Lost specific ID status

[Mark-T]

I have noticed a quirk in FM Personal version 9.4. I used specific ID for selling lots within several funds in 2008. After successfully specifying lots and getting the "Done" check, FM has undone the "Done" check. This happens if I open the Buy/Sell transaction screen and edit the memo.

On further investigation I get the same result even if I make no changes but simply select "OK" in the Buy/Sell screen. This happens with both the sell and buy transactions directly related to the specific ID.

I could understand if this happened after editing price, shares or values, but I have not changed those values. This is bound to cause a problem for me somewhere down the road.

Is this a bug or am I missing a good reason for it?

Thanks, Mark

[Mark]

Hi Mark,

Yes, anytime you 'edit' a transaction that has been specified, it needs to be re-specified. If you open up a transaction to view it, you can hit 'Cancel' instead of 'OK', and then you won't need to re-specify it, but if you hit 'OK', you will need to re-specify that lot.

Agreed it would be better for Fund Manager to be smarter about this, and see if you changed the shares, but today it just forces you to re-specify it if you made any changes at all.

[Mark-T]

Thanks for your reply, though not very reassuring! I find the memo function very useful and sometimes add or correct notes later. To have to re-specify if I add a note essentially renders the memo function non-functional as I will avoid using it.

Also if I hit "OK" instead of "Cancel" the specification is lost. I realize this would be my mistake but I know of no other instance in this software where simply hitting OK makes a change to the basis of a fund.

Right now I only have six funds with specific lots so I can easily remember the dates, but a few years down the road I may have many more. How will I remember (assuming it even occurs to me that the lot specification has evaporated) the purchase date of the lot in order to re-specify it? I shall have to go back to my paperwork to find the information which sort of defeats the purpose of FM.

May I suggest a simple modification that allows editing of the memo without needing to re-specify - or failing that, when hitting "OK" have a warning that reads: Lot specification will be lost, do you want to continue?

Thanks, Mark

[Mark]

Hi Mark,

Okay, thanks for the feedback. We can consider improving this in an update.