If a Stock Gets Renamed and You Download Transactions

[Cal Learner]

If you download transactions from a broker with PocketSense or other means, a company rename will come in as 

1. Buy or AddShares a new stock "NewCo" for $0.00.

2. Remove  the shares of "OldCo" with $0.00 proceeds.

If you just accept the transactions, you mess up your basis, dividend, and price history. There is more than one way, but this way works:

Have or create a stock named "ZZZ1 Fake for Renames". While you are at it, maybe create  "ZZZ2 Fake for Renames" for when you want a different such name.

So tell Money that the old stock already exists as ZZZ1 Fake for Renames. Tell Money that the surviving stock exists as the old name. Then Rename the stock in Money to match the new name. Change the symbol if appropriate. I like to look at my broker's history to see which CUSIP is the new surviving name, and which CUSIP is the old name being discarded. After downloading, Void transactions that are not appropriate. I could amplify on this if somebody wants.

Create a backup in case you want to undo something. You can make a special one-time backup with File->Backup. The backup file is your way to undo. I create daily backup files (Money Plus make that easy to keep the 20 or so most recent).