Hello,
I would like to propose an important improvement to credit card management in Alzex Finance.
One of the best features of Alzex Finance is its calendar-based projected balance view, which allows users to see how their account balances will change over time and identify the exact dates when their balances may become negative or positive.
However, credit card transactions are currently reflected in the account balance based on their transaction date. In real life, credit card spending is generally reflected in the statement balance according to the card's billing cycle.
I would like to suggest adding Credit Card Billing Cycle Management, which would make the projected balance calendar much more accurate.
- Automatic Statement Date Management
Each credit card account should have configurable billing cycle settings, including:
Monthly statement closing date.
Payment due date (optional but highly desirable).
When a credit card transaction is entered, its original transaction date should remain unchanged. However, its impact on the credit card account balance should be automatically scheduled for the next applicable statement closing date.
Example:
Let's assume a credit card has a statement closing date of the 20th of each month.
November 12: A purchase of $150 is recorded.
November 12–19: The credit card account balance should not yet reflect this debt.
November 20: The $150 debt should be reflected in the credit card account balance.
If another purchase is made on November 22, it should be reflected on December 20 instead.
The system should automatically determine the applicable statement date based on each credit card's billing cycle.
Most importantly, the original purchase date must be preserved for transaction history, reporting and categorization.
- Different Transaction Dates for Credit Card Cash Advances
Cash advances require special handling because the cash received and the credit card debt may become effective on different dates.
Example:
On November 12, I withdraw $300 from my credit card as a cash advance and transfer it to my cash account.
The expected behavior should be:
Cash account: Increase by $300 immediately on November 12.
Credit card account: The $300 debt should be reflected on the next statement closing date, November 20.
The system should support different effective dates for the two sides of the same transfer while keeping them linked as a single transaction.
- Credit Limit and Available Credit Tracking
It would also be very useful to define a credit limit for each credit card.
For example:
Total credit limit: $5,000
Used credit: $1,750
Available credit: $3,250
The application should automatically calculate and display:
Total credit limit.
Used credit.
Available credit.
Pending, unbilled transactions should also be considered when calculating available credit, while their impact on the statement balance can follow the billing cycle.
- Integration with the Projected Balance Calendar
This is particularly important to me.
The credit card billing cycle should be fully integrated with Alzex Finance's calendar-based projected balance feature.
I would like to see:
The exact date when each credit card debt will affect the account balance.
How future statement dates will affect my total financial position.
How cash advances and credit card payments will change my projected balances.
Potential negative balances before they actually occur.
Ideally, the calendar should also indicate upcoming statement closing dates and payment due dates.
Why This Feature Matters
Many people use credit cards as part of their monthly cash flow management.
Recording a purchase date and reflecting the resulting debt on the next statement closing date are two different things.
By separating the original transaction date from the effective balance date, Alzex Finance could provide a much more realistic financial forecast.
This would make the projected balance calendar even more powerful and help users plan their cash flow, avoid overdrafts and manage multiple credit cards more effectively.
I believe this feature would be a valuable addition to Alzex Finance, especially for users who actively manage their monthly budgets and cash flow.
Thank you for considering this suggestion. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Best regards