diff --git a/src/engine/FileIO.c b/src/engine/FileIO.c
index d53a6337f1..c850fc351b 100644
--- a/src/engine/FileIO.c
+++ b/src/engine/FileIO.c
@@ -937,7 +937,7 @@ xaccResetWriteFlags (AccountGroup *grp)
     int n=0;
     Account *acc;
     Split *s;
-    acc = getAccount (grp,i) ;
+    acc = xaccGroupGetAccount (grp,i) ;
 
     /* recursively do sub-accounts */
     xaccResetWriteFlags (acc->children);
@@ -1033,7 +1033,7 @@ writeGroup (int fd, AccountGroup *grp )
   
   for( i=0; i<grp->numAcc; i++ )
     {
-    err = writeAccount( fd, getAccount(grp,i) );
+    err = writeAccount( fd, xaccGroupGetAccount(grp,i) );
     if( -1 == err )
       return err;
     }
diff --git a/src/engine/Group.c b/src/engine/Group.c
index ab78735940..1c87178389 100644
--- a/src/engine/Group.c
+++ b/src/engine/Group.c
@@ -132,22 +132,6 @@ xaccAccountGroupNotSaved (AccountGroup *grp)
    return 0;
 }
 
-/********************************************************************\
-\********************************************************************/
-Account *
-getAccount( AccountGroup *grp, int num )
-  {
-  if( grp != NULL )
-    {
-    if( (0 <= num) && (num < grp->numAcc) )
-      return grp->account[num];
-    else
-      return NULL;
-    }
-  else
-    return NULL;
-  }
-
 /********************************************************************\
  * Get the number of accounts, including subaccounts                *
 \********************************************************************/
@@ -589,4 +573,28 @@ xaccConsolidateGrpTransactions (AccountGroup *grp)
    }
 }
 
+/********************************************************************\
+\********************************************************************/
+
+int     
+xaccGroupGetNumAccounts (AccountGroup *grp)
+{
+   return (grp->numAcc);
+}
+
+Account *
+xaccGroupGetAccount (AccountGroup *grp, int i)
+{
+   if (!grp) return NULL;
+   if (!(grp->account)) return NULL;
+   if((0>i) || (i >= grp->numAcc)) return NULL;
+   return (grp->account[i]);
+}
+
+double
+xaccGroupGetBalance (AccountGroup * grp)
+{
+   return (grp->balance);
+}
+
 /****************** END OF FILE *************************************/
diff --git a/src/engine/Group.h b/src/engine/Group.h
index 680a7755f1..0acda677d1 100644
--- a/src/engine/Group.h
+++ b/src/engine/Group.h
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ void    xaccMergeAccounts (AccountGroup *grp);
 int     xaccAccountGroupNotSaved  (AccountGroup *grp);
 void    xaccAccountGroupMarkSaved (AccountGroup *grp);
 
-Account *getAccount( AccountGroup *grp, int num );
 Account *removeAccount( AccountGroup *grp, int num );
 int     insertAccount( AccountGroup *grp, Account *acc );
 
@@ -85,6 +84,12 @@ int     xaccInsertSubAccount( Account *parent, Account *child );
  */
 int     xaccGetNumAccounts (AccountGroup *grp);
 
+/*
+ * The xaccGroupGetNumAccounts() subroutine returns the number
+ * of accounts in the indicated group only (children not counted).
+ */
+int     xaccGroupGetNumAccounts (AccountGroup *grp);
+
 /* 
  * The xaccGetAccountFromID() subroutine fetches the account
  *    with the indicated account id from the collection of accounts
@@ -136,6 +141,10 @@ AccountGroup * xaccGetAccountRoot (Account *);
 
 void xaccConsolidateGrpTransactions (AccountGroup *);
 
+/* #define getAccount xaccGroupGetAccount */
+Account * xaccGroupGetAccount (AccountGroup *, int);
+double    xaccGroupGetBalance (AccountGroup *);
+
 
 /** GLOBALS *********************************************************/
 extern AccountGroup *topgroup;