No-load funds & don't use Money to calculate cost basis, so a couple of
these considerations don't apply. However, I think I'll change the way I
enter these transactions, in the interest of ease and accuracy.

Thanks, guys.

Susan

"Cal Learner-- MVP" <via_newsgroup[at]please.tnx> wrote in message
news:ftppe11kank3vqe7q5q6aad5e90a8tlr9k[at]4ax.com...
- quote -

In microsoft.public.money, Chris Cowles wrote:

- quote -

I like Commission, Total, Quantity or Total, Commission, Quantity
some such if I remember. I usually end up rubbing something out
because Money assumes $0 commission if you have not entered it yet.

If I am buying or selling a stock, then the order does not really
matter. The amounts are computed from the transaction, and I am
working in whole shares.

With a mutual fund, you don't usually buy a whole number of shares.
You buy some specified value of shares, and they compute how many
shares they will give you for that amount of money.

- quote -

"Total" seems fine to me to indicate a result computed with signed
arithmetic. I might still call the bottom number of a grocery
receipt a total, even tho there might be a credit mixed into the
expenses.

In OFX, the numbers for a transaction are tagged
<UNITS<UNITPRICE<COMMISSION<TOTAL



- quote -

Entering the quantity first, then the total (gross proceeds, not net) and
commission, I never have a problem. Money accurately reduces the total by
the amount of the commission without revising the quantity or price. Money's
calculated price may differ from the broker by cents, but holdings and tax
reports are accurate as a result.

You could debate the wisdom of labeling that field 'total' (ie, it's really
not total if you count the commission, rather, it's a net value), but the
numbers are correct.

"Cal Learner-- MVP" <via_newsgroup[at]please.tnx> wrote in message
news:1v4me1tbikdshtktd9ffi84gucoc1dfosr[at]4ax.com...
- quote -

The total becomes the cost basis for the transaction; given that the IRS
rounds up or down [at] 50¢, it could affect the basis by $1.00.

--
Michael Gordon
MVP


"harrelsonesq" <harrelsonesq2[at]yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:%23jrHwyWlFHA.3300[at]TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
- quote -

In microsoft.public.money, harrelsonesq wrote:

- quote -

If you let it compute the Total, you can make an adjusting entry for
the pennies. No big deal. Just don't let it compute the Quantity.

Enter Quantity and Total, and it will not be off a penny, however.

If there's a cash account involved--granted this isn't the case for dividend
reinvestment--it may not balance. For this reason, I do it the same way
every time, including dividend reinvestments.

"harrelsonesq" <harrelsonesq2[at]yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:%23jrHwyWlFHA.3300[at]TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
- quote -

I have always entered quantity and price, and let Money calculate the total.
It is occasionally off by a penny of two, which I assume is due to rounding,
but not enough to matter, given normal price volatility (it'll be different
tomorrow!). Is there anything in that method that might have unintended
consequences?

Susan

"Cal Learner-- MVP" <via_newsgroup[at]please.tnx> wrote in message
news:1v4me1tbikdshtktd9ffi84gucoc1dfosr[at]4ax.com...
- quote -

In microsoft.public.money, harrelsonesq wrote:

- quote -

Suppose you paid $100 for 33 shares. Enter $100 for the total and 33
for the Quantity. The actual price for the shares is
3.030303030303030303030303030303, which would be represented with
fewer decimals.

If you entered the price as 3.0303 , Money would calculate you have
33.000033 shares. If you later sold your 33 shares, Money would
think you still have 0.000033 shares.

The most important is the Quantity. The second most important is the
Total. Let Money compute the price.

Throw in the commission, and entering the data is trickier.




- quote -

In microsoft.public.money, Chris Cowles wrote:

- quote -

It is correct that the person should not be entering zeroes under
price and total.

It would also be correct to say that the person should not be
entering zeros under Quantity and Total.

The person should enter the actual Quantity and Total. Let Money
compute Price.

- quote -

I thought you could enter any two of the three, and Money would calculate
the third.

Susan

"Chris Cowles" <NoSpam[at]For.me> wrote in message
news:ujzdXbJlFHA.708[at]TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
- quote -

Is it not slightly incorrect, in that the OP should have a *quantity* and a
total amount?

"Cal Learner-- MVP" <via_newsgroup[at]please.tnx> wrote in message
news:75cle1lar2uprcter6j80tlhm4nl1u4moc[at]4ax.com...
- quote -

In microsoft.public.money, unique display name wrote:

- quote -


Correct.

If this is in a taxable account, you will pay tax on those
dividends. It is important that Money knows you did not pay $0 for
those shares, because it is Money's job to compute the capital gains
amounts for your tax use.

If it is in a tax-free or tax-deferred account, it only matters for
purposes of tracking your performance. So in those cases it is
optional.



- quote -

So to be clear, even though i never see the actual income (because it is
reinvested) I should absolutely have a price and total amount so that the ROI
numbers are accurate?

I should NOT be entering zeroes under price and total?

"Cal Learner-- MVP" wrote:

- quote -

In microsoft.public.money, "unique display name" <unique display
name[at]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

- quote -

There are two equally proper ways: one way is enter a Dividend
transaction and a separate Buy transactions for the same Total.

The easier way is to enter a ReinvestDividend transaction. If you
scroll down the drop-down list, you can also find some ReinvestCG
variations that might apply for capital gains distributions.

In any case, it is always a good idea to enter the Quantity and
Total. Let Money compute Price. The reason is, that you know
Quantity and Total. The [per-share] Price can be a rounded amount.

I receive multiple dividend reinvestment statements. Over the years, i have
recorded each of these statements into my portfolio by ONLY entering the
stock amount, and putting zeroes in for stock price and total amount.
Thereby avoiding having an income associated with the transaction.

I have a feeling, though, that all along I should have been entering a price
and (therefore automatically) a total amount. I have a feeling that my
method is giving me bad data on cost basis, return, etc.

How EXACTLY should i enter these dividends that are automatically reinvested?