Money Counts Transfers as Income

In MS Money 2004 Premium, I've noticed that in the "reports" section, "income
and spending over time" report, that MS Money counts transfers between
accounts as both an income and expense: income to the account receiving the
transfer, and expense to the account the transfer comes from. This is a
problem, as if I have a month with a few transfers between accounts, it
totally screws up the income and expense: it can be much different than the
prior month, even though in reality my income and expense levels are about
the same.

How do I get MS Money not to count a transfer as an income or expense?

Dick
Sat Jan 01 08:16:54 CST 2005

Have you tried Customize|Category|[clear the checkbox for] Include
transfers?

"RD" <RD@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:02DF0D0F-6EF2-4EA0-BDF0-60926B0A3E91@microsoft.com...
> In MS Money 2004 Premium, I've noticed that in the "reports" section,
> "income
> and spending over time" report, that MS Money counts transfers between
> accounts as both an income and expense: income to the account receiving
> the
> transfer, and expense to the account the transfer comes from. This is a
> problem, as if I have a month with a few transfers between accounts, it
> totally screws up the income and expense: it can be much different than
> the
> prior month, even though in reality my income and expense levels are about
> the same.
>
> How do I get MS Money not to count a transfer as an income or expense?

No
Sat Jan 01 13:18:57 CST 2005

That option is not available in the Expense vs Budget report? My report
shows large transfers into and out of budget accounts. Most of those are
investment transactions.

"Dick Watson" <littlegreengecko@mind-enufalready-spring.com> wrote in
message news:O7l$OzA8EHA.3708@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Have you tried Customize|Category|[clear the checkbox for] Include
> transfers?
>
> "RD" <RD@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:02DF0D0F-6EF2-4EA0-BDF0-60926B0A3E91@microsoft.com...
> > In MS Money 2004 Premium, I've noticed that in the "reports" section,
> > "income
> > and spending over time" report, that MS Money counts transfers between
> > accounts as both an income and expense: income to the account receiving
> > the
> > transfer, and expense to the account the transfer comes from. This is a
> > problem, as if I have a month with a few transfers between accounts, it
> > totally screws up the income and expense: it can be much different than
> > the
> > prior month, even though in reality my income and expense levels are
about
> > the same.
> >
> > How do I get MS Money not to count a transfer as an income or expense?
>
>

Dick
Sat Jan 01 13:30:09 CST 2005

The key in the budget reports is the "include account in budget planner"
flag in the account details. If the account is NOT included, it will show up
as a transfer in/out of budget accounts.

"No Spam" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:BICBd.5213$5R.2709@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...
> That option is not available in the Expense vs Budget report? My report
> shows large transfers into and out of budget accounts. Most of those are
> investment transactions.

No
Sun Jan 02 11:50:34 CST 2005

How to put an investment account (in addition to its associated cash
account) into budget? My expense vs. budget report is showing large
transfers into and out of budget accounts because my investment buys and
sells are treated as transfers between the investment account and the
associated cash account. If I don't include my investment cash account in
the budget, then the money I send to investment becomes transfer out of
budget account.

I would think transfers have nothing to do with budget, no matter which
accounts they involve!

"Dick Watson" <littlegreengecko@mind-enufalready-spring.com> wrote in
message news:O7l$OzA8EHA.3708@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Have you tried Customize|Category|[clear the checkbox for] Include
> transfers?
>
> "RD" <RD@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:02DF0D0F-6EF2-4EA0-BDF0-60926B0A3E91@microsoft.com...
> > In MS Money 2004 Premium, I've noticed that in the "reports" section,
> > "income
> > and spending over time" report, that MS Money counts transfers between
> > accounts as both an income and expense: income to the account receiving
> > the
> > transfer, and expense to the account the transfer comes from. This is a
> > problem, as if I have a month with a few transfers between accounts, it
> > totally screws up the income and expense: it can be much different than
> > the
> > prior month, even though in reality my income and expense levels are
about
> > the same.
> >
> > How do I get MS Money not to count a transfer as an income or expense?
>
>

Dick
Sun Jan 02 15:19:08 CST 2005

I think (didn't look just now) that Investment Accounts are out-of-budget,
by definition.

I would think transfers have nothing to do with budget, either. But way too
many users don't understand the difference between the budget problem and
the cash flow problem. For this reason, I suspect, Money has this Transfers
In/Out stuff to account for cash flow that isn't a budgeted income or
expense to account for where this money goes of comes from.

