Chris GralappChris Gralapp (using Q 20100) sent me an off-list message about a problem that I've encountered along the way, also. You complete a reconciliation to a paper statement, the ending balance works fine with cleared transactions, but when you go to reconcile the next statement, the Opening Balance shown is not the same as the previous closing balance. Following are our exchanges. Have any of you had this happen? If so, how did you handle it? Babette Chris wrote: ----- Original Message ----- From: Chris Gralapp To: Babette Sent: Saturday, June 04, 2011 10:10 AM Subject: Beginning balance Q Hi Babette, This odd thing happens to me eoccasionally in Quicken (2010), when I reconcile : The previous month's numbers ran fine, and the account balanced to $0.00. The ending balance on my bank statement was $1000. This amount should automatically become the beginning balance for the next statement, yes? But this month, after I have accepted my income and expenses, and go to reconcile, Quicken tells me that my beginning balance is $2049, not the $1000 that penciled out last month, and which is on my paper statement. How can this number change? Why would Quicken claim a different beginning balance than the Bank (B of A)? I wonder if it is my error (likely!) or Quicken's? Or the Bank's? Thanks, Chris I replied: Chris...which version of Q are you using now? 2011 or earlier? Are the dates correct on the start and end dates for the new statement? Is the figure that comes up as the starting balance the same of an earlier statement than the one before the current one you want to reconcile? (It's possible that the last reconciliation got wiped out or lost or something. Are all the "R"s showing on the transactions for the last reconcilication?) You can manualaly correct the starting balance when you begin the reconcile. Stephen Nelson, author of the Quicken for Dummies books(who has been writing Quicken books since DOS days, and despite my general distaste for Dummies books, is probably the best author around), says: "VERIFY THE OPENING BLANANCE: Quicken displays a figure in the Opening Balance text bos. If this figure isn't correct, replace it with the correct figure. To do so, move the cursor to the text box and type over the given figure). I've had this happen, too. And frankly, I've never quite figured out why it happens. However, sometimes I can fix it by unreconciling the last statement (this is a real drag...you have to get out your statement, and go to each transaction on it and manually click on the "R" column and take it back to a blank or "c" for clear.) Then do the reconcile over again, and then it works OK on the next statement. Or call the really excellent Inner Circirle Priority tech support number (877-682-4254) and ask them about it. They are in U.S. and are high level tech support people. I', not sure whether you really have to register for Inner Circle (it's free) and they check, but it's so eacy to do so that it's worth doing. The User forums on Inner Circle are also much better than the "Quicken Community" at Intuit's general Support web site. I checked them before sending this reply, but there's nothing I can find about this problem. If you do call, let me know what they tell you. I'd like to have the information for my own data files. Also, can we share this with the Quicken SIG list? I think it would be interesting to all. Babette AND CHRIS THEN REPLIED: Hi Babette, yes, of course you may share this! I was expecting that might happen, so I gave hypothetical numbers. I have verified all of the items you suggested. -The dates are right -All my Rs are showing for the previous month's reconciliation, and that one had balanced at the time...! -I tried manually correcting the incorrect opening balance, and I got the same result--$1049 too much. -I am afraid to unreconcile--I know I would really goof something up! So, I just did a balance adjustment (I know, I know--it is a whopper, and very sloppy to do it this way, but I was out of time, and I am not math whiz). But it has happened before, that my closing and opening balances don't jibe, and I just don't get how that can happen--it's like some voodoo at the bank. Makes me somewhat distrustful. Oh, BTW, I am using the Quicken 2010 Home and Business edition. Thanks! Chris GGCSQUICKSIG is the Email list for members of the Golden Gate Computer Society's Quicken Special Interest Group. TO SEND A MESSAGE TO SIGLEADER BABETTE BLOCH "OFFLIST" - Email to: ggcsquicksig@xxxxxxxxxxx TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send an Email Message to: ggcsquicksig-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx In the "Subject": line, type "unsubscribe" (without the quotes).