Trial Balance Report with Investment Transactions

Sat Feb 11 05:46:57 EST 2017

I hear what all of what is being said, but let me add this from the novice side of the picture. I have been using GnuCash since January of 2013 and because it incorporated the whole spectrum of accounting along with a nice tutorial that would help someone like myself, I chose to learn from it and put in all of my data. When an update appears, I download it and use it. 

Up until this last down load version, everything balanced out including my investment data. It didn't matter if I bought or sold my stocks, it all balanced out with the Trial Balance Report. If also agreed with my stock brokers monthly report. 

In order to get back to where I could use the program with some real assurance that it was working correctly, I uninstalled the latest version of GnuCash and reinstalled an earlier version. 

It all works now with the earlier version and I am a happy camper. I do appreciate all of the help that has been given to me and trust it will continue to be there in the future. 

Thanks 

Richard 
⁣Sent from BlueMail 

On Feb 11, 2017, 4:10 AM, at 4:10 AM, "David T." <sunfish62 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>Chris,
>
>I took a look at what you had to say on the bug, and I have to say, I
>strongly disagree with your assessment of the problem.
>
>The trial balance report is wrong when using a standard method of
>documenting commodity sales. When I receive a statement from my
>brokerage house, it lists these fees and commissions separately. It is
>perfectly normal to expect that entering a stock sale with commissions
>and fees documented would result in an accurate gain record on the
>GnuCash reports.
>
>It is absurd to say that the TB report works perfectly well when using
>the GnuCash-approved method of accounting (which eliminates user
>ability to document how their money is spent, BTW). 
>
>The only place I have heard "Gross pricing" used for calculating
>commodity sales information is in the GnuCash lists themselves.
>Everywhere else I look indicates accounting that includes documenting
>these transactions. The GnuCash way requires the GnuCash user to enter
>into a GnuCash fantasyland where the stock they are selling has a
>GnuCash value that incorporates fees and commissions. Explain to me how
>that is right.
>
>If a GnuCash user chooses to enter their fees and commissions into
>their data file accurately, and to enter their gains transactions
>manually accurately, then the GnuCash Trial Balance report DAMN WELL
>needs to report that information correctly—or the report shouldn’t be
>included in the application. 
>
>David
>
>> On Feb 11, 2017, at 1:48 PM, David T. via gnucash-user
><gnucash-user at gnucash.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Chris,
>> 
>> The bug does include a sample file that demonstrates the problem.
>> 
>> David
>> 
>>> On Feb 11, 2017, at 1:40 PM, Chris Good <chris.good at ozemail.com.au>
>wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi Richard, Mike (Churchil) + Pam (hppweu),
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Bug 778455 https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=778455 has
>been raised for the investment Trial Balance problems in 2.6.15.
>>> 
>>> Unfortunately, we have yet to receive an example GnuCash data file
>that shows this problem and without it, it is unlikely this problem
>will be solved.
>>> 
>>> If you could provide a small test, depersonalised data file, showing
>the problem, it would be a great help.
>>> 
>>> If that is too much work, but you would be prepared to share your
>real data file with just me or one of the developers, please email it
>directly without copying gnucash-user or share it some other way.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Regards, Chris Good
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> From: Richard Lindgren [mailto:rlindgren74 at gmail.com] 
>>> Sent: Saturday, 4 February 2017 8:57 PM
>>> To: Chris Good <chris.good at ozemail.com.au>
>>> Cc: gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>>> Subject: Re: Trial Balance Report with Investment Transactions
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Chris
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> First off, thank you for getting back to me. This all started when I
>decided to run a Trial Balance on my program. I had not done this in a
>few years...don't ask me why. It always balanced before but now it was
>off. I am currently running GnuCash 2.6.15. This copy was built from
>git rev 1ef17e6+ on 2016-12-17.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> You have given me many questions to answer, and some of these terms
>I'm really not even familiar with. So I will try to give you answers to
>your questions.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 1 - Have you followed the suggestions in the GnuCash Tutorial and
>Concepts
>>> 
>>> Guide,
>>> 
>>>  
>>> 
>>> Part II.
>>> 
>>>  I set my investments using the "
>>> 
>>> GnuCash Tutorial and Concepts
>>> 
>>>  Guide
>>> 
>>> ,
>>> 
>>> " I'm not aware of the Part II version, only the version with
>GnuCash 2.6.15. In fact, I have copied this and refer to it regularly.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 2 - 
>>> 
>>> Managing Personal Finances, Ch 9 Investments, Selling Shares,
>>> 
>>>  
>>> 
>>> Automatic Calculation of Capital Gain or Loss Using Lots, Run a
>Trial
>>> 
>>> Balance, Tip
>>> 
>>>  
>>> 
