How do you start a new year?

Noobi

It's december and another year will roll around soon. I have completed one full year of using quicken for windows deluxe ver. How do i start a new year so that i can have the correct balances in all my accounts to start off with. Does everthing just roll over ? or can I change the balances to match what the bank statement says once into the new year?

Thanks for info in advance.

volvogirl

Most of us here recommend NOT starting a new year or file. Just keep going in your current data file. You can run reports for the just the year you want. It's better to leave all your data and history together in one file and it should not affect performance. Sometime in the future we guarantee you will want to see something and you won't be able to merge them back together. You can run reports for any time period. Just copy your whole file for a backup (which you should be doing regularly anyway) and continue on in your current file. Too many times people ask for help on how to re-merge their data, which can't be done. Also any uncleared checks will then show up in both files. So just continue on. And if you upgrade to a newer version in the future you will have to remember to convert all your old files too.

volvogirl

Most of us here recommend NOT starting a new year or file. Just keep going in your current data file. You can run reports for the just the year you want. It's better to leave all your data and history together in one file and it should not affect performance. Sometime in the future we guarantee you will want to see something and you won't be able to merge them back together. You can run reports for any time period. Just copy your whole file for a backup (which you should be doing regularly anyway) and continue on in your current file. Too many times people ask for help on how to re-merge their data, which can't be done. Also any uncleared checks will then show up in both files. So just continue on. And if you upgrade to a newer version in the future you will have to remember to convert all your old files too.

bmciance

Agree with all Volvogirl said. My file goes back to 1993. I wouldn't dream of starting a new file.

splasher

You don't do anything special, just keep on using Quicken as before. Believe me, in the future, you will want all of your data in one file. It is a great financial diary. Mine goes back to 1996.

You mention, "so that i can have the correct balances in all my accounts to start off with", that bothers me, sounds like your balances aren't correct now. You need to keep the accounts in balance all the time, every month. Do not count on Quicken running on "auto-pilot" and keeping everything 100% correct, it takes an effort on your part to keep it correct.

wixomga

Not all of us have super computers to manage the huge amounts of data you will have.

NotACPA

@wixomga Starting a new year actually uses MORE data space because all of the categories, memorized transactions and overhead would be in both files … unless you plan on starting a new year and deleting the old.

And you can add that Saved report to the ToolBar, so you simply need to click it and set your desired dates.