Comments for BudgetTracker Weblog http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog Get financial tips, tricks, and site walk-throughs here on our weblog. This weblog is based around the BudgetTracker site which provides Money Management online for free. Sat, 19 Jun 2010 12:47:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on Why Long-Term CDs are Great for an Emergency Fund by Michael Philips http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=254&cpage=1#comment-2638 Michael Philips Sat, 19 Jun 2010 12:47:33 +0000 http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=254#comment-2638 Excellent! Goes to show you what some creative thinking can do. I always tended to disagree with the way they teach it to you! You just confirmed why. Thank You. Excellent! Goes to show you what some creative thinking can do. I always tended to disagree with the way they teach it to you! You just confirmed why. Thank You.

]]> Comment on Making money off 0% interest credit cards by Ken Hess http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=28&cpage=1#comment-2317 Ken Hess Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:49:52 +0000 http://blog.budgettracker.com/wp/bt/?p=28#comment-2317 Now THAT is a really cool idea! :) Another thing you can do is pay down a high interest card using a zero interest card. This allows you to negate the high interest card then make a few zero interest payments throughout the grace period. Just be certain you know in advance what the rate on the card is after the grace period ends, or you could go from one pit of despair to another. Here's a link to a page that explains it better than I do. http://hubpages.com/hub/0-interest-credit-cards-Are-They-For-You Now THAT is a really cool idea! :)

Another thing you can do is pay down a high interest card using a zero interest card. This allows you to negate the high interest card then make a few zero interest payments throughout the grace period. Just be certain you know in advance what the rate on the card is after the grace period ends, or you could go from one pit of despair to another.

Here’s a link to a page that explains it better than I do.

http://hubpages.com/hub/0-interest-credit-cards-Are-They-For-You

]]> Comment on Importing Payee Rules by Kyle http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=144&cpage=1#comment-2031 Kyle Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:34:28 +0000 http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=144#comment-2031 Thanks for the feedback. We'll look into adding the rules to the import page as well. For Csv files, you need to click the csv button at the top of the qif import page. If the qif file has errors, please email the file to service@BudgetTracker.com and we'll investigate the errors. For reporting graphs, this is a subscription feature,we'll look into providing a free version (possibly the data without the graphs) instead. Thanks for the feedback. We’ll look into adding the rules to the import page as well. For Csv files, you need to click the csv button at the top of the qif import page. If the qif file has errors, please email the file to service@BudgetTracker.com and we’ll investigate the errors.
For reporting graphs, this is a subscription feature,we’ll look into providing a free version (possibly the data without the graphs) instead.

]]> Comment on Importing Payee Rules by td http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=144&cpage=1#comment-2020 td Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:15:39 +0000 http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=144#comment-2020 Kyle, Interestingly the QIF file that I download from my bank doesn't import to the application. An error is displayed "Not all Transactions were saved due to a error. Please verify all fields have a valid date. If you find this in error, please email service@budgettracker.com and attach a sample row of the data being imported." I tried a CSV file but the Importer states that I must choose a QIF. So, I tried an OFX and it imported correctly. A few thoughts: It would be nice (how many times have you heard that phrase!) if I could create a payee rule on the import view OR within the transactions register, rather than needing to leave that view to go to the Payee screen. It would also be nice to be able to do inline editing of transactions rather than needing to press "edit", which goes to a separate screen, make changes, save, then return to the transaction register. I've been using Quicken (on the PC, not online) and the style of data entry (importing, editing, rule generations, memorized payees, etc.) is all on the same screen making it quick and easy. In terms of the trial version: The reports only show a "demo", not a report with actual data from my transactions, categories, etc. I'd like to see real data. thanks, tom. Kyle,

Interestingly the QIF file that I download from my bank doesn’t import to the application. An error is displayed “Not all Transactions were saved due to a error. Please verify all fields have a valid date. If you find this in error, please email service@budgettracker.com and attach a sample row of the data being imported.” I tried a CSV file but the Importer states that I must choose a QIF.

So, I tried an OFX and it imported correctly.

A few thoughts: It would be nice (how many times have you heard that phrase!) if I could create a payee rule on the import view OR within the transactions register, rather than needing to leave that view to go to the Payee screen. It would also be nice to be able to do inline editing of transactions rather than needing to press “edit”, which goes to a separate screen, make changes, save, then return to the transaction register. I’ve been using Quicken (on the PC, not online) and the style of data entry (importing, editing, rule generations, memorized payees, etc.) is all on the same screen making it quick and easy.

