[moneytalks] Re: An edit combo for items

Suzanne:

Thank you for your detailed explanation. It sounds like some of the =
problem here is with your particular bank. As far as I know, most banks =
put a little more than "Deposit" or "Loan Payment" in the payee field. (I =
would like to hear from others on this topic.) Which bank are you using?

Of course, if you mail in a deposit by check, I would expect "Deposit" to =
show up in the pay name field.

It sounds like your bank is putting stuff in the Memo field (something we =
haven't seen) which should be in the Pay Name field. That Memo information =
may be very useful to keep, though who could blame you for wanting to =
scrap soc.sec. numbers.

Rob Meredith

>>> TheBlindAvenger@xxxxxxx 12/14/04 07:06PM >>>
=20
In a message dated 12/14/2004 3:16:14 P.M. Central Standard Time, =20
rmeredith@xxxxxxx writes:
Suzanne:

The problem is that you are describing pay names, not  items. I think =
items =3D
are generally numbers. Why do you wish to move pay  name data to the item =
=3D
field?

Rob Meredith


Hi Rob,
=20
I suppose the answer to your question is I want to know from where my  =
money=20
came and to whom it went. Then, I want to know how it arrived or left.  =
Check=20
Card Purchase, ACH Deposit, etc. fulfill the second portion of this =20
requirement, while 7 Eleven, Buy For Less, Wal Mart, Sears  Roebuck, =
Oklahoma Natural=20
Gas, US Cellular, and the like fulfill the first.  This is why I edit =
the=20
transactions. Granted, part of my problem may be that I  have never used =
any money=20
management software and thus have a distorted,  preconceived notion of =
how=20
things are supposed to be. This notion is based on  my pre-marriage,=20
pre-technology, braille Check register and my own sense of  organization.=
=20
=20
Here are some examples of why I like my sense of organization, and why  =
I=20
will probably keep doing things my way no matter how the software  =
behaves.
=20
1. I am a private contractor who does both Braille Translation and =20
technology Consulting work. This year, my income came from 21 sources. I =
would  rather=20
see the sources of my income in the Payer/Payee field instead of  the =
word=20
Deposit. Then I could use the restricted view and quickly learn how  much =
I made=20
from whom. Currently, this is done in an Excel spreadsheet, but I  am =
falling=20
in love with this program and would rather do it here. Admittedly,  most =
of=20
these transactions will be made manually in the future, because they  are =
not=20
recurring or consistent.=20
2. Having Farmers Insurance in the payer/Payee field rather than ACH  =
Deposit=20
for my husband's payroll deposit allows me to identify his income  =
without=20
going to the memo field. Besides, I delete the memo field for these  =
Entries,=20
because they splash his Social Security number out there for all the  =
world to=20
see.
3. If the names Geoffrey or Stephen Tritten are placed in the  Payer/Payee=
=20
field rather than Deposit to acknowledge that my sons have made  their =
car=20
insurance payment installments, I can highlight either name,  restrict the =
view,=20
and quickly prove to myself, or one of them if  necessary, whether they =
are on=20
track or behind in their  payments.=20
4. Along the same lines, if I place 7 Eleven, Shell Oil, and Texaco in  =
the=20
Payer field instead of Check Card Purchase, I can learn how much we spend  =
on=20
Auto Fuel. Then, I could learn just how much of that money was spent at =
any  of=20
the three above-mentioned companies.
=20
By now, even if you see my point, I have left an opening for another =20
question. Why put anything in the Item field, if it isn't a check number? =
=20

The answer to that question is: The terms Check Card Purchase, ACH  =
Deposit,=20
etc. let me know just how the money entered or left my accounts.  Maybe I =
like=20
this extra proof, since I have to fill out self-employment tax  forms. I =
keep=20
receipts and bank statements, but I cannot see them. Therefore,  the =
notation=20
in the account grid is my proof.=20
=20
Suzanne
=20
=20
>>> TheBlindAvenger@xxxxxxx 12/14/04 02:48PM  >>>


=20
=20

=3D20
Here is a list of the items that appear in the Payer/Payee  field of my =
=3D20
imported .qif files. The most common are: ACH Deposit, ACH  W/D, Withdrawal=
,=3D
=3D20
Deposit, ATM W/D, Check Card Purchase,  And  Check. I have also seen: =
Check =3D
Card=3D20
Refund, Monthly Account Fee,  and Loan Payment.=3D20
=3D20
Of course Check appears in the Payer/Payee  field, when a check number =
=3D20
appears in the Item  field.=3D20
=3D20
These are the things I move to the Item field, when I edit  transactions. =
I =3D
=3D20
also use several of these entries in the Item  field, when I manually =3D
create =3D20
transactions, and it would be a time  saver if I did not have to enter =
each =3D
one =3D20
letter for  letter.
=3D20
Suzanne
=3D20
In a message dated 12/14/2004 10:39:16  A.M. Central Standard Time, =3D20
rmeredith@xxxxxxx  writes:
Suzanne:

We are still trying to find the formal deffinition  of  what an item =
should =3D
=3D3D
be. It appears that in most cases,  banks only export  item information =
=3D
when =3D3D
it is a check, and  of course, this is the check  number. Since this is =
the =3D
=3D3D
case,  the item field is not useful as it might  be, especially for  =3D3D
non-check users.

I would be interested to know  what others  are finding in the item field =
=3D
=3D3D
when importing.

Rob   Meredith

>>> TheBlindAvenger@xxxxxxx 12/14/04 10:47AM   >>>
=3D3D20
In a message dated 12/10/2004 11:15:31 A.M.  Central  Standard Time, =
=3D3D20
TheBlindAvenger@xxxxxxx  writes:
Hi.

Since the  item field in the New Transaction dialog  could  contain =3D
anything  =3D3D
=3D3D20
from a check number to  ATM w/d or ACH deposit or  electronic  check, =
would  =3D
=3D3D
it=3D3D20
be =3D3D20
possible to make this field an  edit   combo like so many of the other =
=3D3D
fields=3D3D20
in  =3D3D20
this  dialog?

The  reason I ask, is that I do most  of my banking  electronically. If I =
=3D
=3D3D
did  =3D3D20
not  have children who needed money  for band trips, wrestling tournament  =
=3D
=3D3D
=3D3D20
fees, =3D3D20
and other  school-related expenses, I  would probably write only  25 =
checks =3D
=3D3D
a   =3D3D20
year.







The reason I asked this  question  last week is this. Each month I may =
have  =3D
=3D3D
=3D3D20
about fifty entries in my  bank statement. Six or  seven of these entries =
=3D
=3D3D
will be =3D3D20
checks. the   remaining forty plus entries will be check card purchases,  =
=3D
=3D3D
check  =3D3D20
card bill pays, automatic deposits, atm  withdrawals, etc. I would like  =
to =3D
=3D3D
be =3D3D20
able to press  a few letters followed by down arrow to place  the right =
=3D
item  =3D3D
in=3D3D20
the field rather than enter each transaction's  item  manually. Is =3D
this=3D3D20
possible?  Or, since the program is   remembering check numbers, is my =
=3D3D
desire out of=3D3D20
the    question?
=3D3D20
Suzanne

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