Conference nyoss1::market_investing

             <<< RANGER::$2$DUA8:[NOTES$LIBRARY]IBMPC-92.NOTE;1 >>>
                        -< IBM PCs, clones, DOS, etc. >-
================================================================================
Note 1127.0                    Managing Your Money                     8 replies
AUSTIN::RIST "Just Mad About PCs"                    28 lines  30-APR-1992 17:23
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Cross Posted from RANGER::IBMPC-92, Note 1127.
     
     MYM V7.0 for 14.95...
     
     Dell computer has a factory outlet in Austin, Texas which sells
     discontinued and refurbished hardware.  They also sell returned
     software (it turns out that their software distributor does not take
     returns).  Well, Dell was bundling Microsoft works, MYM and some
     other stuff with their computer, but discontinued the program.  They
     were stuck with a bunch of copies of MYM which they are now selling
     for 14.95.  It is not in the box, but in a shrink wrap--but it is a
     full normal addition with no limitations.  
     
     I believe that these still come with an offer for a free copy of
     TaxCut--a popular tax package--not sure on that one.  MECA will
     upgrade these copies to 8.0 through their buyer protection plan when
     you register.  
     
     I have a few people interested in copies.  I have agreed to make a
     purchase and mail out the copies.  The total cost will be $20-25,
     not sure just yet.  I will not be responsible for anything but
     shipping the product to you--there is no return of this software to
     DELL.
     
     If you are interested, I need to know by Monday, May 11.  I need
     your mailing address, number of copies wanted, and media size (3 1/2
     or 5 1/4.  There may not be a choice on media, but MECA will send
     you the correct size if you ask (don't think they charge).  I will
     need the payment by check in advance--I will send out my address to
     those interested on Monday or Tuesday.  I will make the purchase at
     the end of next week.
     
     There are many discussions on MYM on other personal finance packages
     in the recently retired IBMPC notes file.  Especially, see note
     648.x.
     
     Cost will be based on price + 8% sales tax + packaging and shipping.
          
     BTW - MYM V8.0 is running $100-$150 in the stores (list was around
     $200).  These figures from memory...
          
                                       lance

    I've been using MYM since version 2.0. Each year I've paid my 49.95 to
    get the next upgrade. For the first few years it was worth the money,
    each succeeding version was better to some degree. 
    
    Last year however, when I upgraded to 7.0 I was extremely disappointed
    in the new version. I thought they had taken a major step backwards in
    terms of useability. After a year of using it I still have not grown to
    like V7.0 at all. 
    
    Since I had already sent in the money, I received V8.0 which I have not
    installed because I am afraid it will be even worse than V7.0. 
    
    Are there any long term MYM'ers out there that have/had similar
    feelings about V7.0 who have since upgraded to V8.0?  What are your
    impressions of V8.0 compared to V7.0? Better? Worse? Should I upgrade?
    
    I was so disappointed V7.0 that I decided not to pay for any more
    upgrades, (indeed I am ready to switch to Quicken :-) ) but since I've 
    already paid for and received V8.0 I'm trying to decide whether or not 
    to use it. What do you think?
    

     Check out the IBMPC notesfile (note 648 in the retired file) for a
     long discussion.
   
     I'm not a long time user, but I did work with V7 and now have V8.
     V8 is definitely NOT worse.  Some will argue whether it is much
     better, however.  I am happy with the changes.
     
     The program looks very similar, but they changed some user interface
     things that I feel help alot.  For instance, pressing return will
     now do the "most typical" action on a screen, such as pressing
     return on the money accounts screen will dive you into the
     highlighted acount.  You can also jump around more, such as pressing
     alt-Q from a money account will get you into the quick list for that
     account (don't think that was in V7)--and ESC gets you back.  
     
     Also, they FIXED THE BUGS.  I have found no bugs as of yet in V8
     (knock wood), and V7 was riddled with them.
     
     Finally, they added an asset allocator which seems very good.  I
     helps you determine how you should be investing you money to
     maximize wealth and minimize risk--within goal and risk ranges you
     choose.  They claim is does everything some separate $150 programs
     do (Wealth Builder is probably one of these).  I'm not experienced
     to know if it does a good job.
     
     There are other new features I don't remember--look at the
     referenced not--I think someone typed in the list from an MYM
     brochure.
     
