Your Money_ The Missing Manual - J. D. Roth [25]
Some people like using pencil and paper to track their money; for the rest of us, personal-finance programs make it easy to track spending and build a budget. Your biggest decision is whether to use software you install on your computer or an online program. The next two sections explain your options.
Desktop Software
A few years ago, you could choose from several well-known personal finance programs for your computer, but now there's only one: Quicken. With the extinction of Microsoft Money, Inuit's Quicken is the last major money-management program out there.
Despite being the sole survivor, Quicken is far from perfect: It has some bugs, it has so many features that it can be overwhelming, and many people report being frustrated with Intuit's customer service.
These caveats aside, if you want to automate your finances offline, Quicken is a great option. You can enter transactions just like in a checkbook register, or download account data from your bank or credit-card company. The program also lets you track your investments and create budgets. And Quicken offers a wide range of reports, charts, and graphs to help you see where you've been and where you're going.
Quicken is available in lots of versions for Windows computers and Macs; figuring out which is which and how much they cost can be confusing. Don't sweat it: For most people, the cheapest version works just fine. Pick up a copy at Amazon.com or your local office-supply store.
But Quicken isn't your only option. You may want to check out these lesser-known programs:
Moneydance enjoys a fine reputation among the folks who use it. It has lots of features and can read various Quicken file formats in case you're looking to make a switch. You can set up Moneydance to talk to your bank, manage your budget, and track your investments. It costs $40 and is available for Mac, Windows, and Linux computers. You can download it from http://moneydance.com.
You Need a Budget lets you download info from your bank, schedule recurring transactions, and budget for the future. The program has a variety of budget-related features, including a virtual envelope system. It's available for Macs and Windows computers; you can download it from www.youneedabudget.com for $60.
There are other desktop programs out there, but they seem to be a dying breed. Web-based tools (covered next) now rule the roost.
Tip
For a list of 16 great personal finance programs (both the online and desktop variety), head to http://tinyurl.com/PFprograms
Web-Based Tools
If you're comfortable using web applications, you can choose from at least a dozen online personal-finance programs. Most of the sites on the following list are free, and many of them feature blogs with financial advice and important money-related news. Though they all have similar features, each one has its own special twist. Many also offer iPhone applications so you can track your money while you're on the go.
BudgetPulse (www.budgetpulse.com) bills itself as "the free and upbeat way to manage your money." This site doesn't sync with your bank (which helps if you're worried about identity theft), but you can upload files from Quicken or your favorite spreadsheet program. BudgetPulse can be used by anyone in the world (not just Americans). One of the site's stated goals is simplicity; it doesn't do a whole lot other than track your major accounts.
Mint (www.mint.com) has become the Big Daddy of online personal-finance programs, with more than a million registered users. (It was recently acquired by Intuit, the folks behind Quicken.) Mint can help you track investment accounts, which is a cool feature not all sites have. It also includes basic budgeting features, automatic synchronization with