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Programs ╪ Productivity ╪ Quicken
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QUICKEN
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Access Route Ease of Use |
Quicken is the world's best selling finance software with over 9 million users.
Easy to learn and use: guides you step-by-step through setting up and uses no accounting jargon or complex instructions.
Saves you time: updates your account balances for you, reconciles your bank and credit card statements in no time.
Keeps you organised: tracks bank accounts, credit cards, loans, savings and investments; organises records for your Tax Return; reminds you when bills are due.
Gives you insight into your finances: clear reports and graphs show exactly where your money goes, compares past and present spending.
Great for small business: calculates and tracks VAT, graphs and projects cash flow, provides full business reporting, balance sheets and P&L statements.
Helps you plan for the future: creates budgets and helps you stick to them, forecasts your future financial status, helps you plan for retirements, house purchases and your other financial goals.
The Homebase (main screen shown below) gives you easy access to the most commonly used commands and features.
From this screen, the first time you use this software, you will see there is a current button in the left column. You can also create as many accounts as you want in the file menu.
If you click on this, you will go to the filling area, you can enter an operation by filling in each text area. To use an existing category, click on the little arrow at the right of each area and choose the item you want, or type in a new category.
When you are in a text area, you can get help at the bottom of the screen by reading the Qcards: these are windows with a short explanation about the features you are typing.
A- Tracking all your accounts in one place
Besides a current account, you can set up additional accounts for savings, credit cards, investments, or mortgages. A single Quicken file can hold all of these accounts.
Click on the Accts icon on the icon bar to open the Account List. It displays all of the existing accounts.
B- Enter your transactions in a transaction register
Here you can record any transaction that affects a bank account balance, such as payments, deposits, cash dispenser withdrawals, and direct debits - in a Quicken register.
Click on the Register icon on the icon bar to open the register for the account you used last.
C- Categorise your transactions to track income and expenses
You can assign a transaction to a category. For example, if you buy groceries at several different shops, Quicken uses the same Groceries category each time you record a payment to one of those shops in the transaction register.
D- Transfer money between accounts automatically
After you have set up more than one account, you can transfer money from one account to another.
For example, to transfer 2,000 from your current account to your savings account, simply click the Transfer button on the register button bar.
E- Schedule transactions automatically
You can schedule transactions whether they happen frequently (like the rent you pay every month) or infrequently. When the date of a scheduled transaction approaches, Quicken either reminds you about it or enters it for you automatically, whichever you prefer.
Click on the Calendar icon on the icon bar to display the Financial Calendar.
F- Use reports and graphs to highlight information
Using Quicken, you can create different kinds of personal and business reports and graphs to give you insight into your finances. Suppose that you want to look at your income and expenses for the month of January. You can see the information you want in either a cash flow report or an income and expense graph.
G- Balance your bank statement with ease
When you receive your monthly bank statement, click on the Recon button to balance, or reconcile, it with the transactions you have entered for this account in Quicken.
H- Plan your financial future
Quicken can help you plan for the coming months and years. For example, you can use the onscreen Financial Planners to work out mortgage payments and your investments for retirement.
The Remortgage Planner is one of five financial planning calculators.
I- Managing your debts
In Quicken, you manage your debts by setting up accounts for each credit card or loan. Each account has a register in which you can view detailed transactions, and the accounts are included in your Net Worth report.
When you set up a loan, Quicken sets up a liability account for you and calculates a schedule of payments, including the principal interest split. If the interest rate changes, you prepay part of the principal, or if you remortgage, Quicken recalculates the schedule.
Within the Help menu, you can find different kinds of help:
The Quicken Help, accessible by hitting the F1 key. This is classic electronic documentation, click on the Glossary icon for quick access.
The How to use Help item is the Windows Help about the Help files.
The QuickTours item will give you lessons about:
You can also have a general presentation of Quicken by clicking on the Quicken Overview button.
The Quicken Tips can be used as daily tip if you select the box Show Quicken tips at Startup.
Click on the Show Qcards item to select or deselect the real-time help.
Visit the Quicken web site at: http://www.quicken.com/support/FAQ/