                                       lance

    In the latest issue of pc magazine, Quicken and MYM were chosen for
    editor's choice awards. My impression was that MYM holds an edge
    if you're interested in tracking portfolios. After reading PC magazine
    and Lance's comments, I decided it would be worth a try.
    I went out and bought the latest version at egghead software 
    for $35.

    Anybody know how to set up an HCRA in mym?

In MacMoney, I just make it a Bank Account.  I make deposits every week and 
withdrawals whenever they mail me a check.

I've cross posted this note in: VMSMKT::MACINTOSH.

Hi,

I've just spent two grueling weekend days trying to set up MYM, Version 5.0
on my Mac.  I've been having similar feelings as Andrew (Note .152). My
biggest complaint is the documentation, which I find much too "breezy" and
-- worse yet -- unclear.  There were moments when I felt like returning the
product *and* throwing my computer out the second story window of my house.

However, I finally got accounts set up and my checkbook to show the correct
balance.  I never even attempted to set up monthly budget items. I'm most
interested in MYM to track investments, but am having the worst problems
in setting up that part of the software.

After many hours, I did finally set up my mutual fund portfolios. 
Although, instead of specifying a "Receive" when I was doing the initial
set up, I specified a "Buy" in the Buy and Sell dialog box.  No matter. 
Somehow I got the opening balance to match the individual holdings in each
portfolio I set up.  I didn't show any margin balances (negative numbers)
or unallocated cash balances on any of the portfolios I set up. Don't ask
me how I managed to get it all done!

Now, I'm having a problem entering additional purchases for existing funds.
I choose Buy and Sell Securities from the menu, and then choose the fund.
Then I specify "Buy" from the Buy and Sell dialog box menu, and enter the
number of shares and price per share, etc.   When I hit record, I noticed a
negative unallocated cash balance.  I also showed a margin balance.  From
what I can figure out, MYM needed to know where the money I was buying more
shares was coming from, right?  They talk about setting up CMA accounts,
but I don't have a CMA account at the places I have investments.  When I
want to buy additional funds, I write a check from my checking or money
market account. So, should I consider these accounts as "CMA" accounts for
the purposes of showing MYM where the cash is coming from when I purchase
more shares in a fund?

The documentation is not clear on that at all -- I've read and reread the
chapters on "Money" and "Invest".  Trouble is, the manual goes back and
forth between showing a brand new user how to set up and showing an already
set up user how to use the software.  Nowhere really do they spell out how
you have to tell MYM where the money you are buying shares with is coming
from.

My question is: should I link my checking and money market accounts (even
though they are not really CMA accounts) to all the portfolios I set up?
And then, when I "buy" more, specify either account (depending where the
money is coming from)?  That way, when I "Buy" securities, MYM should know
where the money is coming from and not think that I "borrowed" it, right? 
How will that affect the balances in either my checking or money market
accounts then when I buy shares of a mutual fund?  Will it automatically
enter the transaction in my checkbook register, for example?

I'm beginning to think this is all more trouble than it's worth.

Thanks.

Diana

>     
>                    <<< Note 188.7 by CADSYS::GIL_PASSOLAS "Diana" >>>
>                     -< Portfolio question for MYM, V. 5 >-
>
     
     Whew, sounds like a rough weekend.  I tried out most transactions on
     a dummy acount before I went to the real thing, so I wouldn't mind
     blowing it away and starting over.
     
     Also, I find the documentation behind the F1/Help key better than
     the manual in many cases.  It may not help with some of the initial
     setup, however.

     Let me see if I can answer you questions.
     
     CMA Accounts:  Now that there is no limit on CMA accounts, I find it
     best to attach one for each portfolio.  This makes it easy to
     transfer money from my checking & savings type accounts (not to
     mention my paychecks) into my portfolio account.  This money is
     needed when you buy stock.  MYM figures that when you translate your
     money into an asset, it is a zero sum, and thus the negative
     balance.  Before CMA accounts, you had to diddle with the Cash
     Balance figure--wholly unsatisfactory to me.
     
     With the CMA account, it works like this:  You write a check to
     cover the stock (for instance), so you perform a transfer from your
     checking account to the proper portfolio account.  Now, go to the
     portfolio and perform a buy.  The two transactions even out.  The
     transfer does not have a budget category, but the stock purchase in
     the CMA account appears automatically as a spend transaction which
     can be given a budget category.
     
