Quicken Inhancement Requests

While the idea of having access to ones check images is a great one, I think the suggestion needs to be directed to the financial institutions.

Without their support, the whole idea becomes moot.

Notan

They absolutely would!

My point was, without the banks making the information available to Intuit, Intuit wouldn't be able to make it available to its customers.

I just received a copy of a check that I wrote, via snail mail... When I asked if the bank could just e-mail, or fax, it to me, they stated that they had no way of doing this... And this is one of the *big* FIs.

Notan

Wells Fargo online banking provides check images.

Plus many of the FIs only keep data online for 30-90 days. How would you deal with check images from a prior year under this scenerio?

The ability to *request* images, or the images, themselves?

Notan

You can view the check image online from Wells Fargo bank.

With the onset of "Check 21", I believe you'll see the FI's keeping images a WHOLE LOT longer. Making them available is the logical next step for the FI's, but not one I'll be taking with them.

With my Q data, I already know who I made the check out to. Why on GGE would I need a picture of the d* thing? And probably only the front, at that! I already know what my checks and my handwriting look like. I haven't gotten back my checks for many years -- didn't need them -- and I have never SIGNED UP to receive images (1 FI sends them unsolicited).

I consider used checks to be somewhat like attorneys. Useful on the rare occasion that you actually need one, but GOOD GRIEF don't make me live with them all the time.

BTW, I'm a financial systems consultant. When I was a Wells Fargo employee, I designed/built the internal "money-mover" system that Wells used from 1981 until a couple of years ago. 9 million checks/documents an HOUR thru-put. And, yes, I do know SCI.

"Notan" wrote

(snip)

BankOne (or Chase, or whatever they call themselves now) has check images available via web or email.

I would be thrilled to get this feature. Citibank has been offering images online for a while, but you have to download each image individually. I pay very few checks by hand, but I still have to download these images as PDF's and import them into the PDF of my monthly statements (I no longer get paper statements). The ability to link the check record in Quicken to the PDF would also be excellent. How does one go about requesting additional features? Do they really pay attention to such requests?

Here's a different scenerio: I am tracking my mother's expenses primarily for tax purposes. I don't write the checks most of the time so I don't know who they are written out to. I rely on the check image for that info. 99% of the time I only need the front of the check. There have been a few cases where I needed to see the back of the check to see who endorsed it but that is a different matter.

Laura, You've got a very reasonable arguement ... and one that I hadn't experienced. I have to wonder, however, if there's enough people in your/similar situations to justify a Q "feature" ... or an FI offering?

Dan

Some of the comments recieved have to do with what good are the check images. To address that I use checks to pay copayments to Dr. Offices. I never get a reciept the check is my reciept. If a check is not recorded correctly you need a copy (both sides) to show proof of payment. In addition I use tax software to do my taxes. If I am audited by the IRS I am sure they are going to want to see "Checks or Check Images" as reciepts for things such as medical payments. I do not think a quicken report will fly. Just a year ago my Town did not credit a tax payment. I was being charged interest and penalties, without a check or image of both sides I would have had to pay again. A quicken report was not good enough. This is more then just a picture of handwriting, it is the ability to produce a reciept.To request this enhancement Click Help, Submit Feedback then How to improve the product

"Ed Varin" wrote

You have received responses that suggested at least two FIs that will offer digitized or hard images of your checks. I suggest you do business with a bank that offers the services that you need.

Incorporating this feature into Q is another, separate matter. Q does not offer the feature you're suggesting -- and perhaps this is a feature that others will want also. But even if Q offered this feature, Q cannot import from a FI what a FI does not provide.

I am just greatful that the images are available online. That's all that I need these days as I don't get the bank statements.

Having the images download into Q or any other software would be overkill, IMO. Plus the storage needs of the FIs would drive the cost up for the end user. I doubt this would be a free service to us.

You should have no trouble getting a check image mailed to you from any financial institution should you need it for proof of any payment.

Thanks for the response Rick, This is sorta like what came first the chicken or the egg. I am not sure how much power quicken would have in having the FI come around if they offered this feature in the software or if the FI should be driving quicken. A real delema. It would seem to me if the feature was offered in Quicken and not through the FI people would complain to their FI this way the software and the FI customer base would be driving the FI for enhancements, but if the software doesnot offer this feature there is no reason to complain or expect the FI to create a feature that could not be used. Again, the chicken or the egg

----- Original Message ----- From: "Rick Hess" Newsgroups: alt.comp.software.financial.quicken Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2005 10:40 AM Subject: Re: Quicken Inhancement Requests

"Ed Varin" wrote

(snip)

I somewhat disagree.

Personally, I could take or leave having this feature incorporated into Q. But that's just my opinion, and is certainly not representative of the majority of Q users.

But I would refuse to do business with any FI that didn't offer me images of my cancelled checks. No matter what other perks were offered, I WANT MY DAMN CHECKS BACK!!! For years, BankOne sent my original cancelled checks back to me. Then they thought they'd start saving money (I guess), and started sending reduced copies of them (about 20/page). I told them I would switch banks if I could not get the originals back; they complied. In addition, I can get digitized images via web or email.

In summary, I believe the feature of receiving your cancelled checks back in one form or another should have no bearing on whether or not Q has the capability of incorporating the images into your Q database; this feature is already offered by many (most??) banks. Therefore, the option already exists to do business with a bank that offers the services you want.

Rick,

With all due respect, get used to being dis-satisfied. With "Check

21", it's not going to be too long before the FI's stop forwarding paper to each other and start sending ONLY the image. At that point, the absolute MOST you'll be able to get will be the image, because your bank (unless it also happens to be the depositor's bank) won't have the paper.