Using splits (multiple categories) in Recurring Transactions (4 Merged Votes)

Pharoiste

https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/comment/33993#Comment_33993

The Mint shutdown was announced in late 2023; this thread was started in late 2019. The extensive "delay" in implementing this feature cannot reasonably be attributed to whatever influx of users there was from Mint being discontinued. After four years without even any kind of a progress report, the only logical inference to be drawn is that the feature is not under consideration and never has been.

ajbopp

I'm not suggesting it's the highest priority or ever has been. But so many useful feature ideas have dropped into obscurity in an effort to get as many Mint users as possible.

Pharoiste

This isn't some obscure function like ensuring that you can add precious metals to your Roth. Having splits in recurring transactions is fundamental, something that nearly everyone would need or have use for. Also, it's not a question of what priority level Quicken is placing upon this feature. Simplifi users have been asking for this feature for over four years, and Quicken hasn't even said whether they intend to consider it.

"Say, sweetheart… you know, it's been over four years now since I suggested getting married. What do you think?"

"I haven't decided whether it's something I should start thinking about."

"Any idea when you might?"

"No."

ajbopp

I agree entirely, except that the first post in this thread shows that they have decided to start thinking about it.

I am somewhat forgiving of an application that is four years old not having the same functionality of apps that are over a decade old. I would expect that until recently Quicken had no reason to suspect this app would be successful, and probably staffed it accordingly. Not everything can be done right now. Priorities have to be made based on what is believed will make the software most successful at any given time.

Pharoiste

I don't see anyone on the Quicken development team on this thread, only discussion moderators.

In any event, after about five or six months on this app, I can report that I do mostly like it, but there are some features whose absence is pretty peculiar in a personal finance app. This is one of them. I don't know that I'll be abandoning Simplifi altogether, but I have a feeling I might end up using it in parallel with another personal finance app, so that they can each compensate for each others' weaknesses.

RobWilk

https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/comment/34000#Comment_34000

I remember when I first signed up with simplifi (3+ years ago, before it was Quicken Simplifi), I chatted with Quicken Chat Support and they basically told me Simplifi was dead / no longer supported. 3 years later, though, i'm still using it and it appears the user base is growing judging from these forums.

JCS

In our household of 2, I need to set recurring bills and transcations, or entire categories, shared by the 2 with a recurring split, so that each household member can have their up to date report on what they owe without having to enter splits each month.
Examples where this would work:
All transactions with the Utility category.

All transactions with a new category named "streaming services"

All transactions from a specific Payee named "Bank of America"

These can have a tag applied via the split with the payers name, and they can see what they need to deposit into an account that pays our these transactions.

Coach Kristina

Hello @JCS,

Thank you for coming to the Community to share your idea!

There is already an existing request for the ability to split categories:

https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/1884/ability-to-split-categories-in-category-rules-edited

You may also find this feature request interesting:

https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/1542/link-part-of-a-split-transaction-to-a-recurring-bill-edited-1-merged-vote

Thank you!

DannyB

In the interest of keeping this thread and request alive, I'm adding a new comment. If I were still in the workforce and receiving a regular paycheck with itemized deductions, having to manually split out all these deductions every single paycheck… well, that would be a difficult burden to bear and I'd way more than likely simply track net income - which I suspect, if thought about at all in the initial concept and design phase, may have been what was expected. But paycheck deductions can be a complex matter. My wife had multiple deductions and additions that I would want to track - health insurance, life insurance, 401(k) and 457 deductions, occasionally eating at the cafeteria, etc.

Having to manually split those out every (in her case) two weeks would be tedious.

This feature idea is in review and hopefully it's in active review with steps being taken toward implementation.

UrsulaA

https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/comment/35503#Comment_35503

I agree with this. I do not bother to split my paycheck deductions in Simplifi as there are no memorized splits in recurring transactions and doing the splits manually every other week is tedious. I will consider using splits in recurring transactions if this feature request gets implemented.

jamInMSP

This is the most basic capability for money management software. Get with it, Quicken!

Nicki

I agree with everything you guys are saying. This should be a pretty basic functionality. Why is this not being done? I bet almost every user has a paycheck! Not to mention monthly insurance payments that need to be split.

SRC54

I agree with everyone here. Cannot imagine why this is taking so long. Even Social Security is a split transaction; thankfully only 2x. But for paychecks, it is 5-6.

Sobie

+1 for a vote from me.

Quicken Simplifi users Oct 2024

Quick Classic User since Version 6 for Windows. "Designed for Windows 95."

John Rowland

Count me in for split recurring transactions. Having this function seems like a no-brainer. I have monthly insurance payments that cover multiple expense categories. Figuring out workarounds is sure to send people to search for a better product.

JeffH

I, too, am in need of the ability to set split categories in a recurring transaction (both income and expense). Surprised this feature does not exist.

jimt

I don't see a way to add my vote for this, so consider this my vote! I'm a previous Quicken Desktop user and also used gnuCash and Mint. All of these were able to handle recurring splits much better than Simplifi. Should be table stakes in the personal finance software game. (Edit - figured out how to add a vote from the list of Feature Requests.)

mnwaterskiier

If Quicken gives a projected balance(upcoming bills and earnings), how can this be accurate if we can't split an upcoming paycheck? I don't see why we can't split an upcoming recurring transaction. When everyone gets a paycheck, there are always deductions. If there is no way of splitting the paycheck deposit until the transaction is complete, this projection gives a false sense of earnings. When you enter the gross earnings but cannot deduct the taxes, health insurance, retirement contributions, etc. I would think this would be a simple but very effective fix. Thank you for considering.

Flopbot

@mnwaterskiier ,

I’m not as concerned with breaking out my paycheck so I just track what portion of the paycheck I can spend, what shows up in my checking account. This method works well with the Projected Balance. I understand that it’s not for everyone and voted above because I want this for tracking insurance.