     Look at the MYM note in the IBMPC-92 notes file (wherever it is
     now).  I believe it was 648.*  There are lots of discussions about
     MYM's features in there, plus more in MARKET_INVESTING and IBMPC-93
     (where am I now?).  Included is information on how to set up your
     paycheck (e.g. stock and save deductions)--that part is complex.
     Other topics discussed there are also useful.
     
>
>I'm beginning to think this is all more trouble than it's worth.
>
     
     Yes, it is a little trouble to get set up--because money matters can
     be a little complicated.  However, you will be glad you did.  When I
     pull up the net worth number and can tell whether I am gaining or
     losing ground, it makes me more comfortable.  When I can pull up my
     tax categories for entry into the tax form, I have saved many hours
     of searching through shoe boxes of receipts.  Now I know just how
     much money I have lost via the stock purchase plan...

                                       lance

Hi Lance,

Thanks for your help.  I tried setting up a CMA account, but think I did
something wrong.  I put a note in the Macintosh notes file, #25, so I won't
repost it here.  But you say set up a CMA account for each portfolio?  Can
it be the same checking account or money market account for each different
portfolio?  For some reason, setting up a CMA account has me stymied.

Thanks.

Diana

     
>     Look at the MYM note in the IBMPC-92 notes file (wherever it is
>     now).  I believe it was 648.*  There are lots of discussions about
>     MYM's features in there, plus more in MARKET_INVESTING and IBMPC-93
>     (where am I now?).  Included is information on how to set up your
>     paycheck (e.g. stock and save deductions)--that part is complex.
>     Other topics discussed there are also useful.

You can say that again (about setting up the SAVE deductions)!! I have no
idea how to do that.  The notes in IBMPC totally confused me.

>
>               <<< Note 188.9 by CADSYS::GIL_PASSOLAS "Diana" >>>
>                  -< Unclear on how to set up CMA accounts. >-
>
 
     There is a 1-to-1 correspondence between CMA and Portfolios--think
     of it as two views of the same account.  I believe that they are
     required to have the same title and account numbers.  The easiest
     way to create one is to do so from the set-up form for the
     Portfolio.  
     
     Here is how:
     1) Select "Portfolio Accounts" from the Portfolio menu.
     2) Highlight the desired portfolio and press F2
     3) Find the "Linked to Money Account?" selection and change the "NO"
        to "YES".
     4) If will tell you that there is no corresponding money account and
        ask you if you want to create one--do it (F10, I think).
     5) It will then bring up the screen to create the money account,
        with some of the account name and number filled in.  Fill in the
        rest.
     6) Accept the new money account and you are ready to go.
     
     From then on, any buy or sell in the portfolio will (magically) have
     a corresponding transaction in the money account.  For instance, if
     you buy stock, it will extract the amount from money to pay for it.
     Thus, you can put your DEC stock plan withholdings into the money
     account linked with your DEC stock portfolio and then, when your buy
     statement comes, record the buy in your portfolio.  Your money
     account will then net zero (over time--see other notes on this).
     Also, this allows you to track your increasing net worth before the
     buy comes (i.e. your stock withholdings are tracked).
  
     Do the same thing for your save account.
     
     Any questions?
     
     I guess I could put in a note later to explain how I set up my
     paycheck.  There are options depending on how you want to record
     things, but I like my way best, of course...This takes care of
     getting my stock and save money into the correct accounts.

                                       lance

     My paycheck is automatically deposited into the DCU.  To set this up
     in MYM, I do the following:
     
     1) Create a "Receive" transaction entitled "DEC Payroll".  The title
     (or payor) must be consistent--see below.
     2) I enter the actual amount deposited in the appropriate blank.
     3) I press F9 to access the multiple budget allocations screen.
     4) Enter my allocations.
     5) Press Return (or F10 if that is your action key) twice to record
        the transaction.
     
