I would like to be able to generate a simple report on the number of renewing members each year, as it would be really helpful information to know.

The renewal system needs to be rethought.
We operate on a quarterly cycle, with about a quarter of our members coming due for renewal each quarter. Within each quarter, we send out a renewal notice and a final notice. We are trying to generate accurate statistics for the number of renewals paid between the renewal notice and the final notice, and between the final notice and the next quarter’s renewal notice. But the only means of doing this, the [Renewal Date Last Changed] function, reports ALL changes to renewal dates; along with renewals, it reports every manual adjustment, including error corrections, upgrades to life memberships and even deaths.
Why not set up the renewal function to work like the donations function, where each one is tabulated individually in such a way that they can be reviewed at a later date by date? That would give us the information we need for renewals paid by date range.
If this is unacceptable, then at the very least change the Renewal Date Last Changed function so that it can filter out manual edits and adjustments.

We send member kits to all our members who renew their annual membership This report is pulled weekly. The manual renewals do not pull into the "date last renewed" field and you cannot manually enter that. It would be nice to have one field that would show payments made by members. The financial reports do not give member names.

Thanks Walt

But my point is more that WA should do it automatically in Member Summary. There appears to be plenty of room or maybe substitute for "New in Last 7 Days" - I mean how important is this.
Alternatively, and better, one could pick the Summary information one needs from a menu.

From Member list, I do an Advanced Search on Renewal due on or after a date just after the renewal date. That lists the members who have renewed because their renewal date is now in the future.

Because we have two members per membership, I add Role is Bundle Administrator.

Does that work for you?