# GnuCash User Guide Outline

### PART ONE: GETTING STARTED

#### Chapter 1 Overview of GnuCash

- 1.1 Introduction to GnuCash (Discussion)

- 1.2 About This Book (Discussion)

- 1.3 Top Ten Reasons to Use GnuCash (Discussion)

- 1.4 Installation (How-To)

#### Chapter 2 Basic Structure and Setup

- 2.1 Data Entry Concepts (Discussion)

- 2.1.1 Files, Accounts and Transactions

- 2.1.2 Double Entry

- 2.2 The GnuCash Interface (Discussion)

- 2.2.1 New User Setup

- 2.2.2 Tip of Day

- 2.2.3 Main Window

- 2.2.4 Register Window

- 2.2.5 Tool Bar Buttons

- 2.2.6 Menu Options

- 2.2.7 Menu Shortcuts

- 2.3 Setting Preferences (Discussion)

- 2.4 Getting Help (Discussion)

- 2.4.1 Manual

- 2.4.2 Web Access

- 2.4.3 Network Registration

- 2.4.4 Topic Search

- 2.5 Creating, Saving and Opening Files (How-To)

- 2.6 Importing QIF Files (How-To)

- 2.7 Backing Up Data (How-To)

- 2.8 Putting It All Together (Examples of creating and saving a file, importing a qif, and changing a preference)

#### Chapter 3 Organizing Your Accounts

- 3.1 Accounts vs. Categories (Discussion)

- 3.2 Types of GnuCash Accounts (Discussion)

- 3.3 Setting Up a New Account (How-To)

- 3.3.1 General Info

- 3.3.2 Opening Balance

- 3.4 Setting Up a Chart of Accounts (How-To)

- 3.5 Changing Accounts (How-To)

- 3.5.1 Editing an Account

- 3.5.2 Deleting an Account

- 3.6 Changing a Chart of Accounts

- 3.6.1 Moving From Subaccount to Parent Account

- 3.6.2 Moving From Parent Account to Subaccount

- 3.6.3 Moving To a Different Parent Account

- 3.7 Opening Accounts and Subaccounts

- 3.8 Scrubbing Accounts

- 3.9 Putting It All Together (Examples of setting up a simple chart of accounts with cash, checking, savings, credit card, income and expense accounts)

#### Chapter 4 Entering Transactions

- 4.1 Overview of Registers (Discussion)

- 4.2 Setting Register Options (Discussion)

- 4.2.1 Style

- 4.2.2 Sort Order

- 4.2.3 Date Range

- 4.2.4 Preferences

- 4.3 Entering a Transaction (How-To)

- 4.3.1 Register

- 4.3.2 Transfer Dialog

- 4.3.3 General Ledger Tool

- 4.4 Entering Multiple Splits (How-To)

- 4.5 Using Entry Shortcuts (How-To)

- 4.5.1 Autofill

- 4.5.2 Keyboard shortcuts

- 4.6 Working with Existing Transactions (How-To)

- 4.6.1 Editing

- 4.6.2 Deleting

- 4.6.3 Copying

- 4.6.4 Jumping to Other Account

- 4.6.5 Finding

- 4.7 Reconciling to a Statement (How-To)

- 4.8 Recurring/Scheduled Transactions (How-To)

- 4.9 Putting It All Together (Example of entering an opening balance in checking, entering a paycheck with deductions, entering a second paycheck using QuickFill, and scheduling a recurring paycheck transaction)

### PART TWO: MANAGING YOUR RECORDS

#### Chapter 5 Your Checkbook and Wallet

- 5.1 Setting up Accounts (Discussion)

- 5.2 Entering Deposits(Discussion)

- 5.2.1 Net Pay (How-To)

- 5.2.2 Gross Pay(How-To)

- 5.2.3 Interest Income (How-To)

- 5.2.4 Other (Non-Income) Deposits (How-To)

- 5.3 Entering Withdrawals (Discussion)

- 5.3.1 Check Payments (How-To)

- 5.3.2 ATM/Cash Withdrawals(How-To)

- 5.3.3 Service Charges (How-To)

- 5.3.4 Other Withdrawals (How-To)

- 5.4 Printing Checks (How-To)

- 5.5 Reconciling Bank and Cash Accounts (How-To)

- 5.6 Adjusting the Balance (How-To)

- 5.7 Putting It All Together (Examples)

#### Chapter 6 Credit Cards

- 6.1 Setting Up Accounts (Discussion)

- 6.2 Opening Credit Card Balance (How-To)

- 6.3 Entering Charges(Discussion)

- 6.3.1 Purchases (How-To)

- 6.3.2 Finance/Late Charges (How-To)

