Single transaction cross-account transfers not showing up on reports ?

DrMoneyBB

I'm looking for a way to include the 2-sided, single, cross-account transfer transactions into a report and not able to accomplish this. Any suggestions ?

Background: I'm familiar with the 'Advanced' tab option when customizing reports and the radio buttons to include transfers (or Credit Card Payments or Balance Forward Adjustments, Unrealized Gains, etc.) In case of transfers, these option seem to cover ONLY those transfers that categorized into the "Transfer" parent category. Any transfer with account specific transfer categories (i.e. Transfer:[Account A] or Transfer:[Whatever Account], etc. - which categories get created when you use a SINGLE cross account transfer transaction - are not included into the report. Anybody knows how to remedy this ?

jacobs

Just to standardize terminology: A "linked transfer" is when you see "Transfer:[account name]" in the category field (and that account in the Transfer field, if you have the Transfer column set to be visible in your register). A linked transfer is a single transaction which shows up in both accounts. There is also the "Transfer category" type of transfer, where you set the category to simply "Transfer" — a special category which is neither income nor expense; Quicken doesn't know where the money is coming from/going to, it only knows money was moved into/out of the account. (The "Credit Card Payment" and "Transfer" categories do the same thing.)

If you want to include a linked transfer in a report, you typically want to include one but not both of the accounts in the report. If you include all accounts, then the transfer out of one account and the transfer into another account offset each other. For instance, if your report includes your checking account and credit card account, the transfer from checking and the transfer into the credit card account cancel each other out. If you use the third radio button ("Include selected transfers with any account in this report"), that would include the Transfer From checking and the Transfer To credit card, and the total of the Transfer section of the report would be zero. That's fine if you just want to see the transactions in detailed transaction report.

But in many cases, such as a mortgage payment, you may want to include the transfer amount as if it were an actual expense affecting your bottom line. That is, the principal repayment portion of your monthly mortgage sure feels like an expense, but technically it's a transfer from an asset (checking) to a liability (mortage), and wouldn't appear in an expense report. To make is show up, you'd want to set the report to not include the mortgage account, and set the Advanced tab to the middle option ("Include selected transfers with accounts outside of report"). By not selecting the mortgage account in the Accounts tab of the report, that's what's meant by an account "outside the report". With this setting the transfer from checking to the mortgage account will be included and add to your total expenses. (And the other side of the transaction, the money transferred it not the mortgage account, doesn't appear in the report because that account is not included.)

That may take a little time and experimentation to wrap your head around. It hopefully makes sense once you see it in action. Post back if this didn't answer your question (and explain exactly what transactions you want to have show up in a report).

jacobs

@DrMoneyBB Are you talking about a report or your budget? You mentioned both, but what you can do with each is different.

In a Budget, you'd go to Edit Budget > Select Categories, scroll down to "t" to find all the Transfers In and Transfers Out options for every account, and select the Transfers To [mortgage account].

In a Report, you'd click on Edit, click the Accounts tab, and select all your spending accounts (e.g. checking, credit card, cash), but not the loan account; then click the Advanced tab and select the middle option: "Include selected transfers with account outside of report." Since the loan account is de-selected for the report, it's "an account outside the report" — so transfers to the loan account will be shown; but transfers to your credit card accounts won't be shown because the credit card account is included in ("inside") the report. You can include your brokerage and savings accounts in the report even if they don't have spending, because that will make transfers to or from those accounts not appear in the report.

Does that make sense?

jacobs

Just to standardize terminology: A "linked transfer" is when you see "Transfer:[account name]" in the category field (and that account in the Transfer field, if you have the Transfer column set to be visible in your register). A linked transfer is a single transaction which shows up in both accounts. There is also the "Transfer category" type of transfer, where you set the category to simply "Transfer" — a special category which is neither income nor expense; Quicken doesn't know where the money is coming from/going to, it only knows money was moved into/out of the account. (The "Credit Card Payment" and "Transfer" categories do the same thing.)

If you want to include a linked transfer in a report, you typically want to include one but not both of the accounts in the report. If you include all accounts, then the transfer out of one account and the transfer into another account offset each other. For instance, if your report includes your checking account and credit card account, the transfer from checking and the transfer into the credit card account cancel each other out. If you use the third radio button ("Include selected transfers with any account in this report"), that would include the Transfer From checking and the Transfer To credit card, and the total of the Transfer section of the report would be zero. That's fine if you just want to see the transactions in detailed transaction report.

But in many cases, such as a mortgage payment, you may want to include the transfer amount as if it were an actual expense affecting your bottom line. That is, the principal repayment portion of your monthly mortgage sure feels like an expense, but technically it's a transfer from an asset (checking) to a liability (mortage), and wouldn't appear in an expense report. To make is show up, you'd want to set the report to not include the mortgage account, and set the Advanced tab to the middle option ("Include selected transfers with accounts outside of report"). By not selecting the mortgage account in the Accounts tab of the report, that's what's meant by an account "outside the report". With this setting the transfer from checking to the mortgage account will be included and add to your total expenses. (And the other side of the transaction, the money transferred it not the mortgage account, doesn't appear in the report because that account is not included.)

That may take a little time and experimentation to wrap your head around. It hopefully makes sense once you see it in action. Post back if this didn't answer your question (and explain exactly what transactions you want to have show up in a report).

DrMoneyBB

Thanks a lot @jacobs , very helpful !!!! 👍

DrMoneyBB

@jacobs - I was just revisiting your excellent description of how transfers behave and was specifically experimenting with automating mortgage payment transactions, that you mention in your response. Everything makes sense, however the way Quicken handles this is not working well for my financial reporting “neat freak” personality 😃. Question: is there a way to have the capital “transfer” portion of the mortgage payment show up in a budget ? Question #2: based on your recommendation, I can make the capital “transfer” show up on an expense report (trying to get over my OCD that they will be in a different category group….. 😃 ), however, all other transfers (e.g. to a savings account, brokerage account, etc ). - originating from the same account where the mortgage is paid from - will show up on the report as well. Any tricks to filter/supress those transfers from showing up on my expense report ?

jacobs

@DrMoneyBB Are you talking about a report or your budget? You mentioned both, but what you can do with each is different.

In a Budget, you'd go to Edit Budget > Select Categories, scroll down to "t" to find all the Transfers In and Transfers Out options for every account, and select the Transfers To [mortgage account].

In a Report, you'd click on Edit, click the Accounts tab, and select all your spending accounts (e.g. checking, credit card, cash), but not the loan account; then click the Advanced tab and select the middle option: "Include selected transfers with account outside of report." Since the loan account is de-selected for the report, it's "an account outside the report" — so transfers to the loan account will be shown; but transfers to your credit card accounts won't be shown because the credit card account is included in ("inside") the report. You can include your brokerage and savings accounts in the report even if they don't have spending, because that will make transfers to or from those accounts not appear in the report.

Does that make sense?