Why does Quicken think my checking (chequing) account is a mortgage?

Question

Recently I was setting up a couple of new accounts in Quicken. When I selected my bank from the options, it connected to the bank and somehow changed my pre-existing checking account in Quicken into a mortgage. In the Account Details window, it still lists the account type as Checking, but the register and account interface are different, and my transactions are all messed up. Please help!

tmctague · Answer

I think that must be what happened. I've managed this checking account manually in Quicken for several years, but I just took out a new mortgage and so I followed the steps in Quicken to connect to the bank to retrieve the details. In doing that, it seems to have somehow thought my Quicken checking account was my new mortgage.

The checking account register is still there (the last screenshot posted shows part of it) but the balance is way off, even before the "Balance Adjustment" entries (which I didn't put in), so I don't know what it's changed in the historical entries.

I think I'll have to restore a backup, as you suggest, and recreate the entries I put in after the last backup file was saved. I was hoping to avoid doing this, but it doesn't seem like there's another solution.

Thanks for taking a look at the problem!

UKR · Answer

When setting up, did you manage to crosslink the new mortgage account to your existing, but unconnected checking account? Sure looks like this to me.

Does your checking account register still exist, perhaps under a different name? Or did it totally disappear?

It might be best if you restored your Quicken data file from a backup taken just before you added the mortgage account.

After restore, add the mortgage as an offline account and maintain it as such. Use the scheduled reminder created during offline account setup for the monthly payments.

tmctague · Answer

Here you go!