When Will Reports Be Full Featured?

JoelC

I am a long time Quicken for Windows user (started back in 1995) and have built up an extensive library of reports that I use to manage my finances, prepare my tax returns, etc.

I would love to make the move from Quicken for Windows to Quicken for Mac for a number of reasons but cannot do so based on the current version of Quicken for Mac because the Quicken for Mac reports lack the capability of Quicken for Windows reports; specifically, the ability to create a report based on the memo field and the columns / information that be included in a report are two key capabilities that need to make teh change. Why is the Quicken for Mac reporting so relatively crippled / weak?

It would be greatly appreciated were someone from Quicken to share if and when these reporting capabilities will be added because without them I am "stuck" with Windows.

The difference in Quicken for Windows' versus Quicken for Mac's reporting capabilities was previously not an issue as I ran Parallels / Quicken for Windows on my MacBook. With my MacBook being almost 10 years old it is time to upgrade but the new MacBooks are based on ARM processors (and there is no ARM version of Windows [and please do not get me started on the Window's ARM insider build]) so there is no way for me to run Quicken for Windows on a new MacBook.

Would appreciate any and all insight into this.

Thanks.

garysmith87

Quicken Mac's newest report engine gives great flexibility regarding customization of reports.  I find them easier to configure than Quicken Windows reports.  The setup is faster, cleaner and more concise than Quicken Windows reports.  And the output is also cleaner looking.  

That being said, there is not a specific report for the memo field.  However, you can filter ANY register ... and that includes register Groups and Sub-Groups using any field in the Search box.

For example, if I want to see all transactions that have a memo "Shave Ice", I just put that in the search box and up comes all the transactions with that memo.  I can then export that selection to a .csv file, where I can use it in Numbers or Excel.

Maybe you need multiple memos.  You can search independently for each, then export each .csv and combine them in the spreadsheet.  

It's not an elegant solution, but it does work.

An easier method instead of using memos, use Tags...which the Quicken Mac report engine allows you to select any or all tags.  Those reports can be saved within Quicken Mac.  

As to the newest Mac processors...M1.  Quicken Mac runs even faster with Mac's using M1 processors.  And the latest version of Parallels allows you to run a Windows virtual machine with M1 processors too.  You may want to go to the Parallels website for more info.  

No version of Windows runs natively on any Mac.  It didn't with Intel based chips and it doesn't with M1 chips.  Currently, only Parallels will let you run a Windows virtual machine with an M1 processor.  VMWare Fusion (which is free, BTW), will only run Windows virtual machines with Intel based Macs, as of now.  

JoelC

@garysmith87:

Allow me to start by thanking you for taking the time to read and respond to my e-mail, it is greatly appreciated.

In response kindly note the following:

1. I understand that a user can a) "..filter ANY register ... and that includes register Groups and Sub-Groups using any field in the search box..." and b) "...I can then export that selection to a .csv file, where I can use it in Numbers or Excel...".

The issue / problem -- at least for me -- as you note is that this approach is far less elegant as well as far more time consuming. The situation is somewhat heightened for me as many of my Custom Reports consist of a combined Category and Memo field.

2. As to the Apple Silicon + Parallels allowing one to run a Windows virtual machine this is only "partially" true. The ARM version of Windows is only available to Windows insiders (luckily I have a build / copy) but it is not entirely reliable / stable.

Nonetheless, I will give your go a try as it does seem the only route currently available.

With a little luck someone form Quicken will respond and provide some insights!

garysmith87

I understand that every Quicken user uses Quicken differently. I'm sure you have legitimate reasons for accumulating notes/memos in your Quicken Windows registers.  Personally, I only use it for some miscellaneous descriptor and never report on these in Quicken Windows.

This community is based on user participation and responses.  Once in a great while a Quicken Community moderator will insert comments, but not that often.  So...expecting anyone from Quicken to respond to your request will be close to never happening.

Additionally, Quicken NEVER pre-announces any update features or requests that will be added.  It's like Christmas every month.  You get an update, unwrap the contents and VOILA...hope and pray it's what you wished for.  Most months its socks or underwear.  Once in a while it might be that shiny toy fire truck you always wanted.  LOL!  Seriously though...no one here will ever give you insight as to if or when a feature will be added.  

NotACPA

And the reason why no one can answer your "when" question is that all of the Q employees (i.e., those whose ID starts with "Quicken ..." and all of the Beta testers have signed Non-Disclosure Agreements.

They CAN'T, legally, answer your question.