     That part is very straight forward.  It is the allocations part that
     is a little tricky.  There are three parts to the allocations.  I'll
     tell you what I do for each:
     
Income:  
     
     My income allocations total to my total gross pay--make sure yours
     do.  This includes the following categories (create a budget
     category with F5):
     
     Adjusted Gross Pay                (this is the taxable part)
     Medical Deduction                 \
     Dental Deduction                  | These are not taxed
     Long Term Disability              /
     Save Plan Deduction               Tax Deferred
     
Expenses:
     
     This is all of the money taken away before it gets to you:
     
     Medical Deduction                 \
     Dental Deduction                  | balances income above
     Long Term Disability              /
     Fed. Tax Withheld                 tax category
     FICA (= Soc. Sec. + Medicare)     I should separate these I guess
     
Allocations:
     
     This is money allocated (e.g. deposited) into another account.  This
     is sort of like a transfer, except the money was never in the
     original account to begin with.  Allocations have no budget
     category, since the money is not spent, just put in another account.
     From a budget standpoint, the money will appear to have been
     deposited into this account (as a part of the income categories
     above) and then moved to the new accounts.  Thus it is accounted for
     as income.  When you "spend" the money to buy stock or save fund
     shares, it can be recorded in an expense budget category.
     
     Save Account                      \Record the amounts withheld for
     Stock Account                     /these purposes.
     
     This should cause all of the allocations to come out right.  That is
     the incomes - expenses - allocates = pay check amount.  All of the
     budget categories mentioned above are plainly shown on your pay
     stub.  FICA is actually the sum of two numbers, but you might as
     well make them separate categories.
     
     Next time you record a check, type in "DEC Pay" in the payor slot
     and press F6 (Payor Search) and it will copy the last found paycheck
     into your current transaction.  Make any adjustments and accept it.
     Adjustments should be minor, if any.  Typically, my FICA total
     varies by a penny week to week and my stock deduction changes near
     the end of each stock period.  No other adjustments should be
     necessary unless you make a change (e.g.  change insurance, get a
     raise, etc.).  Oh, if you make enough, your Soc. Security deductions
     will stop around $55K gross income.
     
     Two last notes:
     
     1) If you have a Save Loan, the deduction for the Save loan is after
     taxes, so don't record that in the income category for Save, but do
     include it in the allocation to the Save account.
     
     2) You may have other deductions.  If they are withheld before tax,
     include them in the income and the expense sections.  If they are
     after tax, include them only under expenses.  The child care thing
     is withheld before tax, so include it as an expense, but you should
     allocate it to an account.  Thus, you can track your withdrawals.
     If you have some left over at the end of the year, you have to
     "spend" the money to whomever gets the leftovers.  Alternatively,
     since it is out of your control, you could call it an expense and
     not track it--your choice.
     
     I hope this helps.  Doing it the first time is not easy, but after
     it's set up, it's a snap.
     
                                       lance

    Thanks Lance, I'm almost over the hump. Do you set up your paycheck as
    an alert list transaction?

> <<< Note 188.12 by SUBWAY::DAVIDSON "On a clean disk you can seek forever" >>>
>
>    Thanks Lance, I'm almost over the hump. Do you set up your paycheck as
>    an alert list transaction?
>
     
     I have never used the alert list.  I believe that it only helps if
     you have repeated identical transactions (e.g. $100 spent the 15th
     of every month).  This might work for mortgage payments, but not for
     paychecks.  Paycheck amounts change--mine even oscillates +/- $0.01
     from one week to the next.
     
     I have used the quick list.  You don't get alerted on these, but
     they are easy to find and can be changed.  This is how I set up my
     mortgage payments, or I should say, this is how I told the loan
     function to set it up...since I over pay my loan, this also has more
     to it, but I digress.
     
     When my paychecks are stable, oscillating by a penny, I put two
     paycheck transactions in the quicklist--one for each amount.  There
     is a function key labelled "add to quick list".  Then I select the
     proper one when I go to record the check.  When my check changes
     (insurance, stock plan, raise?, etc.) I put in the new quick list
     transactions and delete the old.  Lately, I think that using the F6
     payee search under the receive money is about as easy.

     I really like the payee search function.  Since 90%+ of my
     transactions are repeaters, I simply type in a few letters of the
     payee (or payer) press F6 and it copies the last occurance with that
     party.  Since most checks to a party have the same budget
     allocation, I just enter the date and the amount and I'm done
     (actually, Alt<+> or Alt<-> moves the date forward and backward, so
     I don't typically type the date in).  Oh, a warning:  This doesn't
     work as well if you write transaction specific memos, since those
     get copied, too.
     
