PsL Monthly 1994 January/PSL Monthly Shareware CD-ROM (Public Software Library) (January 1994).iso/reviews/ah_01

Text File | 1993-11-08 | 23KB | 557 lines

AH-01:  Home Accounting & Budgeting


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#1010 - Checkbook, Budgeting         Small Programs Disk
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Bank Statement Tamer 5.1 (BST)
   MicroHealth Software
   $10-$15
is ideal for anyone who has trouble balancing a checkbook or who just doesn't
understand the procedure. The program explains every step in great detail. Also
included is a program for managing your checkbook register.

RBB Budget System II 1.0 (BUDGET)
   Byxbe, Ronald B. ASP
   $45
is a home accounting program which allows you to maintain a budget and print
monthly or yearly reports, including budget versus actual.

CredCard 1.2 (CRED-RD)
   Delaroderie, Rad
   $10
lets you quickly and easily enter transactions for up to 1000 different
accounts. It is primarily intended for keeping track of credit card accounts,
but could be used for anything, such as checking or investments.

FastChex (FASTCHE)
   Nicolella, Richard
   $?
is a simple but efficient way to record and print your checks.  It lets you
store names, account numbers and monthly payment amounts for up to 72 payees.
It also lets you easily adjust the print spacing to any check layout.  Although
the bank balance and check information is saved, this is not an accounting
program that classifies your expenses.

Money Manager  (MONEY)
   Albanese, Joseph M.
   $?
is a simple checkbook program for recording checking account transactions and
reconciling bank balances.  Offers password protection and allows searching for
checks.  Heavy use of color indicates that it may not work on a non-color
system.

UltCkbk
   H&M Software Design
   $?
is a well-designed one-screen, easy-to-use checkbook recording and reconciling
program.

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End of Small Programs Disk #1010
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Accounting-101 2.03
   Enochs, Iddo L.
   $25
   #1296
Those who value subaccounts should take a look at this program. It is the only
one that allows you to set up a fully nested Chart of Accounts, and it comes
with lengthy predefined COA's for personal or business use.

One posting does the posting for the deposits, the journal entries, and the
checks. A warning is given prior to deleting an account with balances or with
subaccounts. Other features include a check journal, on-line help, the ability
to view reports on screen, and easy and efficient data entry.


Bankbook
   Koch, Richard
   $?
   #2751
is a home accounting program for children. It teaches them financial
responsibility as well as letting them keep track of their allowances and
other income.


Cash Control
   Adrian-Thomas ASP
   $30-$35
   #20076/2723
is a very well designed accounting program for home or small business use.
This program and Ultra-Check are the top-rated home accounting programs by our
criteria, with Cash Control edging out Ultra-Check, in our opinion, because it
has more features.

Here's how we graded CC: Setup - none; you start using the program immediately
and add accounts as you need them while entering transactions. Overall ease of
use is very good. Data Entry is fast and efficient, with a one-screen approach
that we wish all data entry type programs had. Recurring entries can be
handled in bulk or by pulling entries into the register by just entering a
couple of letters of the payee's name.

Other features include the ability to customize the check printing output
format, display bar and pie charts, reconcile accounts, and a pop-up
calculator and clock. One important feature which only a few programs have is
the ability to charge a check (almost) directly to a balance sheet account,
such as Investments. Requires 320k DOS RAM.


TreeBased
   Berry, Jonathan and Matt
   $44
   #20076/4704
is a unique accounting program for home and small businesses. We reject
a lot of me-too checkbook programs every month, so for us to add this
one, you know it has to be outstanding.

What makes TreeBased unique is its user interface, which is a mix of a
spreadsheet, outliner, and checkbook. The main screen, is built around a
financial statement display with the categories on the left and three
user-selectable time periods (months, days, weeks, quarters, etc) in the
columns.