JoelC

@garysmith87 , fair enough and understood. I got what I needed and think your method -- while more cumbersome in that it involves two steps to create the desired report -- will work. I will be trying it in parallel with both versions of Quicken.

One point of clarification -- I am not accumulating memos or notes! I am accumulating custom reports which I use either to track the cost projects in sufficient detail (i.e. renovations) as well as check / confirm information for my tax filings (i.e. does the interest income on my T5 [I am Canadian] match the interest deposits in my Quicken register), etc.


@NotACPA , I know that, I used to be one and completely respected the rules! I was hoping that someone had an answer / workaround which @garysmith87 did, so all good!

Chris_QPW

JoelC said:

@NotACPA , I know that, I used to be one and completely respected the rules! I was hoping that someone had an answer / workaround which @garysmith87 did, so all good!

And as a former beta tester I'm sure you know that even beta user's only get a sneak peak at what is just about to be released.

As programmer I can also state that the answer in a lot of cases is "no one knows".  Yes there are schedules, and this or that may or may not be on that schedule, but lets face it, that is a hope/plan/guess, which may or may not come true, may be delayed, may never happen if they run into problems.

What's more it takes a lot of effort just to keep up with such thing internally, to constantly broadcast such information to the world would take up valuable time, not to mention anger customers when the plans don't work out.

JoelC

@Chris_QPW Fair point, wishful thinking!

garysmith87

1 You say you keep notes/memos to keep track of project costs in detail, such as renovations.  Once again, why not just use subcategories and tags to track those...without needing such memo details that need to have extensive saved reports?  

I guess I'm just not getting it.  To me a memo would be something out of the ordinary that requires further explanation...but not something I'm ever going to report on because it's such a rare occurrence.

My example would be on our trip to Maui we stopped for some shave ice at the Westin.  So the payee is Westin, the category is Vacation, the subcategory is Dining, the tag is Maui October 2021...and I put a memo of "Shave Ice" because I'd have zero idea why I would have spent only $6.25 at the Westin for dining.

I can honestly say that I never would need a report for "Shave Ice"...but I would for Vacation:Dining...and certainly for Maui October 2021.  

In your case, if your tracking project renovations, create subcategories specific to the renovation and use tags for each project (such as Kitchen, Basement, Garage, etc) or for each unit that is renovating (such as 123 Elm Unit A, 678 State Unit 25, etc).  If you need further explanation, create yet another level of sub-subcategories.

Maybe I just don't see the need to have a saved report with such granularity in the notes/memo section...as long as you utilize the Quicken tools that are reportable.  

2 As far as checking your tax filings for your interest payments, I don't see the need for memos, once again.  If you have your interest payment category(ies) set up with Canadian tax line items, those automatically flow to Quicken's Tax Schedule report.

So there is NO need to "check" whether you're including those interest payments on your tax report or you missed them.  They are automatically there.  

JoelC

@garysmith87

I appreciate you taking the time to post.

In response, we are essentially doing the same thing but in my attempt to have as much flexibility as possible -- based on QWin functionality -- I created a category called renovations with subcategories for the different aspects (i.e. cabinets, electrical, floorings etc.) and then used the memo field to track the room so that I did not have too many categories.

In the end, your suggested approach of created a report with the specific categories (i.e. renovations), exported the report to Excel and then filtering the memo field (i.e. kitchen) provides me exactly what I am looking for.

Please let me know whether that clarifies things.

Thanks,

jacobs

Could you use Tags for the rooms instead of Memos? You can build a report for specific tags, or sort a report by tag.

(P.S. I firmly believe there should be a way to create a report which matches a text string. But until there is, we try to find reasonable alternatives to get stuff done!)

JoelC

@jacobs, in response to your above post:

1. Agreed, in addition to using the memo field to specific the location / room of the renovation I could have either a) define sub-categories for each room or b) defined tags for each room.

I did not use this approach within QWin as a) I did not want to have too many categories / tags and b) I had teh ability to find create a report based on the memo fields text entries which I found to be the best balance of functionality and a reasonable number of categories / sub-categories.

The result of which is that in the in move from QWin to QMac I can no longer create the same report within QMac but need to use a three step approach; namely create a report based on the categories, export that report to Excel and then use Excel's filtering capabilities. While this works - in that it does produce the desired report -- it is more work that QWin's ability to create a report based on a text string.

2. Agreed, that for the reasons notes above, there should most definitely be a way to create a report which matches a text string.

This is particularly necessary for people like me who relied on this capability on QWin, who created their QWin categories / tags based on this capability and who, as a result, are limited / struggling in the move from QWin to QMac.

Thanks.