Reconciliation Nightmare...

JoSheem

After not using Quicken Mac (now 7.5.2) for many months I'm attempting to prepare to file my taxes, and I find that there are many reconciliation problems going back to 2021 that seem weird AND I don't think were there before. I started to use the Reconciliation History function to re-reconcile where it shows problematic months, and some strange (to me) things are happening. For example, in the History window there are multiple entries for the same month - one says everything is OK, and the other says there's a "Difference", but no "Discrepancies". And when I open that entry both the starting and ending Quicken balance figures are wrong.

What should I do? Where to start?

JoSheem

Here's another example of a problem I'm encountering - in the Reconciliation History window for my checking account there are two entries for 06.30.2021. The first (lower down) shows no problems. When I open the second (next higher up in the list) I get this error notification:

"Quicken balance does not equal reconciled balance - the total of the previously cleared transactions in your register does not match the beginning balance from your reconciliation, and the total of the cleared transactions in your register as of your reconciliation's ending date does not match the ending balance from your reconciliation. It's recommended to re-reconcile starting with the oldest reconciliation that has a discrepancy".

OK - so I go one entry down to the above mentioned entry for the same date, the one that shows no problems in the History panel, and this time click on "Re-Reconcile". BUT when that month/register opens up it does show a problem even though the number and dollar amount of the Deposits and Payments shown is correct! [Removed - Profanity]

Jon

In my experience, trying to fix reconciliation problems month by month doesn't work very well - the problems just keep moving from one month to the next.

I would advise backing up your file and then clearing the reconciliation history & re-reconciling the entire account history all at once. Since you stopped using Quicken at some point, get the last account statement before you stopped using Quicken & do a reconciliation to the statement ending balance starting on the date you opened the account & ending on the statement closing date. If you can't make that work then there might actually be some missing or incorrect transactions that are throwing everything off, in which case you will have to reconcile to smaller time periods to figure out where they are.

JoSheem

Jon - Thanks for the help. I want to understand what you are suggesting. You wrote:

"…get the last account statement before you stopped using Quicken & do a reconciliation to the statement ending balance starting on the date you opened the account & ending on the statement closing date."

and there do you mean ending with the "last account statement before you stopped using Quicken"? In other words from when I opened the account until I temporarily stopped using it? And what about all of the subsequent time?

To say that month-by-month reconciliation isn't working well in my experience is putting it mildly. One thing that I can see happening with the month-by month is this: when I give Quicken an end-of-month cut-off date, it routinely adds transactions that are dated a day or so past that cut-off date. And then it seems to temporarily ignore those transactions while the Reconcile window is still open, but then immediately count them as "Difference" in the History window!!!

JoSheem

FYI I just spoke to a Quicken representative who admitted that it is a known problem that there is no fix for that Quicken/Mac mistakenly includes transactions in a reconcile window that do not belong there. That's bad enough, but what's worse is that the Reconciliation Window seems to ignore those extra transactions when it assures you that there is $0 Difference, but the History Window doesn't ignore them - it counts them as error/differences, which only get worse with each passing month.

Quicken Jasmine

Hello @JoSheem,

Would you mind providing me with the ticket number that was given to you during your Quicken Support interaction? This is so I may review the interaction and investigate your issue further.

Thanks!

JoSheem

I do not have the ticket number. To be honest I wouldn't provide it to you if I did because I suspect that the rep wasn't supposed to let it slip that others are having the same problem and that there is no fix for it. And I really appreciated that - because in the mean time I thought it was entirely my fault. Now I fully expect that operator error is the most common cause of problems. But that is definitely not the whole story here. If you want to try to help me with the issues I'm having I would welcome it. But I'm not going to participate in getting someone in trouble.

Jon

and there do you mean ending with the "last account statement before you stopped using Quicken"? In other words from when I opened the account until I temporarily stopped using it?

Yes.

And what about all of the subsequent time?

Well, since you stopped using Quicken there wouldn't be anything to reconcile during that time, would there?

jacobs

But I'm not going to participate in getting someone in trouble.

@JoSheem It's not a matter of getting someone in trouble. The question was likely aimed at determining whether they gave you correct information or not. Most Quicken Support representatives do well, but I've read many, many reports here where Quicken Support representatives gave users incorrect information.

If you want to believe that there is a secret bug which representatives aren't "supposed to let slip", go ahead. But that's rarely the case; one of the features of this site is a section of announcements of known issues. You say, "If you want to try to help me with the issues I'm having I would welcome it" but then proceed to say you won't cooperate with the Quicken moderator here who was actually trying to help you. That's your prerogative, but then you can't really expect additional help.

(Sorry, I can't offer help with your issue because I've never experienced stray transactions in a reconcile window for any of my accounts.)