Q:I am trying to run some reports from last year and this year to compare the number of customers we had. I need you to advise me as to how to run a report for last year which will include each customer's name.
A: The Loan List should give you what you want. You can run it for loans dated from a beginning date to an ending date. To show all new loans for the year, assuming the year is 2005, use the dates 01/01/2005 to 12/31/2005. To pick up loans from previous years, change the beginning date. You will want to change the loan status to ALL loans, because some loans that are not outstanding now may have been outstanding at the end of the year. Please be advised that it is best to run required end of year reports at the end of the year. The reason for this is that loan statuses change on a daily basis as the daily update runs. So a loan that was past due on 12/31/05 may become current on 01/10/2006 if the client pays on that date. The system cannot save 365 "snapshots" of the loan per year without the database becoming enormous and the system speed suffering. Therefore, it is best for companies to decide which reports they need for accounting purposes, and run those reports in a timely fashion. The company owners, managers and accountants should all agree on which reports are needed on a monthly basis, and at the end of the year, and those reports should be run on the last day of each month, and on the last day of the year. It is also a good idea to make a permanent backup after the last day of each month and the last day of the year have been closed. This way, if backdated information is needed, there will be a "snapshot" of the system at the end of each month and at the end of the year. A CD only costs a few cents, so permanent "snapshot" backups are inexpensive, and may be a lifesaver if your company is audited by the IRS or a state regulatory agency.