Assuming they ship a Sample data file with Essentials, you might look in
there to see how they categorize a payment from Checking to a Credit Card on
both sides of the transaction. I may figure out how to put the Essentials
trial somewhere. I don't want to break any existing installation regarding
file associations, but it also can't be installed on anything short of XP
SP2. Given that limitation, I'm running out of different machines to have
non-conflicting installation of Money on.

"mulhall" <mulhall[at]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:569BEEC6-3D86-4C5F-9971-229632EBC836[at]microsoft.com...
- quote -

I've used a different category, "INCOME: Not an expense" and only assigned
two trasaction to it. One debit and one credit for the same amount.

The monthly report only shows the credit.

It doesn't seem to show the debit in any part of the report.

Therefore it seems that the only solution is to use a category from EXPENSE
and INCOME, make sure they tally against each other, and ignore them!


Or, as you've suggested, upgrade.

"Cal Learner-- MVP" wrote:

- quote -

Thanks for all your help on this, I tend to be a bit perfunctory when it
comes to troubleshooting.
I appreciate I'm using the little known cheap version, but discovering the
differences is almost as helpful as having a solution

In short, I'm using the Expense category for both credit and debit
transactions which in effect should cancel out, but they don't. I'm doing
analysis today to see what the behaviour is, it seems on the face of it that
they are accumulating rather than negating each other.


On the other comments it does indeed appear to be a limitation of Essential;

The 'AutomaticallyAcceptAllDownloadedTransactionsFromB ankingStatements'
setting is not available under online service settings, though there are four
options relating to dates and names used.

The Account Tools drop-down has only Payees - not Payees/Categories

There are only Expense and Income categories.

"Cal Learner-- MVP" wrote:

- quote -

It does provide links to a question that deals with what a Transfer is and
what a Credit Card Payment is and why they are more like what you are
expecting--they reflect the change in both accounts simultaneously--and why
Credit Card Payments/Transfers is an Expense category and why it doesn't do
what you are expecting.

If I'd not been so stupid/quick/asleep, I would have noted the first thing
you said was you were using Money Essential. If I had noted that, I would
probably not have linked you to that q/a since you don't have the necessary
context for the answer. Sorry about that.

As noted in the umpmfaq Fine Print (http://umpmfaq.info/FinePrint.htm), the
FAQ does not address Money Essential because I have never used it and cannot
speak intelligently about it. My **suspicion** is that Essential doesn't
know about the notion of a Transfer transaction that effects both accounts
simultaneously.

Also, as noted, the Deluxe version of Money may be more appropriate to your
needs/expectations. It allows things like creating your own categories and
making a Transfer from one account to another without entering two
completely separate transactions.

"mulhall" <mulhall[at]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BFDEFAF9-F88F-422A-8EE6-C43456A6B5AC[at]microsoft.com...
- quote -

mulhall,
As you must have noted by now, nobody here has ever used Money Essentials.
Until 2007 the least expensive version of MSMoney was called Money Standard
and worked almost the same as Money Deluxe (and Premium). It just was
lacking a few bells and whistles. I have always used Money Standard and it
has given me everything I want.

While in the past few years, you had a choice of using the "Essential"
register and "Essential" reports, which, I assume, it like Money Essentials,
I doubt if anyone on this board ever experimented with them. If you look at
the FAQ, you will see that the experts here often suggest to people who were
having problems to switch to the Advance Register from Essentials. Given
the lack of experience of the experts on this board with Essentials, I think
that you are pretty much on your own here.

For marketing reasons MS decided to eliminate the Standard edition in 2007
and replace it with the apparently useless "Essential" Edition. Given that
circumstance, I'd suggest that you either upgrade to Deluxe or return your
Essential Edition and use a spreadsheet or database program to create your
own financial management software.
--
Peace,
BobJ

"mulhall" <mulhall[at]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:763A5924-D9A7-4E11-AD5C-CFD6EFB97370[at]microsoft.com...
- quote -

In microsoft.public.money, Cal Learner-- MVP wrote:

- quote -

CORRECTION: If that is *CLEARED*, the ...

