I don't want MW to populate memo fields when it merges/matches transactions.
Dave
via web
Rare is the instance I add a memo to one of my checkbook entries. Unfortunately, MW likes to populate that field with things like "Debit PIN purchase" (or other various info it downloads from my bank) when I merge/match transactions in my registry. I then have to edit each transaction to delete the memo text. Call it anal-attentiveness or whatever, but I like my memo fields blank. :D
When merging/matching transactions, why can't I deselect the entries MW has downloaded and select the entries I entered, i.e. the memo-less entries? The result is the same: MW knows these transactions have cleared and will mark them as such.
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Support Staff 2 Posted by Kevin Hoctor on 26 Jan, 2010 07:20 PM
Dave: This is the first time I've heard this request but there may be a way to accomplish this in MoneyWell 1.5. I have to test it still but I think the new Favorites options let you force a blank memo.
If not, I'll add this request to our future feature list.
3 Posted by Tamara on 26 Jan, 2010 07:40 PM
I wonder if that's something particular to the way certain banks provide their download info. I have never seen any kind of memo get put in from any of my banks.
4 Posted by Dave on 26 Jan, 2010 09:02 PM
@Tamara
Example: When I enter a transaction for the grocery store I put only the date, name of grocery store, and amount, vis: 1/20/10, Food Emporium, $29.62. For most of my debit card purchases Citibank has addresses, not names, so instead of "Food Emporium" it'll say "10 Union Square" and the amount and how I paid ("Debit PIN purchase").
When I download transactions using Quicken it, like MW, checks the registry for matches against date and amount, it doesn't care about payee (and I don't think MW does either). However, MW wants to do something with the extraneous info and inserts it into the memo field.
5 Posted by Tamara on 26 Jan, 2010 09:21 PM
MoneyWell should keep your payee if it's matching a transaction you've
entered manually. If it's not keeping your payee info, i'm sure Kevin
is better able to answer that.
I was only curious about the memo because none of the transactions
I've downloaded from any of my banks have ever put anything in the
memo field.
Support Staff 6 Posted by Kevin Hoctor on 26 Jan, 2010 09:48 PM
MoneyWell does store both the payee and memo information that the bank sends but will use the memorized transaction (favorites in 1.5) and aliases to replace the payee if you tell it to. The memo can be replaced as well based on your settings.
7 Posted by mdotbb on 07 Feb, 2010 04:46 AM
I see a setting in 1.5 to append the memo, but is there a setting to not import the memo? I enter transactions manually and use direct download to catch any errors, and setting MoneyWell to download from Bank of America just gave me tons of memos I don't want. All say the location of the charge.
Support Staff 8 Posted by Kevin Hoctor on 07 Feb, 2010 05:59 PM
mdotbb: There's not much call for having less information when importing transactions. I'll add it to our feature request list though.
9 Posted by Lance on 07 Feb, 2010 07:08 PM
One my credit cards also adds useless info to the memo field (some 9 digit number and what looks like the phone number of the merchant).
What I do is create a Favorite (called Memorized Transactions in 1.4) and I check the box for Memo and leave it blank.
This seems to clear out the memo field automatically when I download transactions from that payee in the future.
10 Posted by Dave on 07 Feb, 2010 08:22 PM
@Kevin
If an app like MoneyWell, Quicken, et al, matches a transaction and sees the memo field is already blank then it should not populate it! Then you add the busy work of tabbing to the memo field of each affected transaction and deleting whatever MoneyWell put in there. Quicken doesn't do this, in fact, Quicken leaves alone whatever data exists -- it doesn't rename the payee, it doesn't put unneeded info the memo field, etc. This is not "having less information" when importing/matching transactions.
That being said, I will try Lance's workaround.
11 Posted by mdotbb on 07 Feb, 2010 09:20 PM
Kevin, there's obviously a call for having less information on import when the information coming in is junk.
Support Staff 12 Posted by Kevin Hoctor on 08 Feb, 2010 02:25 AM
mdotbb: Let me correct my comment: Up until this thread, I've not heard people asking for MoneyWell to not import memo details. Thanks.
Dave: If MoneyWell doesn't fill a memo when it's blank, I don't know what criteria would call for it to be filled. ;-) I'll add an option so you can control this.
13 Posted by Dave on 08 Feb, 2010 02:23 PM
@Kevin
But MW does sometimes fill a blank memo field for a transaction it's matched -- I think the app should leave the memo field alone. And something else to consider: It hasn't happened to me (yet), but does MW replace memos for transactions it matches? Let's say I buy a gift using my debit card, and when I add the transaction to MW I write "Gift for Mom" in the memo. Then when I download from Citibank and MW matches that transaction is it going to replace my memo with "Debit PIN purchase" (which, in my case, seems to be the most 'popular' memo MW wants to add to my transactions)?
Sorry for harping on this. :P
Support Staff 14 Posted by Kevin Hoctor on 08 Feb, 2010 02:48 PM
Dave: MoneyWell 1.5 (430) only replaces blank memos (same as in MoneyWell 1.4) and will only append memos when the option is checked on the Duplicates view.
I'm changing it in the next build so that the blank memos are also left alone unless the Append memos during merge option is checked.
15 Posted by Bob McGraw on 13 Feb, 2010 04:44 PM
Dave,
I am like you in that I like the memo field as clean as possible. To me, that means either blank or something I put in because I want that information.
I use the method Lance suggested. I create favorites of those payees I use a lot and I make sure the memo field is checked as part of what is saved for that favorite.
Then, I leave the memo field blank and now, every time MW downloads a transaction from one of my favorite payees, it cleans up the payee name (which is often a mess from the bank) and blanks out the memo field. It does this much better than anything I experienced with Quicken.
Hope that helps.
Support Staff 16 Posted by Kevin Hoctor on 13 Feb, 2010 05:31 PM
Bob & Dave: This functionality has changed in MoneyWell 1.5. It now won't use the memo from the financial institution if you uncheck the Append memos during merge.
17 Posted by Bob McGraw on 13 Feb, 2010 06:17 PM
Hi Kevin,
Where is the Append memos during merge selection? I remember seeing it somewhere during the beta testing but I cannot find it.
Thanks!
Support Staff 18 Posted by Kevin Hoctor on 13 Feb, 2010 07:03 PM
It's on the Duplicates view.
19 Posted by Dave on 13 Feb, 2010 10:29 PM
Nice.
Ash resolved this discussion on 19 Feb, 2010 08:08 PM.