{"id":592,"date":"2023-10-24T10:11:53","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T17:11:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qa.simplifimoney.com\/blog\/quicken-window-tips\/"},"modified":"2023-10-24T10:11:53","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T17:11:53","slug":"quicken-window-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quicken.com\/blog\/quicken-window-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Quicken Classic for Windows \u2014 Tips & Tricks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quicken is a powerful personal finance tool with a wealth of features. To help you find new ways to use and improve your Quicken experience, we\u2019ve assembled a number of tips. You\u2019ll find tips here for both beginners and power users. The more you know, the better your Quicken experience will be.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

How to use your Portfolio Value report to help with tax loss harvesting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tax loss harvesting is a strategy used to reduce tax liability by selling investments that have lost value to offset taxable gains. If you do this and track your investments in Quicken, you can get the information you need to calculate your losses using the Portfolio Value<\/b> report. Simply run the Portfolio Value<\/b> report and click the Show Lots <\/b>button at the top of the report. Then, sort the Gain\/Loss<\/b> field to see your tax loss harvesting opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Track your investments with the Income by Security report<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Stay on top of your investments with the new Income by Security<\/strong> report! This detailed report offers an overview of dividends, interest, and realized or unrealized gains by security all in one report. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To access the report, navigate to Reports <\/strong>-> Investments <\/strong>-> Income by Security<\/strong>. The report includes columns such as Security<\/strong>, Symbol<\/strong>, Shares<\/strong>, Dividends<\/strong>, Interest<\/strong>, Other Income<\/strong>, Realized Gains<\/strong>, and more. Check out this report today to track your investment income and gain valuable insights into your portfolio.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Quicken<\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Manually edit bill reminders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Quicken makes it easy to edit the details of your bill, income, and transfer reminders. All you need to do is go to your Bills & Income<\/strong> tab and select the down-arrow button on the right side of the reminder. You can then choose Edit this instance<\/strong> or Edit this instance and all future instances<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can edit everything from the bill details, such as the biller and the amount due, to the tracking information, such as categories (including splits), tags, and memos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can see security names and symbols in your investment register<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that in addition to security names, you can also view security symbols in the investment register? To see the security symbol with the name, go to the gear icon \"gear in your investment register and select Security Display in Register <\/strong>\u2192 Symbol\/Security<\/strong>. The Security <\/strong>column will display the symbol first, followed by a colon and the security name. For example, SPAXX: FIDELITY GOVERNMENT MONEY MARKET<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can schedule reminders by the number of days<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many bills are due on the same day every month, and most paychecks are on a bi-weekly or monthly schedule. However, some employers and billers have payment or billing cycles based on a fixed number of days, such as every 30 days.<\/strong> This sort of schedule can cause mismatches in the calendar. To help you with this issue, we have added the ability to schedule reminders by the number of days. To schedule a bill, go to the Bills & Income <\/strong>tab and click the \"plus icon on the upper-right part of the screen. Select Manual Bill<\/strong>. When setting up your reminder, click Change <\/strong>next to the date and then choose Daily <\/strong>as the frequency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can hide accounts you track but don’t want to see every day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Quicken gives you the ability to hide accounts. Hiding an account allows you to continually track the account but not have it clutter up your sidebar. For less-used accounts, or if you track many accounts, hiding an account can be handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To hide an account, go to the Tools <\/strong>menu and choose Manage Hidden Accounts<\/strong>. From there, choose the Hide in Account Bar and Account List<\/strong> checkbox next to the account(s) you want to hide. This will hide the account in the Quicken sidebar and transaction lists, such as when creating a transfer. However, all data from the hidden account will still be available by default in the budget, reports, net worth, and other features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’d like to exclude<\/em> all an account’s transactions from reports and features by default, choose the Keep this Account Separate<\/strong> option. Keep this Account Separate<\/strong> is helpful if you manage an account for a relative, club, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get your credit score<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Did you know that Quicken will show you your credit score for free? At the bottom of the account bar, you can see Credit Score<\/b>. Click on Credit Score<\/b>, and you will be prompted to enter your social security number. You will also be asked some other questions about your credit history. These are to verify you are who you say you are. Quicken does not store this information. When you\u2019ve finished, you\u2019ll see a summary of your credit report, including your credit score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you added your student loans?