Like a spreadsheet program, you can scroll the columns. For example, if
you have the columns set up to show months, with October, November, and
December being displayed, by pressing the left arrow cursor, you can
scroll over a month so that September, October and November are
displayed.

Like an outlining program, when you select a category, a box pops up
showing detail of the accounts in it. Because of this visually nested
approach to subaccounts, we feel that it is easier to set up and follow
subaccounts in TreeBased than any other accounting program we've seen.
In contrast, Quicken's subaccount approach seems completely muddled.

If you have read our past reviews of accounting programs, you know that
we have given high marks to programs like Ultra Check which have
simplified the program down to one data-entry screen that looks like a
check register, allowing you to enter and edit checks, deposits and
adjustments without having to change screens. The check register display
makes more sense because it allows you to see more data and because it
looks like the checkbook to which everyone is accustomed.

TreeBased has multiple screens - the spreadsheet/financial-statment
screen plus a check register screen - but because it is possible to
invoke all the features from almost any screen, it is no less efficient
to use than the one-screen programs.

For example, when you are on the spreadsheet screen, you push the minus
key to write a check or make some other negative adjustment or push the
plus key to enter a deposit or some other positive adjustment. On the
check register screen, you do the same.

Other features include auto-entry, budgeting, forecasting, split
transactions, memorized transactions, account reconciliations, check
printing, importing and exporting of data, memo fields, financial
statement printing, and much more.


Checks
   Analytical Services Corp.
   $25
   #3357
prints checks and envelopes on an HP LaserJet Plus or compatible printer. It
works with any style checks and stores names and addresses in a permanent file
for reuse, and saves the last check written for each name in the file. Multiple
check and envelope setups can be stored by name.


Financial Wizard 5.4 [FINWIZ]  (09-93 CD)
   Silva Corp. ASP
   $28
   #12190
is an investment and loan analysis program. Features include future and
present investment values, interest rate, amortization and growth, tax
free vs. non-tax free yields, T-Bill analysis, stock dividend analysis,
depreciation, date calculations, calendar, calculator, and note pad.


PC Allowance
   Byrd, John H./Syntonic Software ASP
   $34
   #4541
lets you teach your children about money management by letting you set up
books to be their "banker". Saving money is rewarded by compounding interest
on money saved. You can make deposits, withdrawals and mock checks. It
automatically accrues a set weekly allowance, performs compound interest
calculations, publishes account statements and makes loans.

The program works like an automatic teller machine, except that it prints out
a check which the child then presents to the parent for payment


Check King 1.8b
   Rickenbacker, Tom
   $20
   #27644/2857
lets you record, track, and balance your checks with minimal data entry. It
doesn't have all the features of programs like Cash Control and Ultra-Check, but
it is probably the easiest program we have seen for what it does.


Checkbook Manager
   Ramsal Software
   $32
   #27644/3497
is a home checkbook program that supports Spanish and English. Although the
program has several nice features, such as a pop-up calendar, notepad and
calculator, we would not rate it up with Cash Control and Ultra Check. But for
anyone who needs a home accounting program in Spanish, this is not a bad
program. The on-disk documentation is also available in Spanish and English.
Requires DOS 3.0, 512K and a hard disk.


EZ-Finance
   Danville Software
   $30
   #27644/3196
is a very good home accounting program, although it is a step behind Cash
Control and UltraCheck. It comes very close to a one-screen approach for
entering and editing data, except that you have to exit the screen to change
from checks to deposits. Another shortcoming is that it does not automatically
increment check numbers. Also, if you do not have most of your 640k free, the
program will run out of memory during operation and unceremoniously dump you
back to DOS. It has no budgeting capability and it will not memorize
repetitive transactions.

With all this going against it, you could safely surmise that what it does
have is pretty well done for us to add it to PsL despite its weaknesses.

On the bright side, the program is very complete and easy to use. You can
review, edit and add transactions without changing screens (other than to
change between checks and deposits). When selecting a category to put an item
in, a scrollable chart of accounts automatically pops up and will let you add
accounts on the fly. You can split a check or deposit over many categories
very easily.

