Any way to unlink checking?

Do not think you can do this.

I just tried a test on an old file - created new checking account with intent of moving transactions. The 'Move Transaction' option is not available in a linked checking account. Then tried cut/paste but this did not work either - a transfer transaction from the investment account to the linked checking account still insisted on flowing thru the linked account after pasting to the new checking account.

Curious - why would you want to do this?

Because I've restructured my investment accts, and there's no longer a link between the two accts. I don't wanna lose the checking acct register, would like to simply go forward with the accounts unlinked. Sure seems like there oughta be a way to accomplish that...

Switch to 2005/2006, Create a new checking account, use the multiple copy/paste feature to move all the transactions into the new account and then unlink the account.

Thanks Mike, good idea. Only problem is, unlinking moves all the checking acct transactions to the investment acct, so I'd end up with duplicate transactions. Or maybe I'm missing something?

Not "all" the transactions would be duplicated. Somehow or another, Quicken gets the transfers between the investment account and the checking account correct; the only transactions it doubles up are the deposit and withdrawal type transactions. So you just have to delete those from the linked checking account after you have copied them into the new checking account and before you unlink the checking account from the investment account.

An alternate approach: create a new investment account and transfer your holdings there; then create a new checking account and add a transfer of the current balance of the linked account to the new checking account ... then just leave the old investment account and its linked checking account alone.

Another way that might work:

#5 and #6 could probably be less ambiguously stated. The idea is to replace references to the old accounts in transfer transactions to the new accounts. There could be transfers that do not name the two old accounts and they should be left unchanged.

Both the two alternative approaches should work in Q2004, if they are suitable at all. And the qif file solution will not work in versions later than Q2004.

Thanks John, lots of good stuff to try! I wonder why Q has no option to simply unlink the accounts going forward...

"John Pollard" wrote:

I would only be guessing: a fair amount of work with a significant opportunity for error, and very little demand.

I agree, Steve.

In fact, I don't see why they didn't just make the "link" a "default Transfer To/From" relationship for each Investment account. Breaking or changing the link would then simply involve clearing or changing the "default Transfer To/From" field.

That way you could link *multiple* investment accounts to your regular checking account, if you so chose, rather than using a cash or money market account at each brokerage.

They could have had a *separate* option to force cash transactions into or out of an investment account, perhaps with a date range option.

Maybe I'm missing something - things are often more complicated underneath than they appear on the surface. If so, I hope someone will stomp all over me and enlighten me :-)

Jerry