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have student loans, it’s important to know how much you owe. Quicken works with many student loan providers so you can download and track your loan information automatically. Providers on Quicken include Navient, American Education Services (AES), CornerStone, PHEAA, SoFi, MOHELA, and many others. To add a student loan provider, follow the same process for adding accounts and choose the provider you work with. Be aware that while you can track the balance of your connected loans, the many payoff options for student loans mean you cannot track amortization or some of the other features available for mortgages and other loans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get more information about currencies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Do you need to know the exchange rate for the U.S. dollar versus other currencies? You can quickly pull up a list using Ctrl+Q<\/b> or going to the Tools<\/b> menu and selecting Currency List<\/b>. The Currency List<\/b> provides the exchange rate and symbol for over thirty major world currencies. Be sure to click the Update<\/b> button on the Currency List<\/b> screen to get the latest exchange rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Update your information from the Quicken Dashboard<\/h2>\n\n\n
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When you use the Quicken Dashboard<\/strong>, you may notice that you can now see when your transactions were last updated listed at the top of the dashboard. Next to that, you’ll see the Update now<\/strong> feature. Clicking Update now <\/strong>will activate One Step Update<\/strong>, which is also available on the accounts toolbar. Use Update now<\/strong> as a convenient way to update your transactions and see your latest transaction information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you know Quicken has a Deduction Finder?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are looking to reduce your taxes, Quicken\u2019s Deduction Finder<\/b> lets you select from over 100 deductions to find out if you are likely to qualify for that deduction. To try Deduction Finder<\/b> go to Planning<\/b> menu \u2192 Deduction Finder<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you know you can specify which accounts to sync with mobile & web?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While you can track many financial accounts in Quicken, you may not want to see all of those accounts when you are using the companion software, Quicken Mobile<\/b> and Quicken on the Web<\/b>. You can easily specify the accounts to sync by navigating to the Mobile & Web<\/b> tab, selecting the gear icon \"gear, and clicking Account Settings<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also designate which accounts to sync by going to Edit<\/b> menu \u2192 Preferences<\/b> \u2192 Mobile & Web<\/b>. Under Accounts<\/b>, you will see a link that tells you how many of your accounts are enabled (will sync). Click that link to select what accounts to sync with your mobile and web accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three things you should do in Quicken at the end of the year<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One: Back up your file<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It’s a good idea to back up your transactions at the end of the year. This ensures that you will have a backup copy that includes that year’s finances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To begin the process go to File<\/b> menu \u2192 Copy or Backup<\/b> File<\/strong> and select Create a complete backup<\/b>. You might want to save your backup to Dropbox or another cloud backup location. You should also go to Edit<\/b> menu \u2192 Preferences<\/b> \u2192 and select Backup<\/b>. Make sure you have automatic backups turned on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two: Run year-end reports<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Run reports to see your past year’s finances. Almost all reports are useful from a year-end perspective, but here are five great reports to run:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tax Summary:<\/b> A tax perspective on your income and expenses. Depending on your tax situation, you may want to run several of the tax reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Banking Summary:<\/b> An overall view of your income and expenses by category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transaction:<\/b> A complete list of all your transactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spending by Payee:<\/b> A comprehensive list of who you paid money to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cash Flow Comparison:<\/b> Compare your spending to previous years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three: Review your budget and categories<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The end of the year is a great time to review your budget and the categories in it. Look for areas where you overspent or underspent. Also, check to be sure your transactions are properly categorized. You may find that some transactions are better tracked by a different category once you take the time to give them a second look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Track Bills, Income & Transfers together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Would you like to see all of your scheduled\/upcoming transactions in one place? The default in Quicken is to have Bills <\/strong>on a separate tab from Income & Transfers<\/strong>. Both are located under Bills & Income. If you\u2019d rather see all three transaction types on these tabs, go to Edit <\/strong>menu \u2192 Preferences<\/strong>. Under Navigation, select Combine Bills, Income, & Transfers<\/strong> and then select OK<\/strong>. Both tabs will now be combined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can choose between the Classic Dashboard and Modern Dashboard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are now two dashboard options for your Home <\/strong>tab. The Classic Dashboard <\/strong>is the default for existing users while the Modern Dashboard <\/strong>is now the default for new users. Both views are useful, but the new Modern Dashboard<\/strong> is easier to read and will continue to be improved as we move forward. To see the Modern Dashboard<\/strong>, click the main Home <\/strong>tab then click Dashboard<\/strong>. If you do not see the Modern Dashboard<\/strong>, select