy"
3) Click the "Enter/Done" button.

Let me know how that goes.

Frankx

WCK

Still no luck. I changed it back to "Bought" but the cash balance still isn't changing.

Frankx

Okay - did you delete the "placeholder" transaction" - the one that you said "added to Quicken to balance the cash? If not delete that and let me know if it balances after that.

Frankx

Jim_Harman

@WCK, are there one or more Placeholders for this security with a later date than the transaction you are trying to fix?

If so, you must delete them before you can enter a transaction that affects the account's cash balance.

Before deleting, back up your data file and note the Placeholder's date and share balance. You should be entering transactions that will make the share balance match the balance that was in the Placeholder.

WCK

When I delete the placeholder, it also deletes my manual bought entry. I reentered the bought entry and it added the placeholder again. LOL I've never seen this before and have been using Quicken for over 20 years.

WCK

I finally got all the placeholders out. I'm in balance again. Thank you so much for all your help!!!

WCK

For anyone else with this problem, I did need to also turn on "Enable simple Investing (positions-only)" under investment preferences. I'm now turning that back off because I track my transactions in detail.

Frankx

@WCK

Glad that you got it done. As a reminder, make sure that you keep the "Show hidden transactions" turned on - that may help in the future if something gets out of whack (that's a technical accounting term

).

Frankx

Jim_Harman

Good!

Unfortunately the FAQ guidance on Placeholders just says to enter the missing transactions and makes no mention of the fact that the placeholders prevent transactions from affecting the cash balance.