Ok, I got my 1:1 transfers set up with the sheet, super helpful. I added a comment over there with the changes I made. I think the main reason I wanted multiple linked transfers that is not covered easily by doing a bunch of split transactions is for covering investments. I had been intending to set things up using this method. So for a simple brokerage with one index fund giving dividends that are reinvested, it would look something like this:
| Account | Description | Category | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | Withdrawal to brokerage | Transfer Out | -100 |
| Brokerage | Deposit from bank | Transfer In | 100 |
| Brokerage | Stock Purchase | Transfer Out | -100 |
| Brokerage | Dividend | Income | 5 |
| Brokerage | Reinvestment | Transfer Out | -5 |
| Brokerage | Dividend | Income | 5 |
| Brokerage | Reinvestment | Transfer Out | -5 |
| Brokerage | Stock Sale (split 1) | Transfer In | 110 |
| Brokerage | Stock Sale (split 2, capital gain if any) | Income | 10 |
| Brokerage | Withdrawal from brokerage | Transfer Out | -120 |
| Bank | Deposit to bank | Transfer In | 120 |
So this set up at the point of a stock sale generates a transfer recording the total of all investments made into the stock, and a split for any gain or loss. It neatly separates dividend/interest income from capital gains, and accurately notes that the real income is $20, and records it at the time that it happens. However, this setup does not play nicely with the linked transfers because I am not sure that I want to have to split the 110 transfer out into dozens of splits, so that each reinvestment transfer can be linked. You are also sitting with unlinked transfers out for a long time since they can’t be relinked until you sell.
One alternative (I think) is do something like this, which ensures that transfers always happen next to each other and are 1:1, but is somewhat abusing the notion of what a transfer is, since I’m not sure it’s fair to say that the dividend and the reinvestment are actually “linked”:
| Account | Description | Category | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | Withdrawal to brokerage | Transfer Out | -100 |
| Brokerage | Deposit from bank | Transfer In | 100 |
| Brokerage | Stock Purchase | Expense | -100 |
| Brokerage | Dividend | Transfer In | 5 |
| Brokerage | Reinvestment | Transfer Out | -5 |
| Brokerage | Dividend | Transfer In | 5 |
| Brokerage | Reinvestment | Transfer Out | -5 |
| Brokerage | Stock Sale (split 1) | Income | 100 |
| Brokerage | Stock Sale (split 2, dividends) | Income | 10 |
| Brokerage | Stock Sale (split 3, capital gain if any) | Income | 10 |
| Brokerage | Withdrawal from brokerage | Transfer Out | -120 |
| Bank | Deposit to bank | Transfer In | 120 |
Or even something like this that opts to completely defers thinking about everything inside the brokerage:
| Account | Description | Category | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | Withdrawal to brokerage | Expense | -100 |
| Brokerage | Deposit from bank | Transfer In | 100 |
| Brokerage | Stock Purchase | Transfer Out | -100 |
| Brokerage | Dividend | Transfer In | 5 |
| Brokerage | Reinvestment | Transfer Out | -5 |
| Brokerage | Dividend | Transfer In | 5 |
| Brokerage | Reinvestment | Transfer Out | -5 |
| Brokerage | Stock Sale | Transfer In | 120 |
| Brokerage | Withdrawal from brokerage | Transfer Out | -120 |
| Bank | Deposit to bank (split 1) | Income | 100 |
| Bank | Deposit to bank (dividends) | Income | 10 |
| Bank | Deposit to bank (capital gain) | Income | 10 |
This kinda got off topic but hopefully it explains why I wanted to use transfers in a less 1:1 or time-separated way. There are other small use cases, e.g. with a splitwise account where I make one actual payment that is registered as multiple transfers, but those are easier/less of a pain to solve with splits.