Thread: problems using tracker

Originally Posted by mailmanusa

Since I cant get my IFT's posted in time I want to use the tracker myself. I downloaded it from tsptalk and also downloaded the most recent version of microsoft excel. I cant seem to make entries on the spreadsheet. When I click a block it will outline it in bold but wont allow me to type or paste anything in there. Anyone have an idea what I could be doing wrong or what the problem might be? Thanks.

You say you downloaded the TSPTalk calculator and Excel, but cannot make entries in the calculator cells. I believe you downloaded the Microsoft Excel reader that allows you to view Excel spreadsheets. You would need to obtain/buy a copy of Excel, and install it to create/modify Excel spreadsheets. An alternative would be to download and install a copy of the free OpenOffice software. http://download.openoffice.org/

This is my guess based upon the limited information you gave.

EWGuy, it looks like your assumption is correct. I checked my programs and found I downloaded the Excel viewer. So you are saying open office software has a free download that will allow me to perform editing and additions to excel spreadsheats? Any drawbacks to the "free" factor? Thanks for the help.

Thanks the openoffice program got it working. I can at least enter everything manually now. I am having trouble with the cutting and pasting of share prices though. Is that because of the introduction of the L funds prices to the the TSP share price page?

That could be the problem, but I'm not sure what you mean by "having trouble with cutting and pasting share prices". There are two TSPTalk calculators to download. One has the Lifecycle funds and regular funds (2006 TSP Returns Calculator - with L Funds*), the other just has the regular funds (2006 TSP Returns Calculator). Which TSPTalk calculator did you download?

If using regular calculator: When copying fund prices from the TSP.gov site you need to grab just the regular fund prices (G/F/C/S/I), without the date, and pasting into the price cells of the calculator corresponding to the same funds. Enter the end date manually. This avoids copying the Lifecycle fund prices.

If using the calculator with L funds: When copying fund prices from the TSP.gov site you can grab all fund prices, without the date, and pasting into the price cells of the calculator corresponding to the same funds. Enter the end date manually.

Do you know how to copy a group of fund prices at TSP.gov site and pasting into a group of cells in the calculator? Is this the problem area?

Thanks for all the help EWGuy. I had followed the instructions for the tracker on TSPTALK. If you look back there it says to copy including the date but the example pictured there does not show the share price page as it is since the L funds were added. I think those instructions were written prior to the introduction of the L funds. I guess thats what caused my confusion. I am using the regular tracker not the life cycle one. I had been copying the entire line including date and L funds. I will give it a try as you suggest and copy just the G F C S I, then enter the date manually. If you dont here back from me on this thread, consider I got it down.