the Gear <\/strong>icon at the top right of the dashboard view and click the Classic Dashboard <\/strong>switch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add reminders quickly and easily<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can quickly add Income<\/strong>, Transfer<\/strong>, and Payment <\/strong>reminders. In the Classic Menu<\/strong>, just go to Bills <\/strong>\u2192 Add Reminder<\/strong>, and choose the type of reminder you want. You can also use CTRL+J<\/strong> to go to your Bill and Income Reminders<\/strong> screen and select the Add <\/strong>menu. Be prepared to enter or select the Payee<\/strong>, Amount<\/strong>, Account<\/strong>, and Date<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another way to quickly add reminders is to select an existing transaction in the register, then right-click and select Add Reminder<\/strong> to create a reminder based on that transaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get more information about your last account update<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Do you want to see what was updated the last time you performed a One Step Update<\/strong>? Go to Tools <\/strong>menu \u2192 One Step Update Summary<\/strong>. You\u2019ll see what accounts were updated, how many new transactions (if any) were added, and what the date of the last update was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See all your securities in one place<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that if you use Quicken\u2019s investing features, you can quickly bring up a list of your securities? You can access your Security List <\/strong>by going to Tools <\/strong>menu \u2192 Security List <\/strong>or pressing Ctrl + Y<\/strong>. From the list, you can see what securities you are tracking, edit or delete those securities, and add new securities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get your projected balance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you know Quicken can forecast what your bank balance will be? Go to Bills & Income<\/strong>, then select Projected Balances<\/strong>. You can look at the projected balance for all of your accounts or choose a single account. You can also choose from different date ranges. To take full advantage of this feature, you should also be using future dated transactions and bill scheduling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set savings goals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Quicken can help you set savings goals so you can plan for your future. Just go to the Planning<\/strong>, and select Savings Goals<\/strong>. Select Get Started<\/strong> and enter the Goal name<\/strong>, Goal amount<\/strong>, and Finish date<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Access the Tag List<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you know you can access the Tag List<\/strong> to review all your tags? You can use Ctrl + L<\/strong> or go to Tag List <\/strong>on the Tools <\/strong>menu. You can use the Tag List<\/strong> to view your current tags. You can also use the New Tag<\/strong> button to add additional tags. The Tag List<\/strong> also has a search feature, which is handy if you use a lot of tags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remind yourself when paychecks are coming<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you know you can add a reminder to let you know when your paycheck is coming? This is a great way to help you get more information about your cash flow. To add a paycheck reminder, go to Bills <\/strong>\u2192 Add Reminder<\/strong> \u2192 Paycheck Reminder<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use filters to easily navigate your register<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you know you can use the filters on top of register to view specific transactions, such as uncategorized transactions or deposits? From the register you can filter by time span, type, or status (such as Uncategorized<\/strong>, Unreconciled<\/strong>, or Flagged<\/strong>. If you are using All Transactions<\/strong>, you can also filter by a specific account. If none of those filters work for you, you can use the powerful search tool next to the filter. Enter any term or number and the search will list only the transactions that match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"filters<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You can find lost data files quickly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you forget where you saved your data file? You can find all the Quicken data files on your computer by selecting Find Quicken Files<\/strong> from your File <\/strong>menu. A screen will appear with all your Quicken files, including backup files. It may take your computer some time to search all of your directories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check for product updates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want to check to see if you are on the latest version of Quicken<\/strong>, go to Help <\/strong>\u2192 Check for updates<\/strong>. It will let you know if you are on the most current software version. If you aren’t on the latest version, you can update right from that screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Use Net Worth to see a graph of your assets and liabilities over time<\/h2>\n
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When you look at the Accounts <\/strong>bar, you will see your Net Worth<\/strong> listed near the bottom of the bar. This amount is the sum of your assets and liabilities. You can select Net Worth<\/strong> to get more information about your financial worth. This includes graphs such as Net Worth by Assets and Liabilities.<\/strong> This graph will show you how your assets and liabilities have changed over time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

You can recategorize a group of transactions, payees, bills, or deposits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you ever regularly assign transactions to one category, only to realize there was a better category? You can use Recategorize <\/strong>to change categories for a large group of transactions, payees, bills, or deposits. Go to Tools <\/strong>\u2192 Recategorize<\/strong>. Then use the Find <\/strong>feature to find items within a particular category. You can choose from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n