In terms of the trial version: The reports only show a “demo”, not a report with actual data from my transactions, categories, etc. I’d like to see real data.

thanks,
tom.

]]> Comment on Importing Payee Rules by Kyle http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=144&cpage=1#comment-2005 Kyle Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:55:00 +0000 http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=144#comment-2005 When you're on the Finance Tab, click the More... link and you should see Payees. The Import QIF allows you to import up to 5 transactions to try it out. We've also added in CSV Import to allow 5 transactions as well now. The Rules for importing transactions are at the top of the Payees page. When you select a category next to one of your payees, it will automatically be the selected category when imported into the system. Yes, for split transactions you can assign multiple categories. To split a transaction, select the category drop-down when entering a new transaction and choose Split from the bottom of the list. When you’re on the Finance Tab, click the More… link and you should see Payees. The Import QIF allows you to import up to 5 transactions to try it out. We’ve also added in CSV Import to allow 5 transactions as well now. The Rules for importing transactions are at the top of the Payees page. When you select a category next to one of your payees, it will automatically be the selected category when imported into the system.
Yes, for split transactions you can assign multiple categories. To split a transaction, select the category drop-down when entering a new transaction and choose Split from the bottom of the list.

]]> Comment on Automatic Transactions Have Arrived by Kyle http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=126&cpage=1#comment-2004 Kyle Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:39:18 +0000 http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=126#comment-2004 AutoSync is not longer supported. Alternatively you can import your bank statements by gong to My Transactions and choosing the Import button at the top of the page. AutoSync is not longer supported. Alternatively you can import your bank statements by gong to My Transactions and choosing the Import button at the top of the page.

]]> Comment on Importing Payee Rules by td http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=144&cpage=1#comment-2003 td Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:21:02 +0000 http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=144#comment-2003 Where is the Payee page? I'm using the trial version, which is so crippled that I can't get the feel of how this will work, and one of the key features that I must have is the ability to download directly or import data from bank files (i.e. qif in this case). The limited version does not allow you to actually import any transactions; it just shows a demo screen of the import. Your post indicates that there is such a thing as a Payee Rule table and I want to see it in action. What I want to know is if this is built into the import function, i.e. I have some funky payee string and want to change it to a real name and assign a category. Can I do that right then and there? Or do I need to import the transactions, then walk through the register doing them 1 by 1? Related: I assume that I can split a transaction between multiple categories. Is this intuitive within the register? Again, I can't see this in the trial as I cannot import any data. Thanks. Where is the Payee page? I’m using the trial version, which is so crippled that I can’t get the feel of how this will work, and one of the key features that I must have is the ability to download directly or import data from bank files (i.e. qif in this case). The limited version does not allow you to actually import any transactions; it just shows a demo screen of the import. Your post indicates that there is such a thing as a Payee Rule table and I want to see it in action. What I want to know is if this is built into the import function, i.e. I have some funky payee string and want to change it to a real name and assign a category. Can I do that right then and there? Or do I need to import the transactions, then walk through the register doing them 1 by 1?

Related: I assume that I can split a transaction between multiple categories. Is this intuitive within the register? Again, I can’t see this in the trial as I cannot import any data.
Thanks.

]]> Comment on Automatic Transactions Have Arrived by Tom http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=126&cpage=1#comment-2002 Tom Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:17:12 +0000 http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=126#comment-2002 I have a Chase bank account. I would like to automatically import transactions from my bank. How do I go about this, and is Chase supported? I have a Chase bank account. I would like to automatically import transactions from my bank. How do I go about this, and is Chase supported?

]]> Comment on Automatic Transactions Have Arrived by Kyle http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=126&cpage=1#comment-1419 Kyle Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:37:20 +0000 http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=126#comment-1419 Yes PNC Bank is accepted. We're not sure however if Virtual Wallet has different login requirements but you can try it out for free if you like. Yes PNC Bank is accepted. We’re not sure however if Virtual Wallet has different login requirements but you can try it out for free if you like.

]]> Comment on Automatic Transactions Have Arrived by Carl http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=126&cpage=1#comment-1418 Carl Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:15:43 +0000 http://blog.budgettracker.com/blog/?p=126#comment-1418 I currently have a PNC Virtual Wallet account, and have been unable to sync my transactions with other personal finance sites. Do you know if you support the PNC Virtual Wallet accounts? I currently have a PNC Virtual Wallet account, and have been unable to sync my transactions with other personal finance sites. Do you know if you support the PNC Virtual Wallet accounts?

]]>