How many users need to request the ability to import a .CSV before it is taken seriously?

UserNeedsHelp

There so so many requests for importing a .CSV file into quicken. Why is this not a feature already? Excel has a method of importing CSV and mapping the column headers. It can be done -- why not just copy their method? Running sketchy third party tools should not be required to use paid software.

Sherlock

If you haven't already, you may want to consider using ImportQIF.

Chris_QPW

This is a naive statement.

UserNeedsHelp said:

Excel has a method of importing CSV and mapping the column headers. It can be done -- why not just copy their method? 

All Excel has to do is read a CSV file which is already standardized on how the column/row data is formatted.  It doesn't have to decide on what those columns mean.

Reading a CSV file is the easy part, there are libraries to do this (seeing it in another problem does little to allow you to do it in your program).

The harder part is the mapping of those columns to the fields in a transaction.  There isn't any standard on what columns a financial institution might use or for that matter what "header/summary information" might be there that needs to be ignored.  And when dealing with investment transactions it gets even harder because the terms used for the security transaction type (Buy, Sell, ...) aren't standardized either.  And some financial institutions don't even have a good set of columns like they might not have a column for the security name.

Here are the reasons I think they won't do this.

1. Most users don't need it.
2. They have the hands full with the complaints about Express Web Connect importing, they don't want to add to that where people don't know how to properly map things and such and have to have their hands held to do it.
3. I think they also view this as something that gets in the way of their contract with Intuit where all the financial institutions are supposed to be "participating partners".

NotACPA

4. Q can't make any money from it, as they do from QFX downloads.

gammaphreak

I have reached a level of frustration that I am now willing to pay someone to solve this problem for me. Not all investment institutions create the appropriate downloads and I have not found a satisfactory converter which Quicken can understand. I would happily pay Quicken for such a solution but it appears that they don't want my money and prefer to keep us in a state of frustration.

Sherlock

gammaphreak said:

I have reached a level of frustration that I am now willing to pay someone to solve this problem for me. Not all investment institutions create the appropriate downloads and I have not found a satisfactory converter which Quicken can understand. I would happily pay Quicken for such a solution but it appears that they don't want my money and prefer to keep us in a state of frustration.

Another option is to close the accounts you have at financial institutions that have chosen not to support Quicken adequately.

NotACPA

Back in the 90s, I was on contract with a bank, in systems, that declined to offer Q support "because it was unclear who would own the customer" ... that's an exact quote.

NOBODY OWNS ME.

I left that bank, they were screwed up anyway, and closed my accounts there.