Can you get a cash forecast from iCash?

procrastiwriter · Joined: 28 Jun 2007 Posts: 2

I'm having a go with the iCash trial - I like how it works but it seems to lack the main thing that I was hoping for. Maybe I'm being dim about finding it...

I've entered all my monthly payments into the Scheduler - they are all for future dates so I have nothing currently showing in the Transactions list.

I had hoped that I'd be able to see, or print a report, which would forecast balances for a given date, based on scheduled transactions.

Is this possible? Have I missed a trick?

Thanks in advance Smile

stanbusk · Site Admin Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 2122

There is no such report but we are open for new ideas.

procrastiwriter · Joined: 28 Jun 2007 Posts: 2

I used to MS Money, which was way over complicated in my view, but the one useful thing it had was the ability to view your cashflow for any given date, taking into account pending transactions. You could view it as a report, or as a chart.

I love the simplicity of iCash, so if you were able to add such a report, I'd be your best friend Smile

stanbusk · Site Admin Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 2122

Ok, I have received similar requests. We will look at this once we released v4.

rob4u · Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 4

stanbusk · Site Admin Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 2122

Feel free to send a sample report so we can understand better your request. You can do it here or thru a support ticket.

rob4u · Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 4

stanbusk · Site Admin Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 2122

Ok, I guess this chart only shows scheduled transactions, right? What do you think if we add that to the schedule transaction window?

rob4u · Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 4

stanbusk · Site Admin Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 2122

Ok, it is the current balance +/- the scheduled transactions. I think it is clear.

rob4u · Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 4

stanbusk · Site Admin Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 2122

Yes, I have built the project around it. Now, I don't know yet when it can be added.

MonHawk · Joined: 13 Oct 2007 Posts: 32

Hi,

I also have a request related to this (which has been discussed in earlier threads, I know).

Again, I come from MSMoney.

I love how iCash automatically "enters" the scheduled transactions when the correct day comes along.

I would however also like to have the option to manually "enter" scheduled transactions ahead of time. I would usually do this one month in advance so that I can check that I have enough money in my account.

For example - I currently have £200 in my account.
Today is 2nd May.
I have scheduled transactions of £40 going out on 10th every month, and £70 on 15th every month.

I would like to be able to go the Scheduled Page, and highlight the "£40 on 10th" and "£70 on 15th" transactions (using ctrl-click to highlight both), and press a button that says "Enter Now".

I would like this to then automatically enter 2 transactions for me - with dates of the 10th May and 15th May respectively. Note, I am not saying these amounts are going out of my account TODAY, I am simply saying - I know these amounts are going out of my account on the 10th and 15th and I want to put them into my transaction list.

The scheduled transactions should then be rolled forward so that, if I do nothing manual again, they are entered automatically by iCash on the 10th June and the 15th June respectively.

The result is that when I now look at my bank account, I see that the balance is £90 (£200 - £40 - £70). So I know that, with all my scheduled transactions accounted for, I have £90 left for other expenditure.

Is it possible please to have this "Enter Now" button? (And I will be your second-best friend?). It is almost the only feature (apart from some budgeting that I have written about separately) that I now miss from MSMoney. Everything else is much better in iCash.

stanbusk · Site Admin Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 2122

Right now in iCash, when a transaction is entered, it is really entered, I mean the pay now or add now button would fully add the transaction and modify the corresponding accounts. It is how I created the feature project when I received your request originally. What you want actually is to see some kind of transaction 'phantom' on your list that doesn't change anything. I also received a request from a customer to show all those scheduled transactions as deactivated/grayed in the transaction list. It looks like what you are asking for however in that case all scheduled transactions for a given selected month will be all displayed in grey along with the real transactions. I have a feature project describing that behavior. What do you think?

MonHawk · Joined: 13 Oct 2007 Posts: 32

The gray solution sounds interesting too (but more work for you).

But what I had in mind was that the transactions are really entered. I was only stressing the fact that they should be entered with their scheduled dates instead of with today's date. But I'm happy for them to be really entered.

It's just a case of me choosing to put in future transactions, because I know for sure they're going to happen, and I want to see it reflected in my bank account. Just like entering a cheque once you've written it, even if the person you've given the cheque to takes a while to present it to their bank etc, so it will be a while before the money is actually taken from me.