Common Investment issues

If you run into problems recording or correcting investment activity, use the guidance below. Each section explains when to use a transaction, what it does in the register, and where to find it in Quicken Classic for Windows.

Move or add shares without recording a buy

You may need to add shares to an account without recording a Buy transaction if:

• You are starting to track existing holdings.

• You received shares through a merger, spinoff, or stock plan.

• You are transferring shares between brokerage accounts.

To record this:

1. Open the investment account register.

2. Select Enter Transactions.

3. Choose Add – Shares Added or Transfer Shares Between Accounts.

4. Enter the security name, number of shares, acquisition date, and cost basis (if known).

5. Select Enter/Done.

Add – Shares Added increases holdings without affecting cash.
Transfer Shares Between Accounts removes shares from the source account and adds them to the destination account, keeping the original purchase dates and cost basis intact.

Remove shares without selling

You may need to remove shares without recording a Sell transaction if:

• Shares were transferred to another account.

• Shares were canceled or lost through corporate action.

• You entered shares incorrectly and need to fix the balance.

To record this:

1. Open the investment account register.

2. Select Enter Transactions.

3. Choose Remove – Shares Removed.

4. Enter the security name, number of shares, and date.

5. Select Enter/Done.

This reduces the number of shares without changing cash or creating a gain or loss. If you are moving the same shares to another account, use Transfer Shares Between Accounts to keep the cost basis and lot information accurate.

Broker holds cash after a sale

Some brokers delay the release of sale proceeds until the trade settles. Most U.S. trades now settle on the next business day (T+1).

To record this correctly:

1. Record the Sell transaction on the trade date.

2. When the cash becomes available, enter Cash Transferred Into Account for the settlement amount.

Recording the sale on the trade date keeps share balances and investment performance accurate. The cash transfer reflects when the funds are available for withdrawal or reinvestment.

Can't select Buy as an action

If Buy or other actions are missing in your investment account, check the account type.

• A Single mutual fund account (SMF) can track only one fund and has limited transaction types.

• To record other transactions, convert the account to a standard brokerage account.

To change this:

1. Select Tools > Account List.

2. Select Edit next to the affected account.

3. On the General tab, clear the Single mutual fund account checkbox.

4. Select OK.

After this change, you can use the full set of actions, including Buy, Sell, Reinvest Dividend, and Transfer.

Where to find these actions

1. Open the investment account register.

2. Select Enter Transactions.

3. Choose the desired transaction type from the list.

4. Fill out the required details.

5. Select Enter/Done.

You can also select an Action directly in a new transaction line.

More help

If these steps do not resolve your issue, visit Quicken Support for more troubleshooting and updates.