Thanks for the advice. I spent some time using the Advanced Register and
decided that I actually prefer the simplicity of the Essential Register --
except for this one issue of "Credit Card Payments/Transfers" counting as
expenses.

I even went so far as to try to customize the reports to exclude that
category, but the customizations don't seem to stick, and I suspect that even
if they did you'd keep running up against the problem forever more.

So although the documentation describes exactly the behavior I want,
unfortunately Money doesn't behave as documented (specifically for the
Essential Register):

"When you categorize transactions from an online update, use the Credit Card
Payments/Transfers category for credit card payments and transfers between
accounts. That way, you can make sure Money treats the transaction as a
transfer and not an expense."

Documentation bug? Implementation bug? Who knows?

In microsoft.public.money, Eric Smith <Eric
Smith[at]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

- quote -

If you have not yet done so, I would set
Tools-> Settings-> AccountSettings(global)-> DisplayAllAccountsInTheAdvancedRegister

When you first 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.

For existing transactions that are already accepted, convert one to
a transfer and Void/Delete the other.

I'm evaluating Money Plus Deluxe and ran into this same issue. From other
comments, I can see that it is possible to create a transfer into another
account. I'd really rather avoid having to void/delete the corresponding
transaction in the target account though. I just want to download the
transactions for each account and categorize the payment such that it isn't
treated as an expense.

Really, I'd just like to be able to do exactly what the documentation says,
but it doesn't seem to work (Credit Card Payments/Transfers are still
expenses):

Categorize a transfer or credit card payment

When you transfer money between accounts or make a credit card payment,
categorize the transaction in Money so that it doesn't appear as an expense
in your spending charts.
------------------------------------------------
Note: The steps you follow for this task depend on whether you’re using the
Essential Account Register (A version of the account register for accounts
that are updated online, which gives you streamlined access to your balances
and transactions without requiring you to do detailed tracking or balancing.
) or the Advanced Account Register (A version of the account register that
emphasizes the detailed tracking of individual expenditures. It can be
updated either online or manually.) . To find out which register you’re
using, look for the Essential Register or Advanced Register label in the
upper-right corner of the account register.

Please click one:
Record a transfer in the Essential Register

When you categorize transactions from an online update, use the Credit Card
Payments/Transfers category for credit card payments and transfers between
accounts. That way, you can make sure Money treats the transaction as a
transfer and not an expense.
Click Banking, and then click Account List.
Click the name of an account.
Click the transaction you want to categorize.
Click the box below the payee name, and then click Credit Card
Payments/Transfers.
Click Save.
If you enter transactions manually into your account register, follow these
steps to make sure the transfer or payment is accurately recorded for the
account from which you transferred the money and the account that received
the money.
Click Banking, and then click Account List.
Click the name of the account from which you transferred the money.
Make sure the Show transaction forms check box (near the bottom of the
register) is selected.
Do one of the following:
To record a credit card payment, click the Withdrawal tab, and then complete
the information. For Category, scroll to the bottom of the list, and click
Credit card payment for the account that will receive the payment.
To record a transfer, click the Transfer tab, and then complete the
information. In the To box, select the name of the account that is receiving
the money.
The information will also automatically be recorded in the register of the
account that receives the transfer or payment.

Thank you so much, guys, that was a great help. Of course, everything makes
sense. I knew I saw the special categories before, but then I couldn't find
them. Simply because they are not there in the essential register. And thank
you for the Ctrl+T shortcut, I like that view much better - that was why I
switched to the essential register in the first place - it's just much more
spacious.

Thanks again, appreciate your help!

Maciej.


"Dick Watson" wrote:

- quote -

And once you convert to Advanced Register, you will be able to use the
"special categories" "Transfer" and "Credit Card Payment" (the latter is
just the former by an obscuring name). These choices will be on the
pull-down list at the very bottom. Both of these have a "subcategory" list
that will include the accounts you can transfer to. So, you end up with
"categorization" that looks like Transfer : Savings or Credit Card Payment :
Discover.

The cool thing about "Transfer" and "Credit Card Payment" is that it puts
entries in BOTH accounts at once. That's why it is neither Income not
expense and why it works a whole lot better than "Credit Card Payments /
Transfers".

You may want to replace previously categorized "Credit Card Payments /
Transfers" with Transfer:[name of account] or Credit Card Payment:[name of
account] as applicable. Note you will have to do the change in one account
and void and/or delete the corresponding but separate "Credit Card Payments
/ Transfers" transaction in the other account.

If you get this far, it would be very wise to DELETE the confusing and
misleading category "Credit Card Payments / Transfers" to avoid the kinds of
issues that are why you got here in the first place.

Hopefully this all makes some sense to you. If not, reply with questions. It
will also probably make a lot more sense if you open the Sample data file
and play around with some transactions using the "Credit Card Payments /
Transfers" vs. the "Transfer" and "Credit Card Payment" and you will perhaps
see better how this works.

"wolf4jc" <wolf4jc[at]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:62F3D9BD-55EA-4B20-80A5-D2229EA8FF5B[at]microsoft.com...
- quote -

In microsoft.public.money, wolf4jc wrote:

- quote -

I didn't, but now that you mention it, I should have.

Tools-> Settings-> AccountSettings(global)-> DisplayAllAccountsInTheAdvancedRegister
would change all registers to Advanced.

Another way would be to modify the reports to exclude the unwanted,
but you are more advanced anyway. You recognized the need for a
proper transfer.

Incidentally, you might want to experiment with Ctrl+T in the
registers, and try turning off Transaction Forms.


- quote -

thanks for your reply! Forgive my ignorance here, but how do I use the
SPECIAL Transfer? Is it just another category? if yes, I can't seem to find
it.

And what do you mean by Essentials. Do you mean the Essential Register?
Then, I use that one.

Thanks again for your suggestions!

Maciej.


"Cal Learner-- MVP" wrote:

- quote -

In microsoft.public.money, wolf4jc wrote:

- quote -

You want to be using the SPECIAL Transfer rather than the "EXPENSE
Credit Card Payments/Transfers". I would change all past
transactions, and then delete that "EXPENSE Credit Card
Payments/Transfers" category. This assumes you are not using
Essentials.

Hi everybody,

I'm sure I'm not the only one having that question / issue, and perhaps it
has been talked about, but I couldn't find the answer.

Microsoft Money includes transfers from one account to another as Income /
Expense transactions. The same is true with credit card payments. It
categorizes all the transactions I made (with a credit card) as expenses (and
that is right, of course), and then, on the top of that add the credit card
payment for those transaction as another payment, which in effect doubles
(falsely) the expense amount. How to eliminate that?

Thank you,

Maciej.