Using Downloads of Accounts

[Lincoln A. Baxter]

This seems like a miss-understanding or bad advice for a new user... See
below.

Lincoln

On Tue, 2009-05-19 at 09:09 +0200, marcus.wolschon at googlemail.com
wrote: 
> On Mon, 18 May 2009 14:27:37 -0700, Robert Smits <bob at rsmits.ca> wrote:
> > I'm finding very little information at my local credit union about
> > downloading 
> > my account activity, (although I've sent a request for more info),
> although
> > 
> > when I'm interactively online, it says I can download accounts activity
> in 
> > the following formats:
> > 
> > Download to Quicken
> > Download to Quickbooks
> > Download to Microsoft Money
> > Download to Simply Accounting
> > Download to Comma Delimited Text
> > Download to PDF
> 
> > With these options, which one would give me the least amount of trouble
> to 
> > import into Gnucash?
> 
> Comma Delimited Text (CSV) is the only one in this
> list that makes sense. Note that CSV is not CSV.
> One can have "accountid;sum;currency;description" while
> another bank could use something like 'date,time,"description",sum,balance'
> so there can only be a csv-import for the format of one
> bank, not a general one unless it can be configured to
> match the format of that one bank.
> 

This is a reason NOT to use CSV format!  CSV format is most useful (IMO)
for importing into spreadsheets...

> > Is there a recommended url for documentation on how to accomplish this?
> 
> That depends on what program you want to make the import
> with or what language you want to use to write your import.

This the original message was posted to the GnuCash, list, I am assuming
the intended import is to GnuCash, and that GnuCash, is the program to
be used.  If so, without question the Quicken OFX/QFX format works well,
from multiple banks.  I have used that format from at least 6 different
banks without problem. The first time you import a new download GnuCash,
askes you for the account associated with that download.  From then on,
it remembers. 


> 
> > 
> > Lastly, it occurs to me that downloading account activity will result in
> > all 
> > my cheques only being noticed by the credit union when they clear, not
> when
> > I 
> > write them. Do I stop entering my cheques in Gnucash and only use the
> > banking 
> > data? It seems to me if i do that I can miss cheques that take a long
> time
> > to 
> > clear. 
> > 
> > How do the rest of you deal with this?
> 
This is your choice. It depends on whether you want to predict closely
what your balance is (will be), between downloads from the bank. If so,
enter the checks and transactions as you make them.  The downloads will
generally match up with checks you have entered if the date of clearing
is close, the amount you entered is exact or the check number matches.
The import tool will show this as a Reconciled transaction, instead of a
Added transaction.


> > 
> > Bob
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