Projected Cash Flow graph should include Savings Goals (edited)

tobyN

When looking at the Transactions page for my checking account, the Projected Cash Flow graph at the top shows the check account balance that includes any amounts that are in savings goals associated with that account. There should be an option to see the Projected Cash Flow graph excluding Savings Goals. Savings Goals are supposed to be allocated to some goal and are not considered "available" in the parent account. When looking at that graph, I am interested in the projected balance of my "available" cash in the account, not the total amount including goals.

While you are at it, why not put a "Balance" column on the transaction list so that I can see how the balance is changing as I scan through the transactions. Maybe that column needs to be hidden when using filtering of the transactions, but would be very helpful when just reviewing your register for an account (again, this should be the "available" balance, not the overall balance including savings goals).

Without at least one of these items, it is really hard to track what you have actually available to spend (without constantly doing the Savings Goal subtraction in you head as you are looking).

Maybe this has already been discussed, so sorry if this is a repeat.

Flopbot

@tobynewlin ,

Try adjusting this ignore setting when editing your Savings Goal and see it it works more like you’d expect.

tobyN

No, thanks, but changing that setting does not seem to affect how the values are shown on the Projected Cash Flow graph on the Transactions screen (shown when you have selected on a particular checking, or other, account). BTW, I think this graph is only shown in the web version of Simplifi. The mobile version only shows Projected Cash Flow as a list instead of the graph that is shown in the web version.

On that screen, for my Checking account that is shown under "Cash & Checking" on the account list, there are three things listed: Checking, Savings Goal, and Available Balance. When I click on "Checking" or "Available Balance", the Projected Cash Flow graph shows the same exact graph. For Available Balance, the Projected Cash Flow should instead show the graph with Savings Goals excluded from the amounts. It would be the same graph, but each point on the graph would be reduced by the current amount of the Savings Goal.

Now, if they ever start treating Savings Goals like regular accounts with their own transaction list and the ability to schedule transfers to the Savings Goals, then the Available Balance graph would also be able to show the reductions as goal amounts are planned for transfer in the future.

The same would apply to the mobile version when looking at the "See projected cash flow" option on the account transactions list. That mobile screen has an "Amount & projected balance" for each of the Reminder rows, but these amounts should show the "available" amounts when viewing this for the "Available" choice for the account. Currently, the amounts shown do not subtract Savings Goals that are already allocated from the total account balance.

RobWilk

The projected cash flow graph -does not- show savings goal contributions in my experience, unless this is new. Only the spending plan reflected the savings goals.

Edit: If you have transfers they have an effect on the balance of that account, so they will be shown.

tobyN

Right, that is what I am saying…. It is not showing savings goal contributions.

So, if I have $15,000 in my checking account, but $10,000 is allocated to Savings Goals, I think the Projected Cash Flow graph should show that I have $5,000 going forward in my cash flow (at least when I am clicked on the Available Balance item in the account list. When I look at it now, the graph is showing $15,000 going forward. If I spent down to zero according to my Projected Cash Flow graph, I would be spending everything that is in my Savings Goal. I want to see the graph approaching zero as I spend based on available cash, not total.

RobWilk

There would probably need to be two lines, one for actual balance, one based on savings goals. It would get kind of messy i imagine.

I personally would only contribute to a savings goal from a savings account; which prevents needing to know about cash flow as there aren't many scheduled withdrawals from savings on the cash flow chart in my case.

But that's me, i'm not going to tell you you can't do it your way.

tobyN

Thanks for the comments. Yes, I can see how it might be less of an issue if the Savings Goals are hanging off of a savings account instead of a main cash flow checking account. But in at least a couple of cases, I use Savings Goals more of a "pocket" for short term holds than a savings goal for a big ticket item. In fact, I use one savings goal as a personal "overdraft buffer' for my checking account.

I agree that 2 lines on the graph is a not a good solution. I would rather have a toggle or something on the graph to say whether or not to exclude savings goals from the graph. Or as I mentioned before, show the full balance in the graph when you are picking on the checking account and only the available amounts if you are picking on the "Available Balance" item. Quicken Classic does something like that with their savings goals. In the account register, you can choose from a menu to hide or show savings goals and the balances shown adjust themselves accordingly.

ajbopp

"There would probably need to be two lines, one for actual balance, one based on savings goals. It would get kind of messy i imagine."

Assuming the lines are different colors, i can't imagine it would be all that messy (in fact, that's what I do in my spreadsheet to keep track of Savings Goals). Plus, you can adjust which accounts are shown in the graph.

What got messy in my experience was doing it the way that works best for you - contributing only from a savings account. I found the constant shifting of money from account to account and back again got really confusing and made for a complex account register.

But I am a bear of very little brain and easily confused.

ajbopp

@tobynewlin You might want to add your vote here:

https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/1380/savings-goal-contributions-should-reflect-on-projected-cash-flow-graph-2-merged-vote

As for your "running balance" suggestion, here's an excellent post explaining why that's an idea that sounds better in theory than it would turn out to be in practice, which is why the product team is not considering it (a decision I fully support):

https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/19/running-balance-column-edited-3-merged-votes

tobyN

@ajbopp Thanks, I have added my up vote to the post that you mentioned. I did not run across that post in my searches, else I might not have needed to add this one. I actually would prefer a single line graph with a way to choose which you want to see. I am rarely interested in seeing the projected balance that includes the amounts allocated to savings goals. I am usually only interested in seeing it based on the "available" amounts, which allows me to monitor when I may be getting close to theoretical zero.

I can see their point about the running balance column, I guess. That was really only useful to me in Quicken to monitor the balances for transactions I entered in the future. And since Simplifi does not show future planned transactions in the transaction list, I guess the usefulness of a running balance column would be limited. All the more reason to have the Projected Cash Flow graph to show me only what is "available". I need some way to monitor if I am approaching zero in my available, non savings goal, funds.

Speaking of zero, I wish they would allow negative "available" balances when entering transactions or transferring to savings goals (or just in general as long as you have savings goals available to back it up). As I mentioned, I would like to have an "overdraft buffer" savings goal against my checking account. Occasionally, the available amount might dip below zero depending on how transactions come in, but then will catch back up with the next income event. I think I saw a couple of mentions of this elsewhere, but don't know if it is something they are considering or not. For now, I just have to treat $1000 as my zero balance and monitor where my balance is relative to that number.

ajbopp

@tobynewlin I had the same need for a buffer as you mention. My workaround was to create a SG called "Minimum Checking Balance" that I set for $2000, and only withdraw ("for another purpose") from this when my available balance goes below 0 (and contribute it back at the next income event). It is easy enough to monitor my actual vs available balance in the Account List, and not enormously difficult to eyeball when available is going to go low in the Cash Flow Report (just subtract $2000 from whater it says my checking balance is going to be on any given day).