"No Spam" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:KvWBd.5560$5R.350@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...
> How to put an investment account (in addition to its associated cash
> account) into budget? My expense vs. budget report is showing large
> transfers into and out of budget accounts because my investment buys and
> sells are treated as transfers between the investment account and the
> associated cash account. If I don't include my investment cash account in
> the budget, then the money I send to investment becomes transfer out of
> budget account.
>
> I would think transfers have nothing to do with budget, no matter which
> accounts they involve!

RD
Sun Jan 02 18:37:04 CST 2005

Thanks to everyone responding so far. One point of clarification: The
transfers are not within investment accounts. They are between my checking
and savings accounts. Each time I add money from savings to checking, Money
counts the transfer between these accounts as both income and expense.

I did "Reports -> Gallery -> Customize -> Catagory" and de-selected the
"include transfers" checkbox. This didn't fix the issue....




"Dick Watson" wrote:

> I think (didn't look just now) that Investment Accounts are out-of-budget,
> by definition.
>
> I would think transfers have nothing to do with budget, either. But way too
> many users don't understand the difference between the budget problem and
> the cash flow problem. For this reason, I suspect, Money has this Transfers
> In/Out stuff to account for cash flow that isn't a budgeted income or
> expense to account for where this money goes of comes from.
>
> "No Spam" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:KvWBd.5560$5R.350@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...
> > How to put an investment account (in addition to its associated cash
> > account) into budget? My expense vs. budget report is showing large
> > transfers into and out of budget accounts because my investment buys and
> > sells are treated as transfers between the investment account and the
> > associated cash account. If I don't include my investment cash account in
> > the budget, then the money I send to investment becomes transfer out of
> > budget account.
> >
> > I would think transfers have nothing to do with budget, no matter which
> > accounts they involve!
>
>
>

Dick
Sun Jan 02 22:45:02 CST 2005

So, is the savings account "in budget" or out? What report? (Refresh my
memory.) This is not some goofy M05 Essential Register or Credit Card
Payments/Transfer issue? The Transfer is a Transfer? If you r-click on one
side, you have a menu choice to go to the other account?

"RD" <RD@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EEC02E65-1894-4DB9-86E1-E1DD65A2BD51@microsoft.com...
> Thanks to everyone responding so far. One point of clarification: The
> transfers are not within investment accounts. They are between my
> checking
> and savings accounts. Each time I add money from savings to checking,
> Money
> counts the transfer between these accounts as both income and expense.
>
> I did "Reports -> Gallery -> Customize -> Catagory" and de-selected the
> "include transfers" checkbox. This didn't fix the issue....

RD
Mon Jan 03 20:39:10 CST 2005

Thank you Thank you Thank you for sticking with me until the problem was
resolved! I tried the suggestion to "unselect" the "include transfers"
check box. This did not fix the issue, yet when I quit MS Money and
re-launched it later, the fix did in fact work. I changed nothing except for
that checkbox. I didn't think re-starting the app would be req'd, yet that
seems to be what happened.


Bottom line: problem fixed, and I'm very grateful to you and everyone who
helped me solve this.







"Dick Watson" wrote:

> So, is the savings account "in budget" or out? What report? (Refresh my
> memory.) This is not some goofy M05 Essential Register or Credit Card
> Payments/Transfer issue? The Transfer is a Transfer? If you r-click on one
> side, you have a menu choice to go to the other account?
>
> "RD" <RD@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:EEC02E65-1894-4DB9-86E1-E1DD65A2BD51@microsoft.com...
> > Thanks to everyone responding so far. One point of clarification: The
> > transfers are not within investment accounts. They are between my
> > checking
> > and savings accounts. Each time I add money from savings to checking,
> > Money
> > counts the transfer between these accounts as both income and expense.
> >
> > I did "Reports -> Gallery -> Customize -> Catagory" and de-selected the
> > "include transfers" checkbox. This didn't fix the issue....
>
>
>

Dick
Mon Jan 03 21:57:12 CST 2005

Glad we could help. Thanks for the feedback.

"RD" <RD@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:310AAA55-E736-4279-9BBE-CD5CA19B037E@microsoft.com...
> Thank you Thank you Thank you for sticking with me until the problem was
> resolved! I tried the suggestion to "unselect" the "include transfers"
> check box. This did not fix the issue, yet when I quit MS Money and
> re-launched it later, the fix did in fact work. I changed nothing except
> for
> that checkbox. I didn't think re-starting the app would be req'd, yet
> that
> seems to be what happened.
>
>
> Bottom line: problem fixed, and I'm very grateful to you and everyone who
> helped me solve this.