How do I make a property disappear in the Accounts sidebar?

PCWizard

I'm using Quicken Deluxe for Windows version R44.28, Build 27.1.44.28. We have a home that appears under Property & Debt in the left sidebar. I don't want it to appear or be calculated in Ending Balance but I don't want to delete the historical data. I've tried everything I can think of but can't get rid of it. Any suggestions?

DocGer

PCWizard said:

DocGer, Thanks so much for the quick response. I had tried both these suggestions before, individually and together. The account itself disappears from the left sidebar but Property and Debt still remains, listing the amount of the account. Perhaps another step to remove Property and Debt from the left sidebar and Ending Balance? I don't want to delete the account completely, for historical reference. Perhaps I need to CLOSE the account. Reading help I'm led to believe the historical entries remain and the balance is zeroed out. Once closed and hidden will this prevent an account from appearing?

I just tried taking one of my Property and Debt accounts and did the following:

1 Marked as "separate".  This moved the account to the Separate heading with a sub heading Property and Debt and listed under there.  The result is it didn't include that amount in my Net Worth in the Sidebar.

2 Marked as "hidden".  This removed the account out of the Sidebar completely and can only be accessed via Tools > Account List > Show hidden accounts. 

So, in my experience right now, Quicken acted as intended.   

If you have other Property and Debt accounts that are active and not hidden, of course Quicken will show those accounts under that sub heading in Quicken's Sidebar.  I'm not sure if that was your ONLY account in Property and Debt and when you selected either option if the sub heading remains.  I think the subheading Property and Debt does appear in the Sidebar regardless of whether you have any accounts left or not.

HOWEVER, if you have hidden or moved to Separate and the account amount is STILL included in the Property and Debt and/or Net Worth, then something is truly amiss.  That's not how this is supposed to work.

I would Validate your Quicken data file and see if that knocks loose some issue with your data file and gets it back on track.  Then try hiding the account again and see if you get what the expected result is supposed to be.  

And finally, I would NEVER close an account in Quicken Windows.  As noted by others, once it's closed you can never re-open it again.  I did that many, many years ago with a couple of investment accounts and I would rather not, looking in retrospect.  

PCWizard

DocGer, Thanks so much for the quick response. I had tried both these suggestions before, individually and together. The account itself disappears from the left sidebar but Property and Debt still remains, listing the amount of the account. Perhaps another step to remove Property and Debt from the left sidebar and Ending Balance? I don't want to delete the account completely, for historical reference. Perhaps I need to CLOSE the account. Reading help I'm led to believe the historical entries remain and the balance is zeroed out. Once closed and hidden will this prevent an account from appearing?

Chris_QPW

Closing an account doesn't do anything that the settings that you have already been given do or that you can do for yourself. If you want the balance of the account to now be zero why don't you just put in a transaction to zero it out?  It would be a withdraw for the current amount, with the category set to [The Account Name].

Closing an account basically take does these steps (note once close you can reopen it):

1. Deactivate for downloading if needed.
2. Remove any reminders for the account.
3. Zero the account balance with a balance adjustment transaction (for investment account you have to sell everything first).
4. Set "Hide in Transaction Entry Lists" (and this can't be undone.
5. Puts this symbol in front of the account name: 

q_lurker

(note once close you can reopen it):

I believe @Chris_QPW meant 

(note once closed you can't reopen it):

Chris_QPW

q_lurker said:

(note once close you can reopen it):

I believe @Chris_QPW meant 

(note once closed you can't reopen it):

Yes, typo, you can't reopen a closed account (even though you should be able, and can do it in Quicken Mac, you can't in Quicken Windows)

PCWizard

My thanks to everyone responding. I did Validate the file to no effect. I have found that to get the appearance I want I have to check both "Keep this account separate..." and "Hide account name in account bar and account list", as suggested. This makes the account and amount disappear from Property & Debt in the Sidebar, however the amount still appears under Separate\More Accounts. To get it to disappear completely I have to add a final transaction in the account to Zero-out the balance. I will adhere to the advice to never Close an account, that sounds like a good idea.