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Quicken Personal Finance Software - Download Quicken!When it comes to personal finance software, Quicken is the long established leader in the field. Their Quicken software is usually updated each year and is named accordingly - Quicken 2006, Quicken 2007, Quicken 2008, etc. The Quicken Basic version is available for $29 either as a downloadable file or on CD-ROM, available from the quicken.intuit.com website. The Basic version handles most of the tasks you will need - tracking spending and budgets, balancing your check book and tracking credit card expenses, handle bill paying, etc. The Quicken Deluxe version is $49, and includes additional features like tracking IRA and 401K accounts, college and retirement planning, and helps with finding tax deductions.
Using Quicken - Quicken HelpUsing Quicken takes a few times to get used to it, but once you configure it for your needs and learn the basic transaction steps, you'll find it pretty easy. The first step is to set up the accounts you will need, and Quicken features a wizard tool to walk you through the steps. How many bank accounts or saving accounts do you need to track? How many credit cards? How many investment or 401K accounts? Once those are setup, you will need to establish the initial balances from which you will begin, such as how many shares of stock you have and at what price they were purchased, and the balance of your bank accounts and credit accounts. Once this is set up, you begin entering your normal daily transactions, like a credit card purchase, writing a check, or buying or selling stocks. When you spend money on something, you assign it to an expense category, like "food", or "rent", or "automobile expense", or "insurance". Quicken comes pre-configured with most expense categories you would ever need, but it is easy to customize by adding your own categories or subcategories according to your needs.By categorizing all your expenses, it is easy to then run reports to see where you are spending the most money each month, or find out how much you spend on doctors last year when it comes time for taxes. Quicken also comes with a 60 day money back guarantee - try it, if you are not happy, you can get a refund when you return it. We've been using it for over a decade, and while we occasionally have complaints, overall it is a great product and is highly recommended. There are a number of sites that offer Quicken tips and short cuts as well, if you need help with Quicken. About.com has a section of Quicken tutorials on year end archiving, installing Quicken and troubleshooting, updating Quicken, and more. Buying Quicken at a Discount - Cheap Copy of QuickenThere are a number of online sites that sell Quicken for prices cheaper than the Intuit website. SoftwareOutlet.com offers the Deluxe version for $22 instead of Quicken's $49 price. DiscountShelf.com has the 2006 Quicken Deluxe for $20.99. So look around when you are ready to buy and you might save yourself 50%. If you are looking to download a free version of Quicken, be careful. Intuit does not offer a freely downloadable "trial" version of Quicken - so if you find a free download, it is probably an illegal copy. You may also run across people selling CD versions only of older versions of Quicken (no packaging, no documents). These may or may not be legal copies - Quicken used to bundle software with various hardware manufacturers, and there are a lot of old CDs floating around. Make sure you buy from a trusted source with the option to return if you have problems installing or using.Quicken Loans - Mortgages, Refinance, Home Equity LoansWith tens of millions of home users of their software, Intuit made the intelligent move into the mortgage business a few years ago with Quicken Loans (quickenloans.com). If you know and trust the Quicken name, they figure you will use them for financing your home as well - not a bad idea. The description from their website: "No one makes it easier than the home loan experts at Quicken Loans! We are ready to help you with your new home loan, refinance, or home equity loan needs - all at great low interest rates. Explore our web site for exclusive home loan options, easy-to-use mortgage calculators, valuable articles, and instant mortgage rate quotes. Apply for your mortgage online or talk to a Quicken Loans home loan expert today. Call us now at 800-251-9080." Anyways, they are the #1 online mortgage lender in the US, closing over $16 billion in 2005. They offer very competitive rates and fees, so if you are in the market for a new home mortgage, refinancing, or a home equity loan, contact them first and see how they compare to your local mortgage broker or bank.
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