<title>Learn about the relationship between a Cash Transactions register and an investment account</title>
<category>investing</category>
<klink type="prcdr">Tell me about the relationship between a Cash Transactions register and an investment account.</klink>
</index>
<content>
<p>When you create an investment account in Money, a Cash Transactions register for the account is created at the same time. You can use the Cash Transactions register as a holding place for your investment money. As you enter buy, sell, and other investment transactions, the Cash Transactions register increases or decreases in the same way that your brokerage account tracks your cash balance. Although Money recommends you use the Cash Transactions register, you have the option of turning it off.</p>
<p>The Cash Transactions register is on by default. If you enter a buy transaction but haven't first credited the cash account with the money, a negative balance will appear in the cash account. You can avoid this in a couple of ways:</p>
<ul>
<li>If you don't want to track your investment account cash, you can turn off the Cash Transactions register. Click <emph>Options</emph> on the <emph>Tools</emph> menu, click the <emph>Investments</emph> tab, clear the <emph>Require a transfer account for each investment transaction</emph> check box, and then click <emph>OK</emph>.</li>
<li>If you want to track your investment account cash, you can avoid creating a negative balance by first entering money into the Cash Transactions register or creating a cash transactions opening balance.</li>