Feature Summary:
Allow users to set a single, global monthly spending target (e.g., $23,000/month) at the budget level without requiring per-category budget allocations, while still capturing all actual spending dynamically across all categories.
Problem Statement:
Currently, Quicken Classic requires users to assign individual budget amounts to specific categories or subcategories in order to track spending in the Budget tool. If a category is not budgeted or checked in the budget setup, its transactions do not count toward the budget total unless buried in an "Everything Else" row.
For users who manage their finances using a top-down / high-level monthly limit (similar to modern apps like Copilot), setting individual category line items is redundant, time-consuming, and friction-heavy.
Proposed Solution / Functionality:
- Global Monthly Limit Toggle: Add an option in Budget Settings to set an overall monthly expense cap for the entire budget (e.g., $23,000/month).
- Automatic Roll-Up: Automatically count 100% of actual transactions across all active accounts toward this top-level monthly limit, regardless of whether individual categories have set targets.
- Category Breakdown Visibility: Keep full category reporting and breakdown visibility available underneath the top-level progress bar, without forcing the user to assign dollar targets to each individual category line.
Why This Benefits Users:
- Simplicity: Streamlines budgeting for users who want macro-level guardrails rather than micro-managing line items.
- Ease of Migration: Makes Quicken far more appealing to users transitioning from modern personal finance apps like Copilot or Simplifi.
- Flexibility: Gives users the choice between traditional envelope budgeting and macro cash-flow tracking.
