Home
>
Personal Finance
>
Do You Really Need the Power of Money Management Software?

Do You Really Need the Power of Money Management Software?

I have been a loyal user of Quicken(R) for more years than I can remember. But a conversation the other day with my youngest son started me wondering whether or not I really need money management software.

The difference is what most banks have done with their online banking in the past few years.

It used to be that the only way you could keep track of your spending online, pay bills and determine where you had spent your money was to have a money management program.

However, today you can get most of that information you need from your bank. For example, we have two accounts at a bank I'll call First Denver National. When I sign on for online banking, I have a choice of Account Summary, which shows me how much money I have in each account. Bill Pay or Transfer.

If I select Account Summary and then click on the name of the account, I can see a list of all my deposits and withdrawals for the past 30 days.

When I click on a hyperlink titled "Spending Report," I can see exactly where I spent money for the past 30 days by category such as utilities or groceries.

If I choose Bill Pay, I can pay a bill once or create a recurring payment. Naturally, I have to set up payment information for each of my creditors but I have to do this only once. In my case, I have provided payment information for six of my creditors, including our local power company, satellite TV provider, telephone company and so forth. I have not established any recurring payments as all our bills vary from month to month.

When the monthly bill comes in from, say, our local power company, I open my online account, select Bill Pay, and then tell my bank which day I want the bill paid and for what amount. This all takes maybe 30 seconds.

Now, my money management program does offer many features that are not available through my bank. For example, I can quickly generate reports such as "Am I saving more or less?," "Has my spending changed in this category?," "What am I worth?", "How are my investments doing?," and "Did I meet my budget?" In addition, my program provides a lot of tax related information.

The problem is, I don't use these reports. I would guess that at least 90 percent of the information I need on a daily basis is available through my online accounts.

Don't get me wrong. Programs like Quicken and Microsoft Money(R) are powerful programs with a bevy of great features. However, before you invest in one of these programs, you need to ask yourself whether or not you really need all that power. Do you have a lot of investments you want to keep track of? Do you own a business? Do you use a tax program such as TurboTax? If the answer to any one of these questions is "yes," you probably need money management software. On the other hand, if you answered "no" to all three, you may be able to get by with just the free information available from your bank.

Before you make a final decision, there is one other factor to consider. In our case, the bank charges for both online banking and bill pay. The charge is about $10 a month or $120 a year. In comparison, a program such as Quicken Basic 2005 costs only $29.99 and includes both bill pay and online banking.* This means that if your bank changes you for either of these services, you might be better off buying a money management program ? even if you never use many of its features.

*Some banks my charge for online banking even when you use a money management program. Be sure to talk with your bank before making a final decision.

(R)Quicken is a registered trademark of Intuit Corp.
(R)Microsoft Money is baa registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
All other registered names are the property of their respective owners.

For FREE help with debt, and credit, subscribe today to Douglas Hanna's free email newsletter "8 Simple Steps to Debt Relief" at http://www.all-in-one-info.com

ohare limo service Grand Rapids ..

In The News:

The International Olympic Committee on Friday announced plans to use AI in various Olympic aspects, including athlete identification, training and judging.

Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains an easy trick to avoid squinting while working or surfing the web by zooming in on your personal computer.

Streaming giant Roku has recently been targeted by a pair of cyberattacks, and the company confirmed over a half million Roku accounts were compromised.

The Land Aircraft Carrier combines an all-terrain, six-wheeled vehicle with a two-seat aircraft, which features electric vertical takeoff and landing.

The European Union has sent TikTok a "request for information" on the video sharing platform's newest app, TikTok Lite, under the Digital Services Act, with the aim to clean up social media.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

The FBI is warning the public about a recent phishing scam via text that claims its targets owe money in Pennsylvania for unpaid road toll charges.

Your Apple Music settings may be revealing to your contacts what you're listening to. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the process to change those settings.

Learn how to secure social media accounts, implement legacy contacts, and create a digital estate plan to protect your online assets from 'ghost hackers' after your death.

A ported phone number scam is leading to more people having their identities stolen by sophisticated scammers. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson tells you what you need to know.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a vast marine debris vortex, is being tackled by The Ocean Cleanup’s innovative technologies. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.

Discover easy solutions to tame autocorrect frustration on iOS and Android devices. Turn off, customize and add personal touches to your typing experience.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals the six top things to do right now before it’s too late: Tech and life choices that can keep your safer on and offline.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you some simple steps to discreetly hide apps or an entire app page on your iPhone for decluttering or confidentiality.

The ambient light sensors on smartphones may be turned into cameras, according to researches at MIT. This could pose a threat to people's privacy.

The Autonomous Road Repair System from tech firm Robotiz3d uses artificial intelligence technology to locate potholes and promptly seal them.

Scammers have stooped to using artificial intelligence to scan obituary websites to create fake obituary websites to target the grieving.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

A Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing factory in Hungary is using humanoid robots to help with human staffing shortages on the factory floor.

Some video games act like unregulated banks, according to CFPB, which has begun monitoring the situation. The agency says children may be most at risk.

Ascender the robot is capable of climbing stairs with heights up to 8.7 inches, and it can give every corner of your home a deep cleaning.

Tax-return scams are on the rise, and one tax expert from a cybersecurity firm says filing your taxes on time is one way to avoid tax scams.

The innovative XPENG Robot Unicorn is inspired by the mythical unicorn, and you may forget the robot is not actually a living creature.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

The Federal Trade Commission, the federal agency to report scams to, is being impersonated as part of a new sophisticated phone scam.

Do You Really Need the Power of Money Management Software?

Personal Finance