The program will print checks. Reports include a register, deposit details,
check details, cash flow (by account and consolidated), expenses by Payee and
tax information. Requires 640k DOS RAM and a hard disk.


Quick Personal Accounting System
   Williams, Richard A.
   $22
   #27644/3739
is a multi-featured checkbook program. It lets you record checks, deposits,
interest and bank charges for up to five different accounts. Entries can be
assigned two-digit category codes. Budgets can be set for categories and
compared to actual amounts. Transaction and balance reports can be printed or
displayed on screen. A checkbook balancing routine is included.

Features also include the ability to record and track assets, liabilities and
investments; a federal income tax estimator; net worth calculation and
printout, and an index card file which can be printed on labels or rotary
index cards.


CheckMate
   Custom Technologies ASP
   $33
   #27011/704
is a checkbook recording and balancing program. It has one of the best user
interfaces we've seen - fast, easy, and intuitively obvious in use. It has a
built-in financial analysis function and the ability to store up to 100
predefined payments to recall with a couple of keystrokes.


Cheque-It-Out
   Hooper International ASP
   $50
   #27011/2037
is a full-fledged home accounting program. Professional touches of CIO include
the use of Expanded Memory, if present, to allow more entries in memory, a
screen blanker, and the ability to import transaction files, although much of
the value of the import is negated by requiring a specific file format that
other programs are unlikely to support.

CIO's allows you to specify a subtotal level for each account. This allows you
to have sub-accounts, in effect. For example, you could have an expense
account for each automobile in your family, and they could be set up to sum
into a "Total Auto Expense" account.

CIO is one of the few programs that lets you print a Balance Sheet.


FastBucks 5.07D
   Software Expressions ASP
   $48
   #27011/753
FB has a very easy-to-grasp user interface. Features of FB include a financial
analysis section, including mortgage analysis and amortization schedules, and
graphical analysis of accounts and cash flow.

FB has a unique idea - separate charts of accounts for your business checking
accounts and your personal checking accounts. The drawback is that if you have
one account that you use for both business and personal, you can use only one
of these sets of accounts for it, and you will be limited to only 39 budget
(expense) accounts, the least of any of these programs.

The major drawbacks to FastBucks are that you cannot add accounts on the fly
and that you must specify on every transaction if it is tax related. Other
programs let you specify accounts as being tax related or not, which is much
more efficient because you only have to do it once. Again, this is a
relatively minor nit-pick, but minor things add up.

Other features include on-screen expense summary for individual and
merged accounts, redefinable paycheck deductions, three pin feed check
forms, two laser check formats, processable re-occurring payees with
automatic check fill-in, hotkey support, international currency and date
format support, ATM support, and much more.


Ultra-Check
   Kolstad, Jon
   $40
   #27011/1239
(formerly Fred's Checkbook) is a personal and small business checkbook and
expense ledger program. This is one of the top-rated home accounting programs
in the library by our criteria. Its main strength is its simple user
interface. Everything except generating reports is done from the same screen.

UC uses a full-screen check register approach for entering and editing
entries. Recurring entries can be created or recalled while entering
checks/deposits.

UC's report section also has a sparse look to it, but can be easily changed to
generate different types of reports with minimum fuss.

The date format is selectable, and checks can be printed with up to 99
different formtats available. There is an expanded on-line help system, a
built-in backup utility, password protection, and much more.

There are no real problems with Ultra-Check. The only limitations seem to be
those dictated by the simple design of the program (eg: it gives you maybe 95%
of the features of some other programs with maybe 5% of the complexity), as
opposed to limitations in some programs caused by poor implementation of a
design.


