Igg Software have released a major update to their popular Mac money management program recently.  iBank 4 allows Mac users to monitor account balances, track investments, set up budgets and generate powerful reports.

Here are some of the new features and improvements in version 4:

• Improved, simpler interface, with faster transaction entry and editing
• Direct downloads from online accounts
• Custom check printing
• Easily transfers data from Mac and PC versions of Quicken, MS Money, and other finance programs
• Improved investment tracking capabilities
• Enhanced reporting features – now you can “drill down” to individual transactions
• More support for multiple currencies
• Sync data with your iPhone
• 30-day unlimited trial for new users
• New “envelope” budgeting

Shelley Elmblad, financial software guide at About.com, rates iBank4 highly, as do Amazon customers.

iBank 4 retails for $59.99; upgrades for $29.99.  iBank hopes to lead the way in personal finance management for the Mac, and with this new well-received version they may be well on the way to achieving that goal.

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.