Auto Valuation Update and Trade-in

How do you treat an auto valuation decrease balance adjustment and
subsequent "trade-in" write-off for "category" assignment? I have assigned
them to Miscellaneous but it does not seem appropriate. Money does not
allow you to use a the same Asset account transfer method.

Another auto was purchased and recorded at the net price.

Please advise.

Dick
Thu May 26 11:44:01 CDT 2005

I'm not sure what you mean by "Money does not allow you to use a the same
Asset account transfer method". I'm also assuming that you are talking about
updating a value of the old auto in an asset account for the old auto.

I'd setup the new auto purchase transaction(s) to Transfer in any trade-in
value from the old auto asset account as a negative number. This will reduce
the value of the old auto asset to the difference between what the asset
account thinks it's worth and what you were able to get as a trade-in. See
the refi question in the UFAQ for some insight into how to make complex
transactions like this.

Then I'd enter a transaction in the old auto asset account in the amount of
the balance against some category like "Automobile:Payments." This asset
value lost was an expense related to owning that old automobile.

"Robert Sharon" <rcsharon@att.net> wrote in message
news:wNmle.253466$cg1.238456@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> How do you treat an auto valuation decrease balance adjustment and
> subsequent "trade-in" write-off for "category" assignment? I have
assigned
> them to Miscellaneous but it does not seem appropriate. Money does not
> allow you to use a the same Asset account transfer method.
>
> Another auto was purchased and recorded at the net price.

Robert
Thu May 26 17:11:38 CDT 2005

I am running Money Standard 2004.

My statement about Money's transfer method is as follows:
When entering a transaction in the old auto account to reduce the value (or
recognize the trade-in write-off), Money will not allow you to assign the
"category" as a transfer to the same account (instead of something like
Miscellaneous). This reduces the value of the asset to zero.

I do understand your comment regarding a transaction in the old asset auto
account to zero out the remaining balance to a special category. However,
it seems entering the transaction into the new auto asset account as a
transfer from the old auto account (trade-in value) will only increase the
value of the new auto account. How do you enter a "negative" number into
the new asset auto account without increasing the old auto asset auto
account with a positive number value (as in a transfer)?






"Dick Watson" <littlegreengecko@mind-enufalready-spring.com> wrote in
message news:u08riIhYFHA.2664@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> I'm not sure what you mean by "Money does not allow you to use a the same
> Asset account transfer method". I'm also assuming that you are talking
about
> updating a value of the old auto in an asset account for the old auto.
>
> I'd setup the new auto purchase transaction(s) to Transfer in any trade-in
> value from the old auto asset account as a negative number. This will
reduce
> the value of the old auto asset to the difference between what the asset
> account thinks it's worth and what you were able to get as a trade-in. See
> the refi question in the UFAQ for some insight into how to make complex
> transactions like this.
>
> Then I'd enter a transaction in the old auto asset account in the amount
of
> the balance against some category like "Automobile:Payments." This asset
> value lost was an expense related to owning that old automobile.
>
> "Robert Sharon" <rcsharon@att.net> wrote in message
> news:wNmle.253466$cg1.238456@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> > How do you treat an auto valuation decrease balance adjustment and
> > subsequent "trade-in" write-off for "category" assignment? I have
> assigned
> > them to Miscellaneous but it does not seem appropriate. Money does not
> > allow you to use a the same Asset account transfer method.
> >
> > Another auto was purchased and recorded at the net price.
>
>

Dick
Thu May 26 20:17:24 CDT 2005

See below. Hopefully this will help. You know how to find me if it doesn't.

"Robert Sharon" <rcsharon@att.net> wrote in message
news:uQrle.835875$w62.692226@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>I am running Money Standard 2004.
>
> My statement about Money's transfer method is as follows:
> When entering a transaction in the old auto account to reduce the value
> (or
> recognize the trade-in write-off), Money will not allow you to assign the
> "category" as a transfer to the same account (instead of something like
> Miscellaneous). This reduces the value of the asset to zero.

Let's say I have an asset account for old auto (the '97 Plymouth Wombat)
with a balance (value) of $8,500. I trade it in for $4,800 off a $30,000 +
$1,000 tax 2005 Honda Accord.

My new car purchase would look something like:

5/25/2005 Payee: Hondas R Us Category: (split) Amount: ($2,500) Memo: buy
the 2005 Accord
splits:
Automobile:Payments ($30,000) (or maybe this is Transfer To:2005 Accord
Asset)
Taxes:Sales ($1,000)
Transfer From:97 Wombat Asset $4,800 Memo: trade-in value for the '97 Wombat
Transfer From:Savings $23,700

(A loan payoff and a new loan and so forth would be more complicated, but
you get the general idea.)

In the Old Auto Asset account, I'd enter a new EXPENSE TRANSACTION (this is
no transfer or anything else) like:

5/25/05 Payee: (asset value adjustment) Category: Automobile:Payments
Amount: ($3,700) Memo: the final insult--the '97 Plymouth Wombat was worth a
whole lot less at trade in than I thought it was; here goes that money into
the cost of actually owning the car

> I do understand your comment regarding a transaction in the old asset auto
> account to zero out the remaining balance to a special category. However,
> it seems entering the transaction into the new auto asset account as a
> transfer from the old auto account (trade-in value) will only increase the
> value of the new auto account. How do you enter a "negative" number into
> the new asset auto account without increasing the old auto asset auto
> account with a positive number value (as in a transfer)?