Chex
   Young, Richard W.
   $20
   #27106/1407
is a simple checkbook that can also be used for credit cards, savings
accounts, and other types of debit/credit bookkeeping. You can add, copy,
delete and sort your entries. Features include account balancing, searching
entries for specified text, printing checks and envelopes, password and
encryptions, auto-save (if you leave the computer without saving your work)
and more.

Chex uses a columnar approach that lets you see and edit a screen full of
entries at once. Full-screen editing plus default entries for date and check
numbers make entering data quick and easy.


Exchequer
   Left Coast Software
   $15
   #27106/1954
is a well designed home accounting program. Entries are shown one transaction
per line, just as in a hand-written checkbook, with additional information for
each transaction displayed as you point to it. It allows budgeting, split
entries, the ability to allocate to balance sheet accounts as well as income
statement categories, automatic transaction numbering and default date
display, recurring entries (but not while entering checks), a sample chart of
accounts, the ability to print checks with most types of pin-fed stock, an
unlimited number of bank/credit card accounts, up to 255 categories, and a
variety of reports (but not a balance sheet) that can be sent to the screen,
printer or a file. It will work on systems with only 256k and one drive.

Drawbacks are that there is little or no on-line help and no way to indicate
tax-related transactions.


Express Check
   Expressware Corporation ASP
   $35
   #27106/1193
is a very easy to use checkbook program. It allows you to easily capture and
recall recurring entries. Another ease-of-use feature is the ability to
increment and decrement the date with the plus minus keys. One major selling
point is the ability to set up the program to print on any type of checks.

Things we personally did not care for about EC, but which might not bother
others:

(1) To get from the check entry screen to the check edit screen, you have to
go through a series of menus and you end up at a screen with a layout
identical to the screen you were at in the first place.

(2) We greatly prefer the approach used by Quicken and Fred's Checkbook of
letting you see a screen full of entries at once while making an entry, rather
than just the current entry.

(3) EC will not print a balance sheet; it will not even let you add asset and
liability accounts to your chart of accounts. So if you write a check to buy
stocks or bonds, for example, EC cannot handle the transaction.

(4) While EC allows split entries, it only allows three accounts. This is not
as major a limitation as the first three, but seems like a rather needless
limitation. Other programs allow unlimited account splitting.


FamTrack
   McMaster, T. W.
   $20
   #27107/1101
FamTrack is not as slick or sophisticated as the other programs, but it does
have some nice features. I have a gut feeling that this program will appeal to
some people who find the others to have more features than they want. For these
people, we suggest trying something like Fred's Checkbook or Fast Bucks first
and if they still don't suit you, try FamTrack.


Home Budget Management System
   Worrell, Brentson
   $30
   #27107/1250
is a home accounting program that has more of a professional accounting flavor
to it because of the terminology and data entry method used. Due dates can be
assigned to templates that will remind you about any transactions due, and
repetitive or similiar transactions can now be saved to templates. There is
"calculator" style input for numerical entries, and all printed reports can be
directed to a file.

Before doing anything, you have to set up a chart of accounts, which is a
nuisance. It does NOT allow you to add new accounts while making entries. Both
of these mainly affect new users. Once you have your accounts pretty well set,
the program is fairly easy to use and is a solid performer. Other features
include a pop-up calculator, macro support, foreign date and currency formats,
DOS shell, password support, and more.


Painless Home Accounting
   Pierce, Kendall B.
   $40
   #27107/1834
is a scaled down version of the Painless Accounting program for businesses. It
still has all the trappings of a business accounting program, however. At
best, this is a home accounting program for CPA's.


Qcheck3
   Creative Resources
   $35
   #27107/1152
is a simple checkbook recording and reconciliation program. It can export to a
file for use with an electronic spreadsheet such as Lotus and Quattro. There
is a pop-up calculator, calendar functions, programmable function keys for
Pay-To, support for a running balance, and on-line help.


