I strongly -- but respectfully -- disagree. Gnucash works *brilliantly* for a sub-accounting use case with a single bank account at a financial institution comprised of multiple sub-accounts.
For example, until my children were old enough/mature enough to have their own savings accounts at our bank, I held all of their individual savings, plus my own in a single account at the bank to take advantage of higher interest rates for higher balances. Like this: Savings Account 1234 (Placeholder because I didn't want transactions accidentally ending up here. Everything needs to be in a sub-account for my own piece of mind) --> Main Savings --> Child A Savings --> Child B Savings --> Child C Savings --> Vacation --> Capital Improvement --> etc. (other special purpose accounts) I can always immediately tell, within Gnucash, what is due each child or what their available balance is. When reconciling to the bank statement, I can select the representation of the bank account (Savings Account 1234), then click Actions -> Reconcile, enter the ending balance from the statement, click Include sub-accounts, and away I go. The reconcile window allows me to select any unreconciled transaction from any of the sub-accounts and reconcile back to the statement balance. Internal transfers between sub-accounts are not on the bank statement, obviously, but can also be reconciled in the Reconcile window as they will definitionally net to 0.00. I can also allocate interest amongst the various sub-accounts with a single credit to an Interest Income account and a debit to each sub-account. The only place where this system breaks down is importing an OFX file as the transaction importer doesn't understand matching transactions to sub accounts. For me, this is a small, small price to pay for all the other advantages I cited above. I also employ this system for credit cards where certain transactions are subject to a promotional interest rate, or I want to keep vacation transactions separate. A single payment to the credit card issuer can be allocated to each sub-account. Balances can be compared to the promotional balances on the statement. Robin On Tue, Oct 11, 2022 at 9:11 AM John Layman <john.lay...@laymanandlayman.com> wrote: > Reconcile appears in the menu, but it will not open a reconciliation of > the subordinates, and (presumably) the placeholder account itself is > empty. You can expand the subordinates, but will not be able to reconcile > the expansion. > > What you are attempting to do is understandable, but difficult from a data > modelling standpoint. The constituent parts of a data structure have > semantics. In your particular case: that of a checking account. But you > are attempting to superimpose a breakdown of its contents that represent > different semantics. These semantics clash somewhat with the semantics of > 'checking account' and the related function of reconciliation required with > a bank statement. So, while what you are attempting to accomplish is > understandable, the collision of semantics is difficult to harmonize. > > There was recent mention of envelope budgeting here. Trying to implement > an envelope budgeting scheme by using sub-accounts to a single checking > account might be doable, but it would be a kluge insofar as it would > complicate reconciliation and wouldn't represent a generally suitable > envelope budget feature. An envelope budgeting feature would necessarily > span multiple financial accounts, potentially across multiple institutions, > and require an entirely different view to be superimposed on the simple > tree structure accounts in GnuCash represent. The tree structure is > GnuCash is tremendously flexible, but doesn't provide for multiple views. > > -----Original Message----- > From: gnucash-user <gnucash-user-bounces+john.layman=ieee....@gnucash.org> > On Behalf Of Robin Chattopadhyay > Sent: Monday, October 10, 2022 5:05 PM > To: Gnucash Users <gnucash-user@gnucash.org> > Subject: Re: [GNC] Problem with missing balance in a parent account > **FINAL POST** > > At the risk of sounding defensive (I assure you I'm not, just confused) > what is wrong with what I suggested (using the right-click/context menu on > the placeholder account)? In the screen shot attached, you can see that the > account I've selected is marked as placeholder and I can select the > Reconcile option from that account. > > I'm using 4.12 on Ubuntu 22.04. > > Robin > > On Mon, Oct 10, 2022 at 8:21 AM john <jra...@ceridwen.us> wrote: > > > Please remember to copy the list on all replies. > > > > If you want the Reconcile button (and, contrary to what Robin > > Chatterjay wrote, Actions>Reconcile) to be active for your account, > > make it not a placeholder. > > > > Regards, > > John Ralls > > > > > > > On Oct 10, 2022, at 7:56 AM, Jay Ridgley <jridgl...