Taxes, Lawyers, Business & Debt
The Best Personal Finance Software Packages
When it's time to draw up a budget, the first step should be to use a good personal finance tool. For some people, that's as simple as grabbing a pencil and paper, or using a spreadsheet. However, more and more people are turning to personal finance software to track their income and their expenditures. Personal budgeting software provides you with great features- programs such as Quicken allow you to track expenses and income, set financial goals, and keep track of your investments. Quicken isn't the only option out there, though; we've put together a list of the best personal finance software packages. Depending on your needs, one may be slightly better than the next.
Microsoft Excel. It's an oldie, but a goodie! This simple spreadsheet app is good for those that are trying to create a basic budget. If you don't have a wide variety of accounts, and if the thought of learning a new software is overwhelming to you, you can use Excel to create a budget and to track your expenditures. Excel has embedded formulas and the most basic mathematics, and it's a great way to step in and start taking control of your finances.
Mint.com is a very basic program that offers simple budgeting, investment tracking, and customizable alerts. Mint is completely online, meaning that you can get your financial information from any computer with an Internet connection. If you want something that's basic, but a step up from Microsoft Excel, and being able to access your information from anywhere is important, then you should go with Mint.com.
AceMoney is a personal financing manager, and it supports multiple account types. It also offers performance tracking on investments, online banking access, and planning help for mortgage payments. It is priced at $45 per user, and it markets itself to small businesses and home owners.
Microsoft Money is a way to keep all your finances in one place. Most people with Windows-based computers have some iteration of Microsoft Money already installed, and the program is one of the most widely used personal finance softwares. Microsoft once offered four variations of Money: Essentials, Plus Deluxe, Plus Premium, and Plus Home and Business. However, the programs are being retooled, with new versions set to come out later in the year. The price of the previous programs ranged from $20 on up to $70.
Quicken Personal Finance is the gold standard when it comes to personal finance software packages. It's second only to Microsoft money in terms of the number of users it has. There are versions of Quicken, ranging in price from totally free to $150 for the top of the line software. Quicken has a wide variety of finance software offerings, and if you need to quickly and easily organize your financial portfolio, then Quicken Premier is a bargain at just $90.
This isn't a complete list of the best personal finance software packages available- finding more is as simple as searching online. No matter which one you choose, using software to organize your finances is a good way to stay on top of things.