Current Budget Report vs Planning view discrepancy

It seems that the Current Budget Report (accessed via the pull down on the Planning view) is allocating the budgeted amount for each category by the number of days in the month. The result is that the CBR will flag it as over budget if paid on any date other than the last day of the month.

For example, I budget $3000 for tuition for the month of April. When I review the CBR I see that as of today, April 1, the amount budgeted is 1/30th of the actual monthly budget of $3000. Since I paid the whole amount due, I'm showing as over budget in the CBR for this category.

I don't understand why this is a designed behavior (if it is). I cannot see the utility of it. It actually makes it harder to identify where you're truly over budget and degrades my confidence in the report structures.
Mike - Quicken Deluxe - latest version always
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Best Answer

  • THEmikehd
    THEmikehd Member ✭✭✭
    Answer ✓
    Even in the example you cite (gas) where you have potentially irregular purchases, I would find more value in seeing how well I'm doing against the budget for gas if the CBR reflected the entire month's gas budget, not a daily stipend model.

    However, since this is how the reports are written, I can adapt to be skeptical of over budget warnings for the current month in the CBR.
    Mike - Quicken Deluxe - latest version always

Answers

  • Chris_QPW
    Chris_QPW Member ✭✭✭✭
    Well it does have a purpose, but having it apply to all categories is probably wrong.  It probably should be an option per category.

    The purpose of it can the illustrated with the category of gas.  One might spend $200 on gas a month, but it will most likely not be spent on one day or even the same days of the month.

    Trying to predict the future (and this is only done in the future like to the end of the month) is always going to be a guess.
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  • THEmikehd
    THEmikehd Member ✭✭✭
    Answer ✓
    Even in the example you cite (gas) where you have potentially irregular purchases, I would find more value in seeing how well I'm doing against the budget for gas if the CBR reflected the entire month's gas budget, not a daily stipend model.

    However, since this is how the reports are written, I can adapt to be skeptical of over budget warnings for the current month in the CBR.
    Mike - Quicken Deluxe - latest version always
  • pearcyne
    pearcyne Member ✭✭
    Expense categories shown in budget reports are now missing in the Budget Planning view. This is a major bug. I cannot manage and adjust any active budget expense categories.
  • THEmikehd
    THEmikehd Member ✭✭✭
    > @pearcyne said:
    > Expense categories shown in budget reports are now missing in the Budget Planning view. This is a major bug. I cannot manage and adjust any active budget expense categories.

    Are you saying that if you make a budget report that those categories on that report are no longer available to use in the budget planning view? You gotta contact support for this.
    Mike - Quicken Deluxe - latest version always
  • Gstu
    Gstu Member
    In the Planning tab for retirement, it significantly misrepresents the market value of investments. The reports tab accurately reports each account market value, but the Planning retirement calculator either under or over reports the amount in each account. Is there anything to change in settings to correct that?
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