Can I start by syncing my account information and then switch to manual?

petrydj

This is my first time using quicken. I would like to sync my bank account information, but would like to manually add things afterwards to that I can predict my future balance based on bills.

UKR

Yes, you can start by downloading transactions from each bank. That would give you a truckload full of whatever the bank sees fit to tell you about each transaction that occurred within the last 60 - 90 days. You'd have to go into each account register and do some cleanup, to get proper Payee Names and Categories assigned to each transaction. You'd also have to backfill any older transactions not downloaded between 1/1/22 and today because they're outside the downloadable date range.

Personally, I would, as I have done in the past, start with setting up each bank account, credit card, a "Cash in my Wallet" account, etc. as "offline" (aka manual) account, not connected to the bank for transaction downloading. Begin with an Opening Balance transaction as of 12/31/21. Using a printed bank statement begin entering transactions with proper Payee Names, Categories, etc. for the month of January. Review those transactions for recurring income or expenses. Set these up as Scheduled Transactions due in February and/or later months ... that'll make transaction entry easier and give you head-start on setting up your budgets.
Once you have entered all transactions up to date and all your account balances match the bank balances you can connect your accounts to your banks for downloading.

Do be sure to have or create backups of your data file frequently, as you go along.

UKR

Yes, you can start by downloading transactions from each bank. That would give you a truckload full of whatever the bank sees fit to tell you about each transaction that occurred within the last 60 - 90 days. You'd have to go into each account register and do some cleanup, to get proper Payee Names and Categories assigned to each transaction. You'd also have to backfill any older transactions not downloaded between 1/1/22 and today because they're outside the downloadable date range.

Personally, I would, as I have done in the past, start with setting up each bank account, credit card, a "Cash in my Wallet" account, etc. as "offline" (aka manual) account, not connected to the bank for transaction downloading. Begin with an Opening Balance transaction as of 12/31/21. Using a printed bank statement begin entering transactions with proper Payee Names, Categories, etc. for the month of January. Review those transactions for recurring income or expenses. Set these up as Scheduled Transactions due in February and/or later months ... that'll make transaction entry easier and give you head-start on setting up your budgets.
Once you have entered all transactions up to date and all your account balances match the bank balances you can connect your accounts to your banks for downloading.

Do be sure to have or create backups of your data file frequently, as you go along.

petrydj

Thank you!