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Categories Not Available for a Transaction (Q Mac)

Frank O'NeilFrank O'Neil Member ✭✭
edited November 2020 in Errors and Troubleshooting (Mac)
I have all the required categories and sub-categories under Investments in my category list. However, in a specific dividend received transaction, I cannot use the Investments:Dividend Income category/sub-category. The only option I get in the transaction window is Investments:ESPP Income. So I thought I would type in Investments:Dividend Income, but that's not recognized in the transaction window, so I am given the choice of creating a new category/sub-category, but even when choosing that option, it won't stick.
I am finding this is an issue with several other investment categories that I tried to see if I could force the issue somehow.
I then tried creating a top-level category Dividend Income, which was accepted in the transaction window. My thought was to create that top category and merge that with Investments:Dividend Income as a workaround--that failed.
Dividend Income is a big deal for me, so I need to be able to use this category. Suggestions welcome.

I am using QMac V 6.0.1 with BigSur 11.0.1.

Best Answer

  • John_in_NCJohn_in_NC SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Accepted Answer
    Let's step back a second. When entering the transaction, are you using the "Type" field to indicate what type of transaction it should be? (You should be.) For Dividend income, you use this selection:



    And by using that Type, the resulting category will be Investments:Dividend Income.


Answers

  • John_in_NCJohn_in_NC SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Accepted Answer
    Let's step back a second. When entering the transaction, are you using the "Type" field to indicate what type of transaction it should be? (You should be.) For Dividend income, you use this selection:



    And by using that Type, the resulting category will be Investments:Dividend Income.


  • Frank O'NeilFrank O'Neil Member ✭✭
    Ah Ha. Your post pointed me in the right direction to solve the mystery. The dividend I received as a direct deposit into my checking account--where apparently Investments are not supposed to live as a Category or sub-Category. So that answers that question--it's working fine in my investment accounts.

    I might suggest to Quicken that this is not an isolated incident and perhaps they could allow some of the Investments categories to be used in a checking or savings account where funds might be directly deposited. That would simplify year-end tax data collection.

    In the meantime, I'll create a Category that will allow dividend income to be tracked in this checking account and modify my year-end reporting to pick it up.

    As an aside, this is the only dividend I receive that goes into checking (it's restricted stock due to Board service), so I can't move it to a brokerage.

    Thanks for the help.
  • jacobsjacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Generally, you want Quicken to mirror what happens in the real world. In this case, you did not receive a dividend from your checking account; your checking account was where the dividend ended up. But the dividend was earned in your investment account, so that's where it should be entered, followed by a transfer of cash from the investment account to your checking account. This will let Quicken accurately report your dividend income, and you can track your overall security performance. 
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • Frank O'NeilFrank O'Neil Member ✭✭
    Well not really. These shares are held by the issuer and there is technically not an investment account. Dividends do originate there so I guess I could create a new account for them, but it could not be downloaded by Quicken. Thus I would end up doing a higher level of manual processing to reflect the dividend coming in to the “non account,” then the transfer out, etc.
    thanks for the help
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