CCI Home Budget
   McMaster, Joseph
   $25
   #27354/1481
allows up to 96 expense categories; 16 transaction types (check, credit card,
cash, etc.); 10 balance sheet accounts (savings, stocks); 24 predefined
transactions, such as mortgage payments, for quick entry; automatic posting of
paychecks; and more. Other features include data entry screening, password
protection, and menu-driven operation.


Personal Budget Tools 2.35
   Rickenbacker, Tom
   $25
   #27354/2861
provides an analysis of your expenses. It is designed for those who want to plan
ahead to make sure that they have money set aside to meet their short-term
needs, but who do not want to spend a lot of time and effort on a full home
accounting system.

Our experience has been that the time spent on a full home accounting system
can pay for itself in the long run, so we recommend one for those who have the
time and self-discipline to keep it up to date. For everyone else, PBT is the
next best thing.

It gives you a one-page overview of your financial situation. A month-by-month
analysis shows the minimum amount which you must have in short-term savings to
meet your annual obligations; the bills coming due in a given month; and how
to allocate your funds to meet them. In case outgo exceeds income, the program
includes an installment loan (as well as mortgage) analysis section.


PCBudget 2.6a
   ProLogic Software and Services ASP
   $37
   #27354/2691
is a complete home financial management package. The menu-driven features
include Transaction lists, Net Worth, Income and Expenses, Amortization
schedules, Accumulation schedules, Reconcile Accounts, Mailing Lists,
Cost/Cash/Profit Budgets, Bar Graphs, Mouse support, Pop-up Calculator and
Calendar, Automatic transaction entry, Income Tax estimator, Payment Reminders,
Check Printing, and more. Hard disk recommended. This is a very comprehensive
package. Lots of on-line help make getting started easy.


LaserMax Check Maker 1.20
   LaserMax Software
   $49
   #4949
lets you print MICR-encoded checks at a fraction of the cost of commercially
printed checks. Standard blank check stock is used in an HPLJ+ compatible
printer. Multiple bank accounts are supported.

Lasermax For Quicken 1.25 [LMQ] (disk #4950) is specifically for making
checks for use with Quicken. For a Windows 3 version, order disk #4951.


LaserMax for Managing Your Money 1.25 [LMYM]  (09-93 CD)
   LaserMax Software, Inc.
   $49
   #12443
prints MYM checks using a HP PCL Laserjet compatible printer. Checks are
printed on blank check stock for a fraction of the cost of preprinted
checks. Signatures and logos can be printed on checks. It is compatible
with both the HP and CHEQsys MICR encoding systems and comes with the
Elfing MICR soft font.


LaserMax for Pacioli v1.25 [LPACIOLI]  (09-93 CD)
   LaserMax Software, Inc.
   $49
   #12444
produces complete checks using blank check stock and any HP LaserJet+
compatible printer, Pacioli 2000. Seven types of checks can be printed
including Pacioli and Quicken Laser styles. This package includes the
Elfring MICR soft font, support for the HP MICR system, and laser generated
signatures and logos.


PayPlus 5.06
   Smith, Greg
   $25
   #4882
automates the task of paying your monthly bills. It keeps a database of
vendors and payment history. It also prints a list of bills by due-date,
allows tagging of bills for payment, and prints checks.


Your-Plan 2.0  (10-93 CD)
   Invest-Tech Limited
   $40
   #20269/12041 (2 disks)
will help you prepare a budget and cashflow projections. It generates many
reports and graphs that analyze income and expenditures. The program allows
for planning credit card expenditure and payments and for calculating interest
on any outstanding balances. Requires DOS 3.3, a hard disk or dual drives, and
512K.


Zilch 1.14
   Riley, Michael J.
   $34
   #4308
generates a payment schedule to help you get out of debt fast and save
money. You enter the financial information about your creditors and
select the month to start, plan and pledge money. The program then
assigns a priority to each creditor, performs its calculations and
prints a payment schedule. Separate accounts are easily maintained
within the same household.

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