                                       lance

     [cross posted in the IBMPC-93 notesfile]
     
     Now here is something nice!  In my latest copy of "Managing Your
     Money Better" (newsletter for Plus Plan members) they give a patch
     to MYM V9 to that you can get FREE Compuserve stock price updates.
     Free means no cost beyond that of Compuserve's basic service plan.
     
     Here is what it says to do:
     
     [quote starts here]
     Highlight CompuServe under Communications Setup (on the FILE menu).
     Press the Action Key (Enter or F10) for Service Setup.  Press F9 (a
     hidden key on this screen), highlight Login Script and press F2.
     
     At some point in your Login Script you will see the letters MQINT.
     Replace MQINT with CIS:BAS14.  Don't change anything else.  Press
     ESCape to backup and then your Action Key (F10 or Enter) twice to
     save changes.  That's it!
     
     From now on QuoteLink will access a service called CIS:BAS14 instead
     of MQINT.  This will be free on connect time or product surcharges.
     Unfortunately, you won't be able to get prices for all the
     securities you could under MQINT--mainly bonds may be missing.
     
     This applies only to basic service members.  Others can only access
     MQINT and will continue to be charged.  On CompuServe, type GO
     NEWBASIC for information about switching to the basic service
     membership.  It's available to Executive service members, too.
     [end quote]
     
     I tried it and it works about the same as the old way.  I am having
     trouble getting all of my stocks to be updated all the time (before
     and after the above change).  It appears that some stocks do not
     have quotes available at times.  Perhaps they refuse to give old
     data if the new is not in.  Anyone else have similar experiences?
     
     They also mention a file called QLDOC.EXE in Library 4 of the MECA
     Forum on CompuServe which has John Lortscher's secrets and tips for
     Quotelink.  Has anyone downloaded this?  Has anyone downloaded
     anything useful from that forum?
     
                                       lance

    
    I know this must sound like a stupid question, but then
    again we all know stupid questions end up being helpful
    to more people than one would expect.
    
    So: Using Managing Your Money Version 8.0 (MYM V.8.0), how
    do you exit?  Rifling throught numerous menus, I never found
    one that said "Exit MYM."
    
    Thanks, Michael

     On the File Menu (Alt-F, X will work).  Use note 188 to discuss
     MYM--keep it in one place and reduce the notes clutter.  
     
                                       lance

Cross-posted in the Macintosh notes conference:

Hello again.

Just when I thought I had MYM (5.0, Mac version) pretty well under control,
I came up against another "problem" this weekend when trying to use money
from my Fidelity Cash Reserves to "buy" shares in another portfolio.  I now
realize how *essential* it is to correctly set up the hierarchy when
setting up your portfolio accounts! I (mistakenly) set up the hierarchy of
my portfolio account like this:

Portfolio (Aggregate)
  Fidelity Investments (Detail)
     Asset Manager (Security)
     Blue Chip Stock (Security)
     Growth and Income (Security)
     Cash Reserves (Security)

  T. Rowe Price (Detail)
     New Asia (Security)
     .        (Security)
     .	      (Security)		

  Dreyfus (Detail)
     .     (Security)
     .     (Security)

and so on........
     
When I buy/sell in the Fidelity Investments detail portfolio, using the
Cash Reserves as the place money comes from and goes to, it's easy.  I just
sell X dollars in Cash Reserves.  MYM shows an unallocated amt. of X
dollars for the Fidelity portfolio.  Then, I buy something in the Fidelity
portfolio and everything comes out nice and even!  However, I discovered
last night that when I sell X dollars from Fidelity Cash Reserves and want
to buy something in another portfolio with that money (T. Rowe Price, for
example), I have a problem.  There is no way to "get" from Cash Reserves in
the Fidelity portfolio to buying a security in the T. Rowe Price portfolio. 
The only way I could figure out was this:

1. From the Money menu, do a Transfer of X dollars from the Fidelity
   portfolio to the T. Rowe Price portfolio
2. "Sell" X dollars from Cash Reserves in the Fidelity portfolio
3. "Buy" X dollars in the T. Rowe Price portfolio

This is *3* steps, 1 too many, I imagine.  I now realize I should have
made only 1 detail portfolio called Mutual Funds for my mutual funds.  It
does says this somewhere, rather off-handedly in the manual).  What I would
have wanted, had I to do it over again:

Portfolio (Aggregate)
Mutual Funds (Detail)
     Fidelity Asset Manager (Security)
     Fidelity Blue Chip Stock (Security)
     Fidelity Growth and Income (Security)
     Fidelity Cash Reserves (Security)
     T.Rowe Price New Asia (Security)
     .			   (Security)
     .			   (Security)		
     Dreyfus Third Century (Security)
     etc.

