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by Shelley Elmblad
This review by Shelley Elmblad, About.com's financial software guide, compares the 2009 versions of Quicken with Money Plus, Microsoft's renamed 2008 update. (Microsoft did not update any of the versions of… Money 2008 for 2009.) Elmblad offers a helpful feature-by-feature comparison, and chooses the best of the two in terms of each of 11 categories. Quicken wins six categories, Microsoft Money Plus wins two, and they tie in three. Based on these scores, Elmblad concludes that, "Quicken has an edge over Microsoft Money Plus." Links lead to full reviews for each of the two main financial software programs; the Quicken review compares the 2009 versions of Quicken to the 2008 versions. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
by Editors of CNet.com
These concise, highly informative reviews clearly give the nod to Quicken 2008 over Money. The reviews talk about the good, the bad and the bottom line. Extra attention is given to the new features that… come with each 2008 version of Quicken or Money. The newest version of Quicken Premier 2008 is "a solid finance package and a great choice for novices," but the editors didn't find a "compelling reason to upgrade from the 2007 version." Still, editors note that all Quicken versions now work with more than 5,300 online financial institutions, and that they offer improved features and interface navigation and a desktop bill alert. There is no review of the 2009 versions of Quicken.
by Mason Currey
Mason Currey sets out to answer his own question by trying out various personal accounting software packages and assigning them a score in each of four categories: security, features, ease of use and value.… He includes online platforms like Mint.com and software, including Quicken Deluxe 2009 and Money Plus Deluxe. Quicken Deluxe 2009 gets a total score of 22 out of 40, while Money Plus Deluxe gets a 23. Currey says he found Money Plus Deluxe easier to set up and use than Quicken Deluxe. Currey gives Quicken a higher score for security, however, because it stores your passwords locally, while Microsoft saves them on its server.
by Yardena Arar
According to PC World's Yardena Arar, Quicken 2008 Home & Business edges out Money Plus, mostly because of its overall features, such as a new tagging tool for grouping expenses. Money just added the… ability to attach electronic documents, which Quicken has done for years, adds Arar. Neither program gets excessive praise, but Arar commends Quicken for letting users download transaction data for three years after buying the software, while Microsoft wants users to upgrade Money every two years to maintain online services.
by Contributors to Amazon.com
There are about 80 user reviews for Quicken 2009 Deluxe on Amazon.com, and a few for each of the other versions. Many of them are surprisingly negative, primarily from Quicken users who found upgrading to… the 2009 version frustrating because of bugs in the software and difficulty downloading data correctly. However, several others say that the software loads easily and that it's easy to use. The same goes for Microsoft Money products. Most of the negative comments are from existing users (almost all new users are happy), and they range from problems with bugs to complaints about ads and the fact that they have to upgrade every two years. In contrast, there are about 100 user reviews of You Need A Budget Pro, and they are overwhelmingly positive; the average star rating is 4.5 out of five. Users love the YNAB method for managing money that they learn as they use the software. Most also say that they found the software easy to download and easy to use.
by Shelley Elmblad
In this review, Elmblad describes GnuCash's features in detail. She says the features GnuCash offers, along with the tutorials and other customer support, make it "definitely worth a try." This free… software includes features that make it suitable for business use as well, she concludes, and, "Many small businesses will find GnuCash is perfect for their needs." (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
by Editors of Linux Magazine
This review outlines GnuCash's features, walks the reader through some of the application's basic setup tasks, and explains how to back up and restore its files. The editors say that GnuCash's help… features, including online help files and user tutorials, are among the best around, especially for a free open-source application. Editors conclude that GnuCash is "a rich application" that can handle personal and small business financial management tasks with ease.
by Jeffery Battersby
This thorough review states that Moneydance 2007 "is a viable and worthwhile alternative to Quicken." Though the program has a few minor quirks, says reviewer Jeffery Battersby, it offers every feature you… need to track and manage money. There are excellent graphing and reporting tools and a checkbook ledger-like interface for adding new transactions. Category entry is not easy, though, notes Battersby.
by Shelley Elmblad
Elmblad notes that You Need A Budget Pro (YNAB), while it does provide the ability to manage accounts, is really an application that not only allows users to set up and manage a budget, but also actually… teaches them how to pay off debts and save money. It comes with five bonus spreadsheets: Debt Snowball, for paying off debts; Income Tax Forecaster; Retirement Planner; Mortgage Analyzer; and Car Maintenance Schedule. This application costs $50, but updates are free. This thorough review can help consumers decide whether YNAB might offer what they're looking for.
by Brian Hart
In this detailed review of SplashMoney for the iPhone, mobile device expert Brian Hart writes that although the software has a few bugs -- it crashed a couple of times while he was setting up his accounts… -- "it is a very promising financial app for your iPhone with some powerful features." Users can go online to download account data, and they can sync the data on the iPhone with that on the desktop version of SplashMoney. Hart finds the user interface easy to understand and use, and he had no trouble figuring out how to set up his accounts. He likes that the software supports many types of accounts, including checking and savings, credit card, money market and line of credit. Hart notes as well that SplashMoney supports multiple currencies, and that it provides online real-time currency updates.
by Neil McAllister
by David Futrelle
This article provides a brief overview of David Futrelle's top picks in personal finance software. Though he didn't test the 2008 versions, Futrelle likes both Quicken and Microsoft. He says they offer many… versions with varying features that can simplify your finances. He also recommends AceMoney if you're looking for a simpler, low-cost alternative. He says that for Mac users, Moneydance is a passable alternative to Quicken's offerings, noting that it's "sleek and simple to use." None of the software is compared in any depth, though.
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 You Need A Budget Pro - Personal Finance Software Program  from Amazon.com New: $49.95 In Stock.
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