Transaction Search Tips
Quick Review
What: Advanced search formulas for finding specific transactions
Why: Quickly locate transactions by amount, date, or range
How: Use special operators like +, -, >, < and "ish" in search bar
Note: Only one search term or formula can be used at a time
Overview
Quicken Simplifi's transaction search goes beyond simple text matching. Using special formulas, you can search for amount ranges, approximate dates, and filter by income versus expenses.
Ashley discovered these search tricks while preparing quarterly taxes. Instead of scrolling through hundreds of transactions, they now use formulas to quickly find specific client payments or expense ranges. What used to take 30 minutes now takes 30 seconds.
Searching by Amount
Basic Amount Searches
Generic number (23): Finds both +23.00 and -23.00
With minus sign (-23.50): Finds only that specific expense
With plus sign (+23.50): Finds only that specific income
With dollar sign ($23): Helps refine the search
Approximate Amount Searches
Find transactions "around" a certain amount:
-23ish: Expenses roughly around $23
~-23: Also searches for expenses roughly around $23
+100ish: Income roughly around $100
Range Searches
Find transactions greater or less than amounts:
+>1000: Income greater than $1,000
-<50: Expenses less than $50
->200: Expenses greater than $200
Ashley uses "+>3000" to quickly find large client payments and "-<20" to review small recurring expenses that might be forgotten subscriptions.
Searching by Date
Exact Date Formats
Simplifi accepts multiple date formats:
2/3/2022 or 02/03/2022
Feb 02, 2022
Feb 02 2022 (no comma)
February 02, 2022
Approximate Date Searches
2/3/2022ish: Transactions around February 3, 2022
02/03/2022ish: Same result, different format
Date Range Searches
>2/3/2022: On or after February 3, 2022
<2/3/2022: On or before February 3, 2022
Real-World Search Examples
Tax Preparation
Ashley's quarterly tax routine:
Find all large income: +>1000
Find business meals: Search "lunch" or "dinner"
Find specific quarter: >1/1/2022 and <3/31/2022 (run separately)
Subscription Audit
Finding recurring charges:
Search common amounts: -9.99, -14.99, -19.99
Look for streaming services: "Netflix", "Spotify"
Find small recurring charges: -<15
Finding Errors
Duplicate charges: Search exact amount like -47.82
Wrong signs: + when searching for what should be expenses
Specific dates: When reconciling statements
Important Limitations
One search at a time: You cannot combine formulas like ">100 AND <500"
Performance considerations:
Transactions default to recent years only
Access older data via gear icon (Web) or tooltip icon (Mobile)
Keep data limited for best performance
Search Strategy Tips
Start broad, then narrow: Search "coffee" before trying "-4.95"
Use memorable amounts: Round numbers are easier to search
Try variations: Some merchants appear differently than expected
Note the single search limit: Plan searches sequentially
Common Search Scenarios
Finding a specific transaction:
Remember rough amount? Use "ish": -45ish
Remember exact date? Use date search: 3/15/2022
Remember merchant? Search by name: "Target"
Monthly review:
Large expenses: ->100
Small recurring charges: -<20
Income verification: +>0
Year-end analysis:
Q4 transactions: >10/1/2022
Large payments received: +>5000
Tax-deductible amounts: Search specific categories after filtering
The Bottom Line
Quicken Simplifi's search formulas transform transaction hunting from tedious scrolling to targeted queries. Master the basic operators (+, -, >, <, ish) and you'll find any transaction in seconds. Remember you can only use one search formula at a time, so plan your search strategy accordingly.
Hint: Create a "Search Cheat Sheet" note on your phone with your most-used formulas. Ashley keeps formulas for quarterly income ranges, common expense amounts, and date ranges for each tax quarter. During tax prep, they copy and paste these pre-written searches rather than typing them each time. Also, when searching for transactions around a specific amount, try both the exact amount and "ish" versions—sometimes the exact amount was $4.97, not the $5.00 you remembered.