Checkbook balancing Software nowdays rocks:)

[Pliablemoose]

Wow, I've used Money for > a decade, just got a copy of Quicken & decided to start from scratch & download my activity from the bank

It pulled 80 transactions into Quicken from my online bank statement & all I had to do was categorize them...

I know, "Welcome to 1985." but it's cool as hell

 

[RossMAN]

I wonder how well Quicken interfaces with major banks and small 1 branch CU's.

 

[Night201]

Quicken rocks! Been using it for 7 years. It doesn't link up with my bank yet, but it does with some of my credit cards. I don't think it's Intuits problem. If the bank doesn't offer that type of system or their network doesn't allow it/handle it, then you are out of luck, but I like to enter my checking account data by hand anyway. I let it update my credit card and investments.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
Wow, I've used Money for > a decade, just got a copy of Quicken & decided to start from scratch & download my activity from the bank

It pulled 80 transactions into Quicken from my online bank statement & all I had to do was categorize them...

I know, "Welcome to 1985." but it's cool as hell

Just out of curiosity why did you switch from Money? I used to use Quicken and got lazy and stopped a few years back. I picked up Money 2004 on the cheap with my tax software this year and was going to sit down this weekend and set it up. Doesn't it pretty much do the same things? I swore I would never buy another Intuit product after the product activation debacle.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
Wow, I've used Money for > a decade, just got a copy of Quicken & decided to start from scratch & download my activity from the bank

It pulled 80 transactions into Quicken from my online bank statement & all I had to do was categorize them...

I know, "Welcome to 1985." but it's cool as hell

Just out of curiosity why did you switch from Money? I used to use Quicken and got lazy and stopped a few years back. I picked up Money 2004 on the cheap with my tax software this year and was going to sit down this weekend and set it up. Doesn't it pretty much do the same things? I swore I would never buy another Intuit product after the product activation debacle.

Pliablemoose PM'd me on my forums in response to this thread advising he's on vacation.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
I wonder how well Quicken interfaces with major banks and small 1 branch CU's.

Even if it doesn't download your info directly, you may be able to download and import it pretty easily. One of my banks or credit cards didn't interface directly with Quicken or MS Money, but they offered downloads in Money, Quicken, or spreadsheet formats.

 

[Passions]

What's the purpose of checkbook balancing? Balance with what? I've had checking acct for 6 yrs now and dunno what the heck that means.

 

[Desslok]

Originally posted by: Passions
What's the purpose of checkbook balancing? Balance with what? I've had checking acct for 6 yrs now and dunno what the heck that means.

PLEASE tell me you are JOKING!!!

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: Passions
What's the purpose of checkbook balancing? Balance with what? I've had checking acct for 6 yrs now and dunno what the heck that means.

It ensures that you and the bank are in agreement on the amount of money you have in your account.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: RossMAN
I wonder how well Quicken interfaces with major banks and small 1 branch CU's.

Even if it doesn't download your info directly, you may be able to download and import it pretty easily. One of my banks or credit cards didn't interface directly with Quicken or MS Money, but they offered downloads in Money, Quicken, or spreadsheet formats.

Good point, I know one of my banks offers this. I don't really need it since I pay for everything with my cc's then (attempt to) pay them off every month earning $$$$$$$$$ rewards and $$$$$$$$$$ finance charges :thumbsup:

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: Passions
What's the purpose of checkbook balancing? Balance with what? I've had checking acct for 6 yrs now and dunno what the heck that means.

It ensures that you and the bank are in agreement on the amount of money you have in your account.

Well, nowadays people don't use checks for much of anything. I pay all of my bills online and make almost all of my purchases using a debit or credit card. I write maybe 1 check a month, so there really isn't the possibility that my bank and I would be in disagreement about how much money I have. You might be distrustful of any kind of technology and say you should double-check anyway, but you don't hear people saying you should write down every credit card transaction you make, so why do it with your debit card?

And on a somewhat related note, people who pay with a check at a retail establishment are pretty much universally hated by those of us who've made it into the 1990s already.