My personal preference is to setup the asset accounts by hand--as opposed to
loan wizard--with initial balances of $0 and put the money in them following
the cash flow. If you wanted to, you could have done this thus:

5/25/2005 Payee: Hondas R Us Category: (split) Amount: ($2,500) Memo: buy
the 2005 Accord
splits:
Transfer To:2005 Accord Asset ($25,200)
Taxes:Sales ($1,000)
Transfer:Savings $23,700

5/25/05 Payee: (asset value adjustment) (split) ($8,500)
splits:
Automobile:Payments Amount: ($3,700) Memo: the final insult--the '97
Plymouth Wombat was worth a whole lot less at trade in than I thought it
was; here goes that money into the cost of actually owning the car
Transfer:2005 Accord Asset ($4,800) Memo: roll this over to the new asset

End result: 2005 Accord Asset is now at $30,000, 97 Wombat Asset is now at
$0. Checking is $2,500 poorer, Savings is $23,700 poorer.

(Disclaimers: I've never actually tried an asset account to asset account
transfer. I'm betting it works. YMMV. There is no "one right way."
Personally, I don't track autos as assets. Too much pain. Too theoretical
the gain. etc.)

Robert
Fri May 27 19:57:15 CDT 2005

Thank you for your comments on this issue. I used your personal preference
method for recording the purchase of my Chevy Venture and trade-in of the
Olds Ciera. It seems to have worked out as an acceptable solution.

Thanks again.


"Dick Watson" <littlegreengecko@mind-enufalready-spring.com> wrote in
message news:%23KT1OnlYFHA.1092@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> See below. Hopefully this will help. You know how to find me if it
doesn't.
>
> "Robert Sharon" <rcsharon@att.net> wrote in message
> news:uQrle.835875$w62.692226@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> >I am running Money Standard 2004.
> >
> > My statement about Money's transfer method is as follows:
> > When entering a transaction in the old auto account to reduce the value
> > (or
> > recognize the trade-in write-off), Money will not allow you to assign
the
> > "category" as a transfer to the same account (instead of something like
> > Miscellaneous). This reduces the value of the asset to zero.
>
> Let's say I have an asset account for old auto (the '97 Plymouth Wombat)
> with a balance (value) of $8,500. I trade it in for $4,800 off a $30,000 +
> $1,000 tax 2005 Honda Accord.
>
> My new car purchase would look something like:
>
> 5/25/2005 Payee: Hondas R Us Category: (split) Amount: ($2,500) Memo: buy
> the 2005 Accord
> splits:
> Automobile:Payments ($30,000) (or maybe this is Transfer To:2005 Accord
> Asset)
> Taxes:Sales ($1,000)
> Transfer From:97 Wombat Asset $4,800 Memo: trade-in value for the '97
Wombat
> Transfer From:Savings $23,700
>
> (A loan payoff and a new loan and so forth would be more complicated, but
> you get the general idea.)
>
> In the Old Auto Asset account, I'd enter a new EXPENSE TRANSACTION (this
is
> no transfer or anything else) like:
>
> 5/25/05 Payee: (asset value adjustment) Category: Automobile:Payments
> Amount: ($3,700) Memo: the final insult--the '97 Plymouth Wombat was worth
a
> whole lot less at trade in than I thought it was; here goes that money int
o
> the cost of actually owning the car
>
> > I do understand your comment regarding a transaction in the old asset
auto
> > account to zero out the remaining balance to a special category.
However,
> > it seems entering the transaction into the new auto asset account as a
> > transfer from the old auto account (trade-in value) will only increase
the
> > value of the new auto account. How do you enter a "negative" number
into
> > the new asset auto account without increasing the old auto asset auto
> > account with a positive number value (as in a transfer)?
>
> My personal preference is to setup the asset accounts by hand--as opposed
to
> loan wizard--with initial balances of $0 and put the money in them
following
> the cash flow. If you wanted to, you could have done this thus:
>
> 5/25/2005 Payee: Hondas R Us Category: (split) Amount: ($2,500) Memo: buy
> the 2005 Accord
> splits:
> Transfer To:2005 Accord Asset ($25,200)
> Taxes:Sales ($1,000)
> Transfer:Savings $23,700
>
> 5/25/05 Payee: (asset value adjustment) (split) ($8,500)
> splits:
> Automobile:Payments Amount: ($3,700) Memo: the final insult--the '97
> Plymouth Wombat was worth a whole lot less at trade in than I thought it
> was; here goes that money into the cost of actually owning the car
> Transfer:2005 Accord Asset ($4,800) Memo: roll this over to the new asset
>
> End result: 2005 Accord Asset is now at $30,000, 97 Wombat Asset is now at
> $0. Checking is $2,500 poorer, Savings is $23,700 poorer.
>
> (Disclaimers: I've never actually tried an asset account to asset account
> transfer. I'm betting it works. YMMV. There is no "one right way."
> Personally, I don't track autos as assets. Too much pain. Too theoretical
> the gain. etc.)
>
>

Dick
Fri May 27 20:29:27 CDT 2005

Cool. Glad I could help. Thanks for the feedback.

"Robert Sharon" <rcsharon@att.net> wrote in message
news:LlPle.258095$cg1.167781@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> Thank you for your comments on this issue. I used your personal
> preference
> method for recording the purchase of my Chevy Venture and trade-in of the
> Olds Ciera. It seems to have worked out as an acceptable solution.