- 6.4 Entering Payments (Discussion)

- 6.4.1 Monthly Payments (How-To)

- 6.4.2 Refunds/Credits (How-To)

- 6.5 Reconciling Credit Card Accounts (How-To)

- 6.6 Adjusting the Balance (How-To)

- 6.7 Putting It All Together (Examples)

#### Chapter 7 Investments

- 7.1 Setting up Accounts (Discussion - brokerage, IRA, 401(K), stock options)

- -Brokerage

- -CD?s

- -Treasury Bills

- -Money Market

- -Mutual Funds

- -Stocks

- -Bonds

- -Retirements accounts

- 7.2 Creating a Portfolio for Your Current Holdings (How-To)

- 7.3 Buying New Investments (How-To)

- 7.4 Selling Investments (How-To)

- 7.5 Recording Dividends and Interest (How-To)

- 7.6 Recording Stock Splits and Mergers (How-To)

- 7.7 Recording Employee Stock Plans (Discussion)

- 7.7.1 Stock Purchase Plans (How-To)

- 7.7.2 Stock Options (How-To)

- 7.8 Managing your Portfolio (Discussion)

- 7.8.1 Portfolio View

- 7.8.2 Updating Prices (How-To)

- 7.8.3 Measuring Capital Gains (Discussion)

- 7.9 Reconciling with the Brokerage Statement (How-To)

- 7.10 Putting It All Together (Examples)

#### Chapter 8 Assets and Loans

- 8.1 Setting up Accounts (Discussion of ways to handle appreciation, depreciation, principal and interest payments, gains)

- 8.2 Buying a House with Related Mortgage (How-To)

- 8.3 Buying a Vehicle with Related Loan (How-To)

- 8.4 Entering a Payment Schedule

- 8.4.1 Monthly Payments (How-To)

- 8.4.2 Final Payment (How-To)

- 8.5 Selling a House or Vehicle (How-To)

- 8.6 Recording Changes in Value

- 8.6.1 Appreciation (How-To)

- 8.6.2 Depreciation (How-To)

- 8.6.3 Capital Gains (How-To)

- 8.7 Tracking Other Assets (How-To)

- 8.8 Reconciling with the Loan Statements (How-To)

- 8.9 Putting It All Together (Examples)

#### Chapter 9 Multiple Currencies

- 9.1 Setting up Accounts (Discussion of ISO codes, setup of currency accounts)

- 9.2 GnuCash Currency Support (Discussion of Euro support, exchange rates)

- 9.3 Setting International Preferences (Discussion)

- 9.4 Recording Currency Exchange (How-To)

- 9.5 Recording Purchases in a Foreign Currency (How-To)

- 9.6 Tracking Currency Investments (How-To)

- 9.7 Reconciling Statements in a Foreign Currency (How-To)

- 9.8 Updating Exchange Rates (How-To)

- 9.9 Putting It All Together (Examples)

#### Chapter 10 Reports and Graphs

- 10.1 Overview of Reports and Graphs (Discussion)

- 10.2 Types of Reports and Graphs (Discussion)

- 10.3 Creating Standard Reports and Graphs (How-To)

- 10.4 Customizing (How-To)

- 10.5 Printing Reports and Graphs (How-To)

- 10.6 Putting It All Together (Examples)

#### Chapter 11 Going Online

- 11.1 Available Online Features (Discussion)

- 11.2 Using Online Help (How-To)

- 11.3 Getting Online Software Updates (How-To)

- 11.4 Getting Online Quotes and Exchange Rates (How-To)

- 11.5 Importing Online Bank Statements (How-To)

- 11.6 Putting It All Together (Examples)

### PART THREE: ADVANCED TOPICS

#### Chapter 12 Planning for the Future

- 12.1 Preparing for Tax Time (Discussion)

- 12.2 Creating and Using Budgets (Discussion)

- 12.3 Planning for Loans (Discussion)

- 12.4 Planning to Buy a House (Discussion)

#### Chapter 13 Business Needs

- 13.1 Overview of Business vs. Personal Needs

- 13.2 More on Double-Entry Accounting

- 13.3 General Ledger

- 13.4 Payables and Receivables

- 13.5 Inventory

- 13.6 Payroll

### APPENDICES

#### Appendix A Guide for Former Users of Quicken and other QIF Applications

- Organization of QIF Files (Discussion)

- Common Duplication Issues (Discussion)

- Checking QIF Data (Discussion)

#### Appendix B Frequently Asked Questions

- (Notes: How to treat taxes (payable or expense?), how to record a txn on different dates (actual date and bank date), how to provide security for GC data using CFS, etc.)

#### Appendix C Troubleshooting Guide