@austin.rr.com> > > wrote: > > > > > > Good morning, > > > > > > After some additional research I believe that the ONLY problem is > > > the > > grayed out reconcile button. > > > > > > I was confused about the balance showing in the Parent Account, > > Placeholder. It shows in the Reconcile Popup window. > > > > > > The ACTUAL trouble is the grayed out Reconcile Button, that first > > appeared for me in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS after the upgrade. > > > > > > Since I have found the workaround below, it is a matter of > > inconvenience. However it would be preferable to have it as it was in > > earlier releases (not grayed out). > > > > > > Regards > > > Jay > > > > > > On 10/9/22 15:49, Jay Ridgley wrote: > > >> Good afternoon, > > >> Up until Ubuntu 22.04 The reconcile button was NOT grayed out for > > >> the > > type of account I am using (Parent account and Placeholder). I am > > including an example of my account structure here: > > >> Banking Account (Parent Account, Placeholder) > > >> Checkbook (sub-account)(contains all checkbook transactions) > > >> Reserve (sub-account) (contains minimum account balance) > > >> Separate Purpose (sub account) (rental income & expenses) > > >> Checkbook Blind (sub-account) (amount held as a pad) All > > >> transactions take place in the sub-accounts. For me it has worked > > successfully since I began using GnuCash (over 25 years ago). > > >> I was advised of a workaround that allows me to continue using this > > arrangement until it can be fixed/changed to act as it did previously. > > >> It is as follows: > > >> Open Parent account > > >> right click and choose reconcile from the drop down Works just > > >> fine. > > >> Would not be necessary if the Reconcile button was not grayed out. > > >> My question boils down too: Is this change a bug or a "feature" and > > >> can > > it be put back the way it was? > > >> Please advise how I should proceed. > > >> Thanks, > > >> Jay > > >> On 10/8/22 07:50, David T. wrote: > > >>> That account register doesn't have any transactions in it, so it > > >>> won't > > have any value either. Is it possible that in the past, you used a > > report to see the parent account balances, or even the Chart of Accounts? > > >>> > > >>> And if the account in the screen shot is a placeholder account, > > >>> then > > you a) wouldn't be able to open the account by double clicking, b) be > > told on selecting Open that it was read only, and c) once opened, the > > entire register would be greyed out. The screen shot seems to show a > > normal account. It also shows a similarly-named tab next to the active > tab. > > >>> > > >>> David T. > > >>> On Oct 8, 2022, at 1:51 PM, Jay Ridgley <jridgl...@austin.rr.com > > <mailto:jridgl...@austin.rr.com>> wrote: > > >>> > > >>> On 10/7/22 16:38, john wrote: > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> On Oct 7, 2022, at 12:43 PM, Jay Ridgley > > >>> <jridgl...@austin.rr.com> wrote: > > >>> > > >>> Good Morning, > > >>> > > >>> BRAND NEW to the list, have been using GnuCash on my > Ubuntu > > >>> system for over 20 years, this is the first problem I > have > > >>> encountered that I have not been able to resolve. > > >>> > > >>> I discovered that the balance amount that should > > >>> appear in > > a > > >>> the parent account for my bank is missing. Therefore I am > > >>> unable to do this month's reconcile. > > >>> > > >>> The account was proper last month, and I was able to > > balance > > >>> my checkbook successfully. In the meantime I upgraded to > > >>> Ubuntu 22.04 LTS from 20.04 LTS every thing seems to > > running > > >>> properly, otherwise, including GnuCash. > > >>> > > >>> Today when I tried to reconcile my bank account I > > discovered > > >>> the amount of the balance is missing and the reconcile > > >>> button is grayed out(naturally since nothing shows). > > >>> > > >>> All the sub accounts point to the parent account and > when I > > >>> list my accounts the balance appears there and is > correct. > > >>> > > >>> What happened and how can I get it back? > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> Can you attach (don't inline!) a screenshot of the problem? > > It's > > >>> not clear from your description what balance is missing > > >>> and > > what > > >>> button is disabled. > > >>> > > >>> Regards, > > >>> John Ralls > > >>> > > >>> John, > > >>> > > >>> Sorry it took so long... > > >>> The account shown is the parent and the Balance should NOT be > > blank, but > > >>> the sum of 4 account balances. > > >>> > > >>> Thanks, > > >>> Jay > > >>> > > > > > > -- > > > Jay Ridgley > > > jridgley2 at austin.rr.com > > > Registered Linux User ID - 9115 > > > https://linuxcounter.net/cert/9115.png > > > Registered Ubuntu User ID - 23320 > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > gnucash-user mailing list > > gnucash-user@gnucash.org > > To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: > > 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@gnucash.org To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user ----- Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. 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