Reconciliation questions

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MartyR
MartyR Member ✭
edited October 2022 in Registers & Transactions (Windows)
I've used quicken for a long time--since the 80s or 90s. I seemed forced to switch to the subscription and since that time have had problems. I faithfully reconcile my checking account monthly, the difference is minimal, an adjustment is made, and then the next time I go to reconcile there is a signficant opening balance difference. I'm not sure how this can be happening unless something is being deleted after it has already reconciled and I don't know how this could be happening so I'm kind of at a lost. Any ideas what is happening? Is there a way to run a report looking for changes to already reconciled entries?

In previous versions I always saved a reconciliation report but that option doesn't seem to exist so there is nothing I can pull up to look at
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  • Tom Young
    Tom Young SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Offhand I can't think of any differences between the pre-subscription and subscription versions of Quicken when it comes to printing a reconciliation report (though there may be some difference I'm not remembering).  When the reconciliation is done you'd typically get the following screen:
    If you're not getting that screen then that suggests at some point you clicked (maybe by mistake) the "Don't show me this screen again." button.  Fix that by Edit > Preferences... > Alerts & Messages > Reset Quicken Warnings.  You can also print a reconciliation report when you've done your reconciliation by Reports > Banking > Reconciliation.
    "I faithfully reconcile my checking account monthly, the difference is minimal, an adjustment is made, and then the next time I go to reconcile there is a signficant opening balance difference. I'm not sure how this can be happening unless something is being deleted after it has already reconciled and I don't know how this could be happening so I'm kind of at a lost. Any ideas what is happening? Is there a way to run a report looking for changes to already reconciled entries? "
    Actually, that offhand remark "the difference is minimal, an adjustment is made" is troubling.  A bank statement for most of us just doesn't contain a ton of transactions - maybe a handful of income entries and several more spending entries - and there's absolutely no reason why a reconciliation shouldn't turn out perfectly every time.  Or, if you have some sort of difference initially, it's typically just not that hard to run down the difference and correct it.  The way you've made that statement certainly suggests that every reconciliation does have a difference and that might be a clue as to what's going on here.
    You appear to understand that the Opening Balance is simply the sum of all transactions in the Account with an "R" in the Clr column such that any changes to those "R" transactions, or the addition of a transaction with an R in the Clr column, will change the opening balance for "this period's" reconciliation.  Most commonly, I'd guess, changes of this sort arise from inadvertent action by the user, though there can be other sources.  Doing a File > Set Password to modify transactions... when you complete a reconciliation can help if you are the inadvertent source of error.  Printing a detailed Reconciliation report at the end of the reconciliation can also help you run down the problem.  There is no report of "Reconciled transactions that have been changed" in Quicken. 
  • Tom Young
    Tom Young SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
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    "Syncing" does seem to be a very common source of error for Quicken and I'd bet that most SuperUsers don't use "Mobile" or "Web" for that very reason.  I'd suggest that in you new file you make sure that those options aren't selected.  There's still a certain amount of syncing going on even without Mobile and Web but you can't avoid that, now.
    One other wide-spread problem that was recently reported, and I can't remember if it was associated with syncing or Express Web Connect, was that Account Opening Balances were being changed and that, of course, would mean you'd never be able to reconcile unless you spotted that change.

Answers

  • Quicken Jared
    Quicken Jared Alumni ✭✭✭✭
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    MartyR said:
    I've used quicken for a long time--since the 80s or 90s. I seemed forced to switch to the subscription and since that time have had problems. I faithfully reconcile my checking account monthly, the difference is minimal, an adjustment is made, and then the next time I go to reconcile there is a signficant opening balance difference. I'm not sure how this can be happening unless something is being deleted after it has already reconciled and I don't know how this could be happening so I'm kind of at a lost. Any ideas what is happening? Is there a way to run a report looking for changes to already reconciled entries?

    In previous versions I always saved a reconciliation report but that option doesn't seem to exist so there is nothing I can pull up to look at
    Hello @MartyR,     

    I am sorry to hear about this problem with opening balances constantly changing. Thank you for reaching out about this here on the Quicken Community. 

    Is this happening with opening balances for each of your accounts, or only one in particular? Also, where is your current active data file located? You can check this anytime by navigating to File > Show this file on my computer in the upper menu at the top of the screen. Also, are these problems occurring even after you try restoring to a prior backup by navigating to File > Restore a Backup... in the upper menu at the top of the screen? 

    I look forward to seeing your reply. 

    Thank you,

    Quicken Jared 
  • Tom Young
    Tom Young SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    Answer ✓
    Options
    Offhand I can't think of any differences between the pre-subscription and subscription versions of Quicken when it comes to printing a reconciliation report (though there may be some difference I'm not remembering).  When the reconciliation is done you'd typically get the following screen:
    If you're not getting that screen then that suggests at some point you clicked (maybe by mistake) the "Don't show me this screen again." button.  Fix that by Edit > Preferences... > Alerts & Messages > Reset Quicken Warnings.  You can also print a reconciliation report when you've done your reconciliation by Reports > Banking > Reconciliation.
    "I faithfully reconcile my checking account monthly, the difference is minimal, an adjustment is made, and then the next time I go to reconcile there is a signficant opening balance difference. I'm not sure how this can be happening unless something is being deleted after it has already reconciled and I don't know how this could be happening so I'm kind of at a lost. Any ideas what is happening? Is there a way to run a report looking for changes to already reconciled entries? "
    Actually, that offhand remark "the difference is minimal, an adjustment is made" is troubling.  A bank statement for most of us just doesn't contain a ton of transactions - maybe a handful of income entries and several more spending entries - and there's absolutely no reason why a reconciliation shouldn't turn out perfectly every time.  Or, if you have some sort of difference initially, it's typically just not that hard to run down the difference and correct it.  The way you've made that statement certainly suggests that every reconciliation does have a difference and that might be a clue as to what's going on here.
    You appear to understand that the Opening Balance is simply the sum of all transactions in the Account with an "R" in the Clr column such that any changes to those "R" transactions, or the addition of a transaction with an R in the Clr column, will change the opening balance for "this period's" reconciliation.  Most commonly, I'd guess, changes of this sort arise from inadvertent action by the user, though there can be other sources.  Doing a File > Set Password to modify transactions... when you complete a reconciliation can help if you are the inadvertent source of error.  Printing a detailed Reconciliation report at the end of the reconciliation can also help you run down the problem.  There is no report of "Reconciled transactions that have been changed" in Quicken. 
  • MartyR
    MartyR Member ✭
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    Thank you for your help.
    It seems like it happens after syncing with Quicken.com and my troubles seemed to have started with moving from Q2017, , however, it may be my error and inattentiveness but I am surprised after almost 30 years of using I would be making such mistakes.

    I think I will start a completely new file as over such a king time of usage I accumulated a lot of clutter with categories, memorized transactions etc.
  • Tom Young
    Tom Young SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    Answer ✓
    Options
    "Syncing" does seem to be a very common source of error for Quicken and I'd bet that most SuperUsers don't use "Mobile" or "Web" for that very reason.  I'd suggest that in you new file you make sure that those options aren't selected.  There's still a certain amount of syncing going on even without Mobile and Web but you can't avoid that, now.
    One other wide-spread problem that was recently reported, and I can't remember if it was associated with syncing or Express Web Connect, was that Account Opening Balances were being changed and that, of course, would mean you'd never be able to reconcile unless you spotted that change.
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