by Finance Software Store on February 25, 2010
The long-awaited new version of Quicken Mac – Quicken Essentials for Mac – was released today. I say ‘long-awaited’ as there was first mention of it being released as far back as 2008 under the name of Quicken Financial Life for Mac. A few proposed release dates later and it is finally here.
Quicken Essentials for Mac (QEM) has been completely redesigned and redeveloped specifically for Macs and now has the familiar Mac look and feel. Its streamlined, attractive interface makes it easy to get set up, easy to use and navigate but it does have less features than the previous Quicken Mac 2007 version, which may not be an issue for most people. In general QEM is best suited to Mac users who are new to personal finance software and those users with more straightforward money management needs.
Let’s look at some of the benefits of the new version:
- Great conversion tool quickly transfers your data from all supported Quicken Windows & Quicken Mac programs as well as Microsoft Money
- Connects with more banks and financial institutions than ever before – over 12,000 at the moment with plans to increase to 16,000 in the next few months
- Overview screen shows money coming in and out in a clean and modern, Mint-like interface
- Improved transaction categorization saves time – the software accepts user recommendations during use thereby continually improving categorization accuracy
- Analyzes spending habits to help users develop budgets as well as tracking progress against goals
Those users needing more in-depth investment management tools, a bill pay feature and direct TurboTax integration would be better using the previous Quicken Mac 2007 version or using virtualization software to run Quicken for Windows on their Mac. There are plans for a further release in 2011 which will incorporate some of the features not included this time round such as investment tracking tools and bill pay.
Consumers wishing to take advantage of Intuit’s Quicken credit card offer can obtain $30 cashback when they purchase Quicken Essentials for Mac at the Intuit website. Alternatively, Amazon are currently offering a $10 discount on Quicken Essentials for Mac.
by Finance Software Store on January 21, 2010
Outright.com is a free web-based bookkeeping service ideal for the self-employed, sole proprietors and very small businesses that want to manage their bookkeeping online. It was created by former Intuit employees in 2008 and is simple to use with a very user-friendly interface.
All the usual accounting tasks can be performed, such as tracking income and expenses, capturing business deductions, and monitoring business performance with reports (e.g. Profit and Loss, Income by Customer, Expenses by Vendor, 1099 ) .
What differentiates Outright the most from other online accounting software is that it calculates estimated quarterly taxes owed and helps meet tax deadlines with the use of timely reminders. Users can thus avoid tax penalties and also budget ahead of time, knowing how much they’ll need to pay for taxes.
Outright conveniently integrates with other applications and services in the following ways:
- Freshbooks (online invoicing & time tracking service): imports customer invoices, payment information and expenses
- Shoeboxed.com (mail-in paper receipt scanning service): converts scanned receipts into business deductions right into your Outright account
- eBay and PayPal: imports transactions
- Xpenser (mobile expense tracking & management): imports cash expenditures
Outright also provides an easy online 1099 filing solution. It can automatically track down W-9 information (users need to provide contractor contact information), prepare IRS form 1099-MISC, and file it with the IRS. Tax deadline: 1099s must be sent to contractors by 1 February 2010. We can currently offer 50% off the price of the Outright efiling service with our coupon code.
The creators of Outright have recently launched RightTaxesNow.com, a website providing tax advice and information about IRS rules, as well as a platform for people to get involved in the tax legislation process. Online petitions are set up to urge the passing of pending tax relief legislation for small businesses.
Outright online bookkeeping keeps your financial information secure; all data is encrypted and backed up on an hourly basis. The service remains free to users, with plans to add extra paid services in the future.