- quote -

In microsoft.public.money, mulhall wrote:

- quote -

In Deluxe and above, if you go to
Tools-> Settings-> OnlineServiceSettings there is a setting for
AutomaticallyAcceptAllDownloadedTransactionsFromBa nkingStatements
that is, I think, cleared by default. If that is set, the
transactions stay bold in the register before you accept them. When
you click one of the bold transactions, there is an Accept button.

- quote -

If I make a payment from the checking account to the credit card
company, and if I download from both institutions, I expect to see
both sides of the payment get downloaded. When I go thru the
transactions, I will get to one first.

- quote -

In Deluxe and above, there are three major headings in the drop-down
list for categories: INCOME, EXPENSE, and SPECIAL. The SPECIAL
section is at the bottom of the list, and it may require scrolling.

- quote -


If it is like Deluxe and above, you would go to
Banking-> AccountTools-> Categories&Payees-> Categories,
select the category, and click Delete at the bottom.

- quote -

In using method 1, which I suspect is not available with Essentials,
I suggest to not use that category. Method 2 could use that
category.

Be warned - I am a newbie with MS Money.



What do you mean "Be careful to not just Accept if Money did not
- quote -

"Cal Learner-- MVP" wrote:

- quote -

What do you mean "process the first transaction of the credit card?

set the category as a transfer to the other ( credit card
- quote -

Is this a literal category? I only see "Credit Card Payment\Transfer" I
don't see anything beginning with SPECIAL.

When you process the second transaction,Money
- quote -

What do you mean Accept or Change? When are these options presented?

I would consider this the classic of the ways I like. Note
- quote -

How does one delete a category?

- quote -

How do I create/define a category? I think I understand you, but why are you
saying don't use the 'Credit Card Payment/Transfer' category and then say do
use it.

In microsoft.public.money, mulhall wrote:

- quote -

With Deluxe Money and above, there is more than one good way to
download your credit card data and have also the payment downloaded
from a checking account.

In Essentials way #1 may not be available to you. #2 may be. Let us
know, in that we know Deluxe, etc.

Here are two ways I like for Deluxe and above:

1. When you process the first transaction of the credit card
payment, set the category as a transfer to the other ( credit card
or bank account), or use the equivalent "SPECIAL Credit Card
Payment" category. When you process the second transaction,Money
should match it. Be careful to not just Accept if Money did not
find the match on its own for some reason. Click Change and match
it to the transfer you already made if Money did not match it for
you. I would consider this the classic of the ways I like. Note
that for this you would *not* use the Money "EXPENSE Credit Card
Payment". I would Delete that category if using this method.

2. In method 2, don't handle credit card payments as transfers or
the pre-defined "Credit Card Payment Instead create one category of
"CC payment" or some such. If you define the category as an
expense category, expect a warning when you use it to represent the
payment within the credit card account -- if you have the warning
enabled. Just click Yes in response to the warning. The category
should net at zero in reports across accounts, and you can still
customize to ignore the category if you like. For this method you
could use the Money "EXPENSE Credit Card Payment".

Thanks for replying.

Doesn't this link merely describe the problem, rather than provide a solution?


"Dick Watson" wrote:

- quote -

Oh, I didn't note Essentials. The Special Categories Transfer and/or Credit
Card Payment may not be available in Essentials. By all accounts,
Microsoft's idea of Essentials is pretty essential--i.e., mostly for
show--and not necessarily useful for personal financial management. I
haven't used Essentials.

"mulhall" <mulhall[at]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:90627CD7-B813-48DF-802B-F72C102DCABF[at]microsoft.com...
- quote -

See http://umpmfaq.info/faqdb.php?q=167.

"mulhall" <mulhall[at]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:90627CD7-B813-48DF-802B-F72C102DCABF[at]microsoft.com...
- quote -

Using Essentials 2007.

I've created the accounts, and imported the transactions. I've categorised
each transaction corretly, but Credit Card Payments/Transfers is the largest
category, when in fact this is not an expense, they are transfers.

How do I tie up these transactions with the accounts I've set up?

Cheers.