Switcher Questions:import, reconcile, cash, invest...

[bomsom]

Hello Angeman,

I'm new to the Mac world, recent PC switcher. I've been using Quicken for windows but now I want to go all Mac, no Bootcamp or virtual machine for Windows software. I'm trying iCompta and I'm really enjoying it. It's the most Mac integrated program i tried so far and believe me, I tried a LOT of them!
What I like about iCompta:
- Very Clean Mac-friendly inferface. The best I've seen for a finance program!
- Pleasant to work with.
- Arrows/colors for in/out transactions are great! very easy to track transactions.
- Separation by month in transaction list.
- Didn't try Budget yet but looks good

I'm doing some tests right now and have a lot of questions:

1 - File Import
It works partially. All of the filetypes (CSV, QIF, OFX) have some drawbacks. I explain:
CSV - I dowloaded bank information in TXT file and imported OK. Although the information were in the wrong fields (Amount was in the Info field for example) it's possible to edit their location and save a new import profile. The problem is, it always skips the first transaction of the file! Curious is that this transaction appears in the edit screen but doesn't import. I'm using the option in Data field "Start importing from line 1" and it still skips the first one.
TXT is like this: 01/03/2010;RENDIMENTOS;2705197;0.25
QIF - After I read in the forum about the date format import is OK too but i can't edit the description location. The QIF file my bank provides is like this:
D03/3'10
MPERINI
T-24.07
N0
^
I would like to put this description (second line) in the COMMENT but it automatically put it into NAME. Can I change this? Some other programs I tested imported this field to Comment or repeated the info in both fields, which is great too.
OFX - The description(MEMO) is not imported. It imports the amount and date correctly but Name field states "New Transaction" for all of them. I opened OFX in "Numbers" and it looks like this:
AMOUNT DATE TYPE MEMO VER. NUMBER
-R$9,95 3/8/2010 12:00:00 AM DEBIT FCIA PAGUE MENOS 144 0

Any clues?

2- Reconcile Transfers between accounts
I pay my credit card through my Checking Account. i imported both transactions to each account (separate QIF files) but I can't find a way to link them, as in transfer between accounts. I change the Transaction Type to transfer but it doesn't give me an option to select to what account or where this transfer is going/coming. I know that I can "make a transfer" if it's a new transaction but if it's already there I can't edit/link/reconcile them. can I?

3- Cash Account
Maybe a dumb question but, how do I create a Cash Account? In New Account screen in the "type" field I just see options for Checking, Savings, Credit Card and Investiment.

4- Cash Account 2
A variation of that: Can I use a Person as Cash account? For example, I create a Myself Person and when I make a cash withdrawal in the bank machine I set this as a transfer to Myself. I spend this money in several things assign categories etc. Is it possible or I'll have problems with reports and reconcile? Which one is better? Create an account or a Person for cash?

5- Investment Track
In Investment account there are no specific fields such as security/stock code, quotes, value, gain/loss, tax, etc. and as I read in the forum there's no stock info download from Yahoo finance for example. I don't see any difference between checking account and Investment.

6- Split transaction
Can I make an Split transaction? Let's say I have $50 in cash and spent $30 in movies and $20 in food. Can I split the $50 in 2 categories/descriptions in just 1 transaction?

7- Languages
Do you plan to translate iCompta to other languages? Portuguese Brazilian?

8- In-line Calculator
Is there a way to integrate calculator in the Amount field? it's a time saver and very convenient too!

Thanks

[xascorro]

6- Split transaction
Can I make an Split transaction? Let's say I have $50 in cash and spent $30 in movies and $20 in food. Can I split the $50 in 2 categories/descriptions in just 1 transaction?

You can edit your transaction, see Editing transactions in http://www.lyricapps.com/iCompta/help.php?version=3.3.6
In types you can split de transaction in different types.

[bomsom]

Thank you xascorro. That's one question solved!
This solution is different from other programs but it's clever.

[Angeman]

1 - File Import
It works partially. All of the filetypes (CSV, QIF, OFX) have some drawbacks. I explain:
CSV - I dowloaded bank information in TXT file and imported OK. Although the information were in the wrong fields (Amount was in the Info field for example) it's possible to edit their location and save a new import profile. The problem is, it always skips the first transaction of the file! Curious is that this transaction appears in the edit screen but doesn't import. I'm using the option in Data field "Start importing from line 1" and it still skips the first one.

Just uncheck the "The file contains the description of the columns" box.

QIF - After I read in the forum about the date format import is OK too but i can't edit the description location. The QIF file my bank provides is like this:
D03/3'10
MPERINI
T-24.07
N0
^
I would like to put this description (second line) in the COMMENT but it automatically put it into NAME. Can I change this? Some other programs I tested imported this field to Comment or repeated the info in both fields, which is great too.

No you can't change it anyway there is nothing else to put in the NAME field.

OFX - The description(MEMO) is not imported. It imports the amount and date correctly but Name field states "New Transaction" for all of them. I opened OFX in "Numbers" and it looks like this:
AMOUNT DATE TYPE MEMO VER. NUMBER
-R$9,95 3/8/2010 12:00:00 AM DEBIT FCIA PAGUE MENOS 144 0

Any clues?

The MEMO field will be imported in V4.

2- Reconcile Transfers between accounts
I pay my credit card through my Checking Account. i imported both transactions to each account (separate QIF files) but I can't find a way to link them, as in transfer between accounts. I change the Transaction Type to transfer but it doesn't give me an option to select to what account or where this transfer is going/coming. I know that I can "make a transfer" if it's a new transaction but if it's already there I can't edit/link/reconcile them. can I?

This will be possible in V4.

3- Cash Account
Maybe a dumb question but, how do I create a Cash Account? In New Account screen in the "type" field I just see options for Checking, Savings, Credit Card and Investiment.

V4 as well.

4- Cash Account 2
A variation of that: Can I use a Person as Cash account? For example, I create a Myself Person and when I make a cash withdrawal in the bank machine I set this as a transfer to Myself. I spend this money in several things assign categories etc. Is it possible or I'll have problems with reports and reconcile? Which one is better? Create an account or a Person for cash?

You can use either possibility, it's as you want.

5- Investment Track
In Investment account there are no specific fields such as security/stock code, quotes, value, gain/loss, tax, etc. and as I read in the forum there's no stock info download from Yahoo finance for example. I don't see any difference between checking account and Investment.

Investment accounts are not supported yet.

7- Languages
Do you plan to translate iCompta to other languages? Portuguese Brazilian?

Yes

8- In-line Calculator
Is there a way to integrate calculator in the Amount field? it's a time saver and very convenient too!

Yes, in a future version.

[bomsom]

Looking Forward to V4.

Thanks Angeman