GnuCash financial software

Sat Oct 25 19:29:45 EDT 2014

On 10/25/2014 3:34 PM, RF wrote:
> Thanks to you all for the reply and info.
>
> I've since learned that the correct term for the "automatic downloads"
> is "Direct Connect". That's the protocol used by Quicken but other
> like-software use it too. There's another protocol called "Web
> Connect". The financial institution will list which it uses and if it
> only says Quicken and/or MS Money, then that would be Direct Connect -
> as I understand it.
>
> From your responses, I'll have to try GnuCash and see. By "automatic",
> ideally that would be when I log into the program I would click a
> designated button locally and all the online accounts I set up with it
> would update and present the information locally. I could live with
> having to go to each account listed in GnuCash and clich a button will
> update them each, one at a time. But if I have to log into each online
> financial account manuallyand download the data locally, then import
> it into GnuCash, that won't work for me.
>
> I've tried to use financial software in past years but they have
> always had some glitch that becomes exasperating and dealing with it
> wrecks my work schedule. I'm just to busy. Lets' see how it goes this
> time.
>
> Thanks again,
> Bret
>  
> On 10/25/2014 3:56 PM, Paula Hendricks wrote:
>> i am not a developer or a hacker. i'm just a user, but as far as i know:
>>
>> 1. No automatic downloads
>> 2. No expiration
>> 3. No sync with xls.
>>
>> i believe you can import/ export (like with csv and maybe xls) some things, but i don't believe there is a complete integration.
>>
>> i used to use quickbooks pro and i am very happy i switched. one of the most important reasons is the elist where you can get real hands on help from not computer literate to programming/ coding.
>>
>> hope this helps...
>> 	
>> 	ph
>>
>> ~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~
>> paula hendricks ~:~ san francisco ~:~ 415.567.2647
>> author ~:~ writer ~:~ photographer ~:~  book designer
>> paulahendricks.com ~:~ cinnabarbridge.com
>>
>>
>>
>> On Oct 25, 2014, at 12:23 PM, Ross Boylan wrote:
>>
>>> I think the responses display a bit of a culture clash between hackers
>>> and ordinary users.  The responses are mostly reasonable for someone
>>> who is computer literate and comfortable playing around with software,
>>> but, I fear, off-putting for a more typical user.  I think this slows
>>> the adoption of free software in general, and gnucash in particular.
>>>
>>> I don't know the answer to the original question #1, but it would be
>>> good if it were easier to answer.  If everyone considering the
>>> software is advised they have to test and test and test, there aren't
>>> going to be a lot of takers.  The 2 responses are also contradictory
>>> about whether automatic operation is possible.
>>>
>>> It's true that the only way to be sure software works as you like is
>>> to try it, but it shouldn't be necessary to get basic answers about
>>> functionality.
>>>
>>> If the issue is that it's hard to know if a particular financial
>>> provider will work, it would be good to maintain info on ones that
>>> work and ones that don't, with dates, gnucash version, and tips, since
>>> both providers and gnucash are moving targets.  I assume there is
>>> some basic info like "works if provider uses OFX" that would at least
>>> make it possible to check with the  provider.
>>>
>>> Ross Boylan
>>>
>>> On Sat, Oct 25, 2014 at 1:56 AM, David Carlson
>>> <david.carlson.417 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> On 10/25/2014 12:05 AM, Liz wrote:
>>>>> On Fri, 24 Oct 2014 15:24:03 -0400
>>>>> RF <RLF_Software at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hello,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I just learned of GnuCash, being an exasperated Quicken Premiere 2014
>>>>>> user and tired of being manipulated by their "sunset" expiration
>>>>>> policy. I have just three main questions before trying GnuCash out:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 1- Will it automatically update/download all my online financial
>>>>>> account information from banks such as Wells Fargo, credit card
>>>>>> accounts, Vanguard accounts and fundsand stocks of interest to follow?
>>>>> No, you will always something that won't.
>>>>> Automatically download most? Yes
>>>>>
>>>>>> 2- If so is this feature free without expiration?
>>>>> This is Free Open Source Software. There is no such thing as
>>>>> "expiration"
>>>>>
>>>>>> 3- Can my existing .xls files be integrated with it such as a sync,
>>>>>> so I can work on them from either end and not have to re-create them
>>>>>> in a GnuCash specific format?
>>>>> Perhaps some more details here would allow someone to answer.
>>>>>
>>>>>> Thank you,
>>>>>> Bret
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
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>>>>>> -----
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>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> gnucash-user mailing list
>>>>> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
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>>>>> -----
>>>>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
>>>>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>>>>>
>>>> Bret,
>>>>
>>>> You need to do your own investigation and testing and testing and more
>>>> testing.  Other users can help with specific details of testing, but we
>>>> do not know whether you will be satisfied with the results.  You used
>>>> the word automatic, GnuCash does nothing automagically.  It is capable
>>>> of doing a lot of tasks well, but manually.
>>>>
>>>> Since we are using the product, you can be confident that it meets our
>>>> needs fairly well, but your needs may differ.
>>>>
>>>> David C
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> gnucash-user mailing list
>>>> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>>>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
>>>> -----
>>>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
>>>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> gnucash-user mailing list
>>> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
>>> -----
>>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
>>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>

If you ask specific questions, it is much more likely that you will get
specific answers.  Regarding the "Direct Connect", I think that you are
referring to the feature that Quicken (at least used to) refer as "one
button download".  GnuCash has incorporated an online banking feature
which is supposed to work in a similar way, but it has been encumbered
by Intuit's fiddling with the authentication method to force users
(actually the financial institutions) to pay their ransom to make it
work.  In my personal experience I tried it a few years ago and found
that it would work with only two of the financial institutions that I
have accounts with, and not very reliably with them, so I do not use
that feature for that purpose.  However, that feature works very nicely
for downloading stock prices, but it must be started manually each time,
so I have to remember to do that at the end of each month(my schedule). 
It is a third party program that GnuCash has little control over.  Maybe
it has changed by now.

I use the "manual" method of using a web browser, logging into each FI's
website at the appropriate time of the month (usually shortly after the
statement closing date), manually downloading an "OFX" file, saving it
to my hard drive and manually importing each of these files one at a
time as I get them.  Tedious, yes, but it works for me.  Yes, I have a
spreadsheet where I check off each month when I download the monthly
statements and save them elsewhere in my hard drive (and back-up). 
Right now there are 36 accounts on that spreadsheet.  OK, that includes
electricity, gas, water, phone, department stores, etc. 

Other GnuCash users probably have their own stories to tell.