Here's a quick and easy GnuCash tip that will both surprise and delight any new initiate to GnuCash.

When you first open GnuCash and begin to set up your accounts you'll see a default series of column headings. It seems like it would be a good idea to perhaps customize those columns to show other account information along with the rather limited default GnuCash list. Search all you want, you won't find a menu item for customizing the column layout.

That's because GnuCash hides the column layout option right there in plain view. See the little arrow in the upper right of the GnuCash window? It's all the way to the right on the line containing the column headings. Click that arrow and down drops a chooser dialog where you can check which columns you want to show.

It's a simple and straightforward solution to the problem of where best to locate the column layout customization button. Unfortunately new and uninitiated GnuCash users coming from those other personal finance applications are conditioned to go hunting through "preferences" dialogs and other menu bar choices. I know, I was one of them until I discovered and was delighted by GnuCash's elegant solution.