Why no ability to link Cash Account to an Investment Account?

Why does the Windows version allow you to track Cash transactions (checks, deposits, etc.) in a separate but linked Cash Account to my UBS Investment Account? I am spending $400 a year to have Parallels on my MacBook and keep up a windows license for Quicken for Windows because of this.

Best Answer

  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    @Boatnmaniac  This was a question about Quicken Mac, but you have showed how to do it in Quicken Windows. Quicken Mac does not have the same option.

    @nmvphr  In Quicken Mac, your cash transactions can exist in the same account as your investment transactions, and you can record income, expenses (including checks) and transfers in that register. But there isn't a capability to have the investment account cash linked to a separate account. So you can either record your checking account transactions in the account register for the investment account, or you could create transfer transactions to move any cash from the investment account to a separate checking account. 
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993

Answers

  • Boatnmaniac
    Boatnmaniac SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    What type of investment account is it set up as? 
    As long as it is not set up as a retirement account you should be able to set up the separate linked checking account by ticking the box for it on the General tab of Account Details.  Once "Yes" is ticked and you then click on OK Quicken will set up the separate linked checking account and it will be shown in the same area of your Account List as your other checking account(s).  You are not seeing this option?

    (Quicken Classic Premier Subscription: R54.16 on Windows 11)

  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    @Boatnmaniac  This was a question about Quicken Mac, but you have showed how to do it in Quicken Windows. Quicken Mac does not have the same option.

    @nmvphr  In Quicken Mac, your cash transactions can exist in the same account as your investment transactions, and you can record income, expenses (including checks) and transfers in that register. But there isn't a capability to have the investment account cash linked to a separate account. So you can either record your checking account transactions in the account register for the investment account, or you could create transfer transactions to move any cash from the investment account to a separate checking account. 
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • Boatnmaniac
    Boatnmaniac SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2021
    jacobs said:
    @Boatnmaniac  This was a question about Quicken Mac, but you have showed how to do it in Quicken Windows. Quicken Mac does not have the same option.
    The OP said he/she is running Quicken Windows with Parallels which is why I responded the way I did.  Does running Quicken Windows in this way on Mac not function the same way as Quicken Windows on Windows?

    (Quicken Classic Premier Subscription: R54.16 on Windows 11)

  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    jacobs said:
    @Boatnmaniac  This was a question about Quicken Mac, but you have showed how to do it in Quicken Windows. Quicken Mac does not have the same option.
    The OP said he/she is running Quicken Windows with Parallels which is why I responded the way I did.  Does running Quicken Windows in this way on Mac not function the same way as Quicken Windows on Windows?
    @Boatnmaniac I think you misunderstood... or perhaps I did. I read the original post to mean that the user has moved to a Mac, and wants to be able to run Quicken Mac -- but apparently does not do so because of the lack of linked investment accounts. Because of that, they are running Quicken Windows in a VM on the Mac instead.

    (I have no idea why it would be costing $400 per year to do so, as Parallels costs under $100, and half that for upgrades, and a Windows license is a one-time expense that's about $100. But that's beside the point.)
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • Boatnmaniac
    Boatnmaniac SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    jacobs said:
    jacobs said:
    @Boatnmaniac  This was a question about Quicken Mac, but you have showed how to do it in Quicken Windows. Quicken Mac does not have the same option.
    The OP said he/she is running Quicken Windows with Parallels which is why I responded the way I did.  Does running Quicken Windows in this way on Mac not function the same way as Quicken Windows on Windows?
    @Boatnmaniac I think you misunderstood... or perhaps I did. I read the original post to mean that the user has moved to a Mac, and wants to be able to run Quicken Mac -- but apparently does not do so because of the lack of linked investment accounts. Because of that, they are running Quicken Windows in a VM on the Mac instead.

    (I have no idea why it would be costing $400 per year to do so, as Parallels costs under $100, and half that for upgrades, and a Windows license is a one-time expense that's about $100. But that's beside the point.)
    Ah, I see what you mean.  The user should clarify what the issue is so appropriate response can be provided.

    (Quicken Classic Premier Subscription: R54.16 on Windows 11)

  • nmvphr
    nmvphr Member ✭✭
    Sorry for confusion. I should have identified up front that I am a Mac user and the only reason I am running Parallels is due to Quicken for Mac is unable to show my Cash as a separate account like the Windows version that you pointed out above in the picture. Any idea if that is on the developer or enhancement list for Quicken for Mac?
  • Boatnmaniac
    Boatnmaniac SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    @nmvphr - Thank you for clarifying.  My knowledge of QM is very limited so I will bow out of this discussion and let @jacobs and/or others with more QM knowledge provide additional response.

    (Quicken Classic Premier Subscription: R54.16 on Windows 11)

  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    @nmvphr  In fact, this functionality is on the product development roadmap! :) There's an Idea thread here for this feature, and the developers have marked it "Planned." That's the good news. When it will appear is anyone's guess, as the developers do not give information about where specific ideas sit on their planning schedule because plans are ever-changing and evolving. It could come later this year; it could be a year or more in the future -- there's just not way to know or predict. 

    Meanwhile, as I wrote above, you can use your investment account for your checking account functionality. The only wrinkle is that each checking transaction must be entered with a Type of "Payment/Deposit". After that, it functions just like a check register in the Banking section of quicken Mac. You can add any columns you need to the register (such as check number), and you can reconcile the investment account's cash transactions to your checking account statement.
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
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