That way, I could have used the Fidelity Cash Reserves as the place where
money comes from and goes to for all the securities.  I guess I could have
even made it a CMA account linked to the Mutual Funds portfolio detail.

So, my question is this:

1. Is there a way to now reorganize the portfolio account hierarchy from what
   I currently have into what I want without deleting everything and starting
   from scratch?  I tried "moving" things, renaming things even, and came to a
   dead end for everything I tried to do.

2. If I am stuck with the hierarchy I created, is there an easier way to use
   money from Fidelity Cash Reserves to "buy" securities in other non-Fidelity
   Portfolios than doing the 3-step process I outlined above?

I am truly going crazy with this software.  Thanks so much for any help or
suggestions.

Diana

     In the DOS Version 9.0, this is how you do it:
     
     Under the PORTFOLIO menu, select PORTFOLIO ACCOUNTS.  In the
     PORTFOLIO ACCOUNTS display, there is a selection for TRANSFER (F6 in
     the DOS version).  Select this function and you get a menu asking
     you to select the accounts to transfer FROM and TO.  That done, 
     press the action key (return on my system) to SELECT ASSETS TO BE
     TRANSFERRED.  Now, mark the assets you want to move and press the
     action key.  It should do it for you. 
     
     I have done this and it works like a charm.  I can't imagine that
     this feature works very differently on the MAC.  If you tried this
     and failed, let us know what happened.
     
                                       lance

P.S. I am the author of note 188.7 -- my last name changed.

Well, I just talked to technical support and apparently, Lance, the Mac
version of MYM does not have the transfer assets capability like the IBM
version does.

The service rep told me the only alternative I have is to do a sell of all
the assets in each Detail account.  Then go into the new Detail account and
do a "receive" of those assets.  Unfortunately, all the transactions you've
had with the particular security do not go along when you "receive" the
funds into the new account.  Oh, boy.......  I might as well start from
scratch. I guess though, the alternative is to just keep doing the 3-step
transfer I outlined in my note.

New Mac MYM users beware................

Diana

     Of course, you could wait 6-7 months until the new version is
     out--did they say that would be one of the enhancements?  You could
     buy a PC...
     
     I also understand that a Windows version of MYM is in the offing for
     this year.  I wonder if that will also be a limited function
     release, they way the first Quicken for Windows was.  Gee, I may
     stick with the DOS version for a while.
     
     I also wonder if MYM will integrate stock trading into the program
     any time soon, that is, automatically issue buy and sell orders
     similar to the way you can automatically pay your bills with
     checkfree.  I believe that separate programs exist that can do that,
     and there is something in CompuServe that will allow it as well.
     
                                       lance

Wake up! Wake up!

Hello? I just bought MYM for a song. I used it years ago on an Apple
II GS and it was OK, then switched to Quicken, which was better, and
now am enamored of MYM.

Any other opinions? Amy tips, like to handle our 401K and ESPP using
memorized xactions?

Thanks,
Pete

    I've been using MYM (DOS, currently V12) for quite a while.
    
    The most recent PlusPlan newsletter indicated that this is the last DOS
    version to be produced. I guess we'll all have to move to the Windows
    version or head for Quicken or Microsoft Money...
    
    (I started years ago with Quicken for Apple II on my Apple IIgs. When
    they stopped supporting it, I moved to the MYM version for the Apple.
    When MYM stopped supporting the Apple, I was in the process of moving
    to a PC anyway so went with the DOS version. I've tried the Windows
    versions of MYM and just can't seem to get into them. Now with that
    being the only choice and looking at how many times MYM has been
    sold/resold in the last 2 years, perhaps it's time to return to the
    Quicken fold where at least the majority of users appear to be.)