Working In the Investment Register, Very Frustrating

Dan13

Hello, I am a 24+year customer using the Windows version of Quicken Classic Business & Personal. In 2022, it was recommended that I rebuild my Data File as it had gotten too big. I was recently, trying to reconcile my Investment Accounts (which I have 16), resulting in the need to update/correct entries. My issue here is that Quicken Editing of the Investment Registers became very frustrating and so convoluted that I ultimately had to abandoned this process and restore from a previous backup. For many of the edits that I made, there always seemed to be an effect that was beyond the simple task I was trying to perform. I will try to provide a few examples here:

1. Sometimes these edits required the modification of the "Placeholder Entry" records that were created the first time that I connected to my accounts. Specifically for example, for the Bonds, I wanted to go back and create a "BoughtBond" record to replace the corresponding "Position Entry" record. When I did, every time, Quicken also created a Balance Adjustment Record for which I did not need or want.
2. I edited the "Share Balance" value of a "Placeholder Entry" record. When I hit enter, that record totally disappeared (actually was removed) and what I eventually found was it created a separate "Withdrawal" record. Not sure why?
3. Another time, when I created a "BoughtBond" record, when I hit enter, the entire register went empty. Having been a seasoned veteran of Quicken, I knew to close the software and reopen it. (I see this sometimes when I download my Daily Records and the downloaded transactions appear briefly, then disappear (empty transaction list). I know to close the software and reopen it, then they will re-appear).
4. Just trying to see records of a specific investment by using "Find ALL" (Separate Post) it would give me results across multiple accounts, not just in the account that I was working on and that I only needed.
5. Also, unrelated to editing, when I perform a One-Step Update each morning, I have to run it TWICE. The first time it updates my Bank and Credit Card Accounts but not my Investment Accounts. Therefore, when I run it again, then the Investment Accounts are Updated. This did not happen prior to the months ago change to the EWC+ connections. When you look at the accounts within my One-Step Update, they are all there. But everyday, I have to Run It Twice!

There were other issues too not mentioned here (did not keep a record) from just simple modifications that gave errors, confusing messages which made doing what I was doing complicated to the point I had to abandon the total process and perform a restore. If often seem that Quicken was trying to think for me and perform what it felt was needed. Can this be "turned off"?

Why is it so difficult and complicated to work within the Investment Registers?

q_lurker

In 2022, it was recommended that I rebuild my Data File as it had gotten too big. 

Forgive me, but I am always skeptical of that 'too big' excuse. I am a 30+ year veteran and never have truly reached a file too big state. For one investment account, I have reached a transaction list too big state meaning transaction entries got to be too slow, but that is a different issue.

So using the Help 'Shift-click' on About Quicken, I see my current 35+ year-old file is at 158 MB (158,460 K) with 58 accounts, almost 1600 securities, and almost 77,000 transactions. What are your stats?

Beyond that, placeholders to begin with are something I avoid. Your #4, I would likely sort the transaction list by security or begin from a report customized to a specific account and security rather than use a Find All.

As to why, investment account transaction lists from the beginning were created differently that cash-type account registers, thus tools for one (like Find All) just do not work as smoothly for the other.