 

[Passions]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: Passions
What's the purpose of checkbook balancing? Balance with what? I've had checking acct for 6 yrs now and dunno what the heck that means.

It ensures that you and the bank are in agreement on the amount of money you have in your account.

Well, nowadays people don't use checks for much of anything. I pay all of my bills online and make almost all of my purchases using a debit or credit card. I write maybe 1 check a month, so there really isn't the possibility that my bank and I would be in disagreement about how much money I have. You might be distrustful of any kind of technology and say you should double-check anyway, but you don't hear people saying you should write down every credit card transaction you make, so why do it with your debit card?

And on a somewhat related note, people who pay with a check at a retail establishment are pretty much universally hated by those of us who've made it into the 1990s already.

Yup, exactly. I do online-banking with BofA and never use checks. I check my statements online usually every other day. I use my debit card for everything. I never heard of checkbook balancing, seems archaic. hah!

I wonder how people ever got along with checkbooks and monthly statements, I feel so sad for them. mwaaaaaaahahahaa.

 

[Jumpem]

I have an excel spreadsheet that I made. It does everything I want and I can customize it endlessly. What's the benefit of uring Quicken or Money?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Jumpem
I have an excel spreadsheet that I made. It does everything I want and I can customize it endlessly. What's the benefit of uring Quicken or Money?

Reports, budgeting... Although with some effort, you could probably accomplish the same stuff with Excel. So I guess the benefit is, they've already done it for you. I've only ever use MS Money because it came free with my laptop.

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Jumpem
I have an excel spreadsheet that I made. It does everything I want and I can customize it endlessly. What's the benefit of uring Quicken or Money?

Reports, budgeting... Although with some effort, you could probably accomplish the same stuff with Excel. So I guess the benefit is, they've already done it for you. I've only ever use MS Money because it came free with my laptop.

I already do that stuff in Excel. I can easily see what I am spending on certain things, and I have a couple of worksheets with budgets and planning on them.

 

[ed1564]

FYI:According to this thread with the new Quicken 2005 you can only connect to your bank via direct connect. Some banks do not offer this or charge for it. I know with Wells Fargo you can download your data, but 2005 no longer supports that. If you want to direct connect they charge you $3/month.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: Passions
What's the purpose of checkbook balancing? Balance with what? I've had checking acct for 6 yrs now and dunno what the heck that means.

It ensures that you and the bank are in agreement on the amount of money you have in your account.

Well, nowadays people don't use checks for much of anything. I pay all of my bills online and make almost all of my purchases using a debit or credit card. I write maybe 1 check a month, so there really isn't the possibility that my bank and I would be in disagreement about how much money I have. You might be distrustful of any kind of technology and say you should double-check anyway, but you don't hear people saying you should write down every credit card transaction you make, so why do it with your debit card?

And on a somewhat related note, people who pay with a check at a retail establishment are pretty much universally hated by those of us who've made it into the 1990s already.

I'll be curious if you maintain that superior assed attitude when some scum gets a hold of your account number and routing number and runs some electronic checks through your account...Oh wait you are such a 2004 kind of guy that doesn't need to do dinosaur crap like balancing check books so how the hell would you even know?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Linflas


I'll be curious if you maintain that superior assed attitude when some scum gets a hold of your account number and routing number and runs some electronic checks through your account...Oh wait you are such a 2004 kind of guy that doesn't need to do dinosaur crap like balancing check books so how the hell would you even know?

Uh yeah, I don't balance my checkbook, but that doesn't mean I don't look at my statement. I look for anything I don't recognize. I wasn't trying to come off as superior or anything, I was just trying to explain that it is conceivable that someone would have a checking account and not need to balance their checkbook - because they don't write checks for instance. If you don't write checks, it's no different from a credit card, and no one is advocating making a note in a little book every time you use your credit card.

 

[Raincity]

I will just stick with Excel, works for me.

 

[Indolent]

Originally posted by: mugs

And on a somewhat related note, people who pay with a check at a retail establishment are pretty much universally hated by those of us who've made it into the 1990s already.

especially in the fricken EXPRESS lane!!!

(happened today at the grocery store, had to get that off my chest)