Investment account has two linked cash accounts

Paulo

I have been using Quicken since 2006. I have an investment account the appears to have two linked cash accounts. One functions normally when buying and selling securities and has the correct amount. The name on the one that works correctly is the Account Name - Cash. On the holdings summary page for the account, there is another cash account that has an amount in it that I can not change and it makes the overall totals for the account incorrect. The one on the summary page is simply named Cash. The Account figures prior to adding this figure are correct. This account has been active since 2013, so it has a lot of entries.

What I would like to do is make the one account on the summary page named Cash read $0.00. That will make every thing read correctly.

I am running Quicken Premier Windows 10 Home subscription. Version R32.12 Build 27.1.32.12.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Paulo

Jim_Harman

If you look at the Account Overview (Holdings view) for the account, is the Cash amount the same as the balance of the linked cash account? If so, that is normal operation. The total at the bottom of the Market Value column should be the value of the securities in the account plus the balance of the linked cash account.

 Are you seeing something different - a second Cash line perhaps?

Paulo

Yes, I am seeing two different figures. I have attached a screen shot of the account holdings page. The linked cash balance is correct. The other one Cash Balance is incorrect. Everything would be correct if the Cash Balance was zero or the same as the linked cash balance. It inflates the value of the account by the amount of the Cash Balance. Thanks for the time to send me a note. Any further assistance is greatly appreciated.

Jim_Harman

That is very strange. Normally an account cannot have a cash balance when it has a linked checking account - all the cash should be in the linked account, there is no column for the cash balance in the transaction list (register) and the cash balance as shown in your screenshot should be zero.

Have you tried going to File > File Operations > Validate and repair and validating your file?  

Paulo

I ran the Validate and Repair utility with the top two options checked. It made no difference to this account. Is there a way to zero out the "Cash" account since the "Linked Cash" Account is correct. BTW, I did a backup of the file before and after running the Validate and repair utility, so I am willing to try any remedies you can suggest. Thanks again.

Bob_L

Try this.  Backup first.  Then clear the checkbox that says to show cash in a separate account.  Quicken will then delete the cash account and convert the brokerage account to a regular one holding cash.  You might also take a look to see if that cash discrepancy shows up there and you can identify what it was. Then re-establish the option to show cash in a separate account. See if that corrected your situation.  I know this sounds drastic, which is why backing up first is a must.    I have done this in the past though not recently so be sure it comes back to the balance that you are looking for.

Paulo

I have tried that and the amount in that Cash account goes change to a large negative value. I have not tried rechecking the box afterward. Affirmative on the back-up first. I just went through a massive change in the portfolio where all of the holding were sold off and new investments acquired. Holding off on making a new account and starting from zero, but I would lose a lot of history. Thanks

q_lurker

Paulo said:

... Is there a way to zero out the "Cash" account amount since the "Linked Cash" Account is correct. ... 

No, not that I can imagine, because it should not be there to begin with.  Note that I edited the quote to say amount rather than account.  What you are showing in your screen shot is not a Quicken "account" and to refer to it that way only confuses the issue.  The screen shot is showing a cash balance in the brokerage account when all cash is supposed to be in the linked account. 

If I were chasing this down, I would proceed from where you deleted the linked cash account moving cash back into the main brokerage account.  You indicate there the cash balance goes to a large negative.  Why?  Where back in the historical records does it go negative?  What is wrong at that point in time? 

Even though I see no evidence or indication, I get suspicious about placeholders throwing off cash accounting somewhere, so I'd be looking for those as well.