Why am I seeing Risk of Overdraft - Checking has 40 times Payment Due

Question

I have Quicken Version R36.23 Build 27.136.23. On the Main View tab I have the "Stay on top of monthly bills" panel. This is showing the message "Risk of Overdraft".  When I click "Risk of Overdraft", I get the report "Bill and Income Reminders - Next 90 days".  The crazy thing is that Quicken shows "What's left" is 10 times the Withdrawals listed in the "Bill and Income Reminders - Next 90 days".

I don't understand how it is possible that there is a "Risk of Overdraft" when I have so much more cash that the projected Withdrawals. How the heck is this calculated. Please explain this warning and how it is calculated.

Steve

Sherlock · Answer

The name of the account appears at the bottom of the graph and in the Account to Use column of the table.  You may also determine the name of the account by selecting Multiple accounts... in the pull-down menu and viewing the checked account.

The What's Left amount does not indicate whether an account is at risk of having insufficient funds.

Again, the What's Left amount is an aggregate all the spending accounts projected balances at the date of the next income.

Steve54@ · Answer

OK Sherlock! Quicken is not opening an At Risk account. As stated in my question it is opening "Bill and Income Reminders - Next 90 days".  The "Bill and Income Reminders - Next 90 days" is configured with the option to show Multiple Accounts.

Even more baffling is that the What's Left box immediately to the left of the list of "Bill and Income Reminders - Next 90 days" shows 10 time the amount needed to cover the "Projected withdrawals". Just seems crazy.  The messaging is not good: you got enough to cover but no you are at risk. Which statement is correct? Its fun to try to decipher these messages.  Clearly I have more than enough in the checking account to cover the expected withdrawals. But Quicken why are you telling me something else? Will I run out of money in not 90 days but 120 or maybe it means in year or two? Or over the next century?

Steve

Sherlock · Answer

When we select Risk of Overdraft, the Projected Balances view should open displaying the account Quicken thinks is at risk and the transactions expected to impact the account.

The What's Left amount is the total of the expected amounts in our spending accounts before the next projected income transaction.