How do I get category amount to show for a split transaction on the Spending Tab

Kevin in Boise

The highlighted transaction is 54.20 in total and 47.71 of groceries as shown in the split window, on the spending tab the 54.20 shows as the Payment and the Total shows as 51.20 which is the prior transaction category amount of 5.49 plus the 47.71 category amount from the highlighted transaction. How do I get the 47.71 to show up on the Spending Tab without opening the Split window?

Jim_Harman

The Spending tab is intended to be an overview of your income and expenses and to help identify uncategorized transactions. It only has one line per transaction. If you want to quickly see the splits for a transaction, you can hover over the "—split--" . It is not as customizable as Quicken's reports.

To see split details, you can click on Reports at the top right and pick an appropriate report. If you want to see all transactions with the splits broken out, you can go to Reports > Banking > Transaction. Click on the gear at the top right and select Show splits.

Kevin in Boise

Thanks, but wouldn't it make much more sense for the category amount to show up under the Amount column? The Total column shows the running cum total of the category amounts, not the running total of the transaction totals.

Jim_Harman

It might be more useful that way, but as I said the display is organized with one line per transaction. Breaking out the splits would require the ability to show multiple lines.

And what do you mean by "under the Amount column"? There is no Amount column on the Spending tab.

I do see that if a transaction has a split with both income and expense Categories, the net amount of the transaction is shown in the Deposit or Payments column but the Total column shows the running total of just the income or expense categories depending on what is selected at the top. This sort of makes sense but might be confusing. It might make more sense for the Deposit or Payments column to show the total of the income or expense categories in the split so that at least the numbers would add up.

Jim_Harman

I also see, and perhaps this was your point, that if you click on a Category in the pie chart to show just the spending on that Category, the Payment and Deposit columns for a split transaction still show the net amount of the whole transaction rather than the amount for the selected Category.

That does seem like a bug. From what I can tell it has been that way for years.

Kevin in Boise

Sorry, I should have said

" . . . but wouldn't it make much more sense for the category amount to show up under the Payment column?" I see no need to break out the entire split transaction, since I am looking at Groceries why not just show Category Groceries and not Split, and show the spend in that category, not the total of the split, this is only one line. I am looking at Groceries, not splits.

Jim_Harman

Thanks for clarifying; I think we are now seeing and saying the same thing.

Whether to show a Category name or "—split—" is a little more complicated than it might seem.

Currently, any split transaction shows "—split—" and the net amount of the transaction is always shown in the Payment or Deposit column. But the amount added or subtracted from the running Total depends which Category or Categories are selected, either at the top level by picking Income or Spending or by clicking on a Category in the chart at the top.

I think any time more than one Category is combined to produce the amount added or subtracted in the Total column, it should show "—split—" in the Category column and the combined amount, which is not necessarily the transaction amount in the Payment or Deposit column. This amount should be added to or subtracted from the Total, as it is currently.

If a single Category including any of its Subcategories is selected, it should show the Category rather then "—split"

Examples:

1. An ATM withdrawal of $103 is split as $100 Cash and $3 Bank Fees. If Spending is selected at the top level, it should show —split—, $103, and $103 should be subtracted from the total. [This is as it is today]
2. As above but Cash is selected as the Category. It should show Cash, $100, and $100 should be subtracted. [Today it shows $103 as the Payment but $100 is subtracted.]
3. A Social Security deposit of $1,050 is split as $1,200 Social Security (income) and $150 Tax Fed:Fed withholding (expense). If you select Spending at the top level, it should show Tax Fed as the Category, $150 as the Payment, and subtract $150 from the total. If you select Income at the top level, it should show Social Security as the Category, $1,200 as the Deposit, and add $1,200 to the Total. [Today it shows $1,050 as a Deposit regardless of whether you select Income or Spending at the top level.]

Perhaps we should re-submit this as an Idea.

Kevin in Boise

Good idea, let me work up a "mockup" of what it might look like for you to look over, won't be able to get to it until tomorrow.

Kevin in Boise

How does this look Jim?

Jim_Harman

Yes that look like what we are proposing.

q_lurker

I would think in your Improved second line, the Category field should be the "Food & Dining:Groceries" probably with a "S" in the Num column as used in other reports such as Banking Transaction report with splits shown (excerpt below).

Kevin in Boise

That also would be a great change, I will update my proposal to reflect both options and leave it to Quicken to implement whichever one they think is best (if they are willing to make the improvement).

Kevin in Boise

I will submit this later today