>>> to try to determine exactly which sale transaction(s) make the Trial
>Balance
>>> 
>>>  
>>> 
>>> go out of balance?
>>> 
>>>  Yes I have read this and have my program to automatically update
>my portfolio. I go to tools, price editor, get quotes and then I close
>the screen, go to my portfolio and run an update. My values are then
>all changed according the the results of the new quotes received. Yes
>I am able to make the trial balance go out of balance.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 3 - Have you used scrubbing to create capital gain transactions or
>have you
>>> manually entered them? I really am not familiar with the term
>scrubbing to create capital gain transactions. I have in the past
>entered all of the investment transaction manually.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 4 - 
>>> 
>>> If you are using scrubbing, have you ensured you have complied with
>all the
>>> 
>>> points in the following "Considerations" paragraph?
>>> 
>>>  I guess this is something that I don't use do to my not being
>familiar with scrubbing. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 5 - 
>>> 
>>> Are you using multiple currencies or trading accounts?
>>> 
>>>  I am only using the American dollar.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I have attached a shot of one of my DRIP mutual fund investment
>transactions for 12/16/16 that I have manually entered in . You will
>also see that I had to manually enter in an account adjustment to force
>the Trial Balance to balance out. Could my values be changing due to
>the change in stock market pricing? My amount of stocks owned seems to
>always be there and my portfolio values seem to be be true as compared
>to my Scottrade positions. However my Trial Balance does not agree....?
>Every time a have a dividend reinvestment now or I sell a share, I have
>to enter a correction  so the Trial Balance will come out okay. Weird -
>to say the least!
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> The view below shows where I entered a dividend reinvestment and my
>Trial Balance does not balance out. Have I entered something wrong?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Any help here will certainly be appreciated.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Thank you in advance for your help.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Richard
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Fri, Feb 3, 2017 at 8:01 PM, Chris Good
><chris.good at ozemail.com.au <mailto:chris.good at ozemail.com.au> > wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Message: 5
>>>> Date: Thu, 02 Feb 2017 13:07:10 -0500
>>>> From: Richard Lindgren <rlindgren74 at gmail.com
><mailto:rlindgren74 at gmail.com> >
>>>> To: gnucash-user at gnucash.org <mailto:gnucash-user at gnucash.org> 
>>>> Cc: gnucash-user at gnucash.org <mailto:gnucash-user at gnucash.org> 
>>>> Subject: Trial Balance Report with Investment Transactions
>>>> Message-ID: <28cd077c-e8f3-4b53-80a0-5bb71474cab0 at typeapp.com
><mailto:28cd077c-e8f3-4b53-80a0-5bb71474cab0 at typeapp.com> >
>>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Hi,
>>>> 
>>>> Richard Lindgren <rlindgren74 at gmail.com
><mailto:rlindgren74 at gmail.com> > writes:
>>>> 
>>>> I have a problem with the Trial Balance report relative to
>incorporating
>>> my
>>>> investments. My regular accounting portion seems to be okay, but
>when it
>>>> comes to using the Trial Balance with my investment transactions
>there is
>>>> always a discrepancy!
>>>> 
>>>> It doesn't seem to matter whether it is a Drip fund account a
>purchase or
>>> sell
>>>> transaction. It keeps track of the number of shares okay, but when
>it
>>> comes
>>>> to the actual dollars...it's wrong. I'm not saying that the gnucash
>>> program is
>>>> inaccurate, I'm saying I am EXTREMELY frustrated and can not figure
>what
>>> I'm
>>>> doing wrong. Maybe I have set up the various accounts wrong! I need
>help
>>>> here before I switch to something else.
>>>> 
>>>> Please help me?
>>>> 
>>>> Thank you in advance for your help in this matter, as it is VERY
>important
>>> to
>>>> me.
>>>> 
>>>> Richard Lindgren
>>> 
>>> Hi Richard,
>>> 
>>> Have you followed the suggestions in the GnuCash Tutorial and
>Concepts
>>> Guide,
>>> Part II. Managing Personal Finances, Ch 9 Investments, Selling
>Shares,
>>> Automatic Calculation of Capital Gain or Loss Using Lots, Run a
>Trial
>>> Balance, Tip
>>> to try to determine exactly which sale transaction(s) make the Trial
>Balance
>>> go out of balance?
>>> 
>>> You need to give us something to work with to help you.
>>> If you identify a particular sale/capital gain that first causes the
>trial
>>> balance problem, and you cannot figure out why,
>>> please provide all the costs for all buys and sells up to and
>including the
>>> sale, and the sale and capital gain transaction info,
>>> so we can check if you or GnuCash is doing something wrong.
>>> 
>>> It would be even better if you could provide a test (depersonalised)
>GnuCash
>>> file which shows the problem so there are no misunderstandings.
>>> 
>>> Have you used scrubbing to create capital gain transactions or have
>you
>>> manually entered them?
>>> If you are using scrubbing, have you ensured you have complied with
>all the
>>> points in the following "Considerations" paragraph?
>>> Are you using multiple currencies or trading accounts?
>>> 
>>> Regards, Chris Good
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>
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