Quicken 2010 Review

Quicken 2010

I just received an e-mail today that Intuit has released Quicken 2010. Describing the new version of its popular money mangement software as the "must-have upgrade," Quicken Home & Business 2010 offers several new features.

Organizes your finances all in one place
Improved, streamlined, and guaranteed easier
Saves time by automatically importing your existing Quicken data

The big question with the release of any new version of existing software is whether or not one should upgrade. If you are new to Quicken and are looking for software to help manage your money, Quicken 2010 is an easy choice. I've used it for years (on both a Mac and PC), and it offers just about every imaginable feature. But if you are an existing Quicken user, to upgrade or not to upgrade is the question.

To help you answer that question, let's take a closer look at what's new with Quicken 2010.

Quicken 2010 Snapshot: Perhaps Quicken's most significant new feature is the ability to see your most important financial information in one place. As Intuit describes this feature, "the new Quicken home page puts all your most important financial information in one easy-to-understand window, so you can see how you’re doing at a glance. Here's what the snapshot looks like (click image to enlarge):

Quicken 2010 Snapshot

Improved Tool Finder: Quicken has improved its menus and toolbar to help users find the tools the need faster. Given the many tools and features of this software, streamlining the menus and toolbar is a significant improvement.

New Money Management Help: Quicken has added a new Guided Setup that can help you get control of your money easier and faster. Basically, these new screens enable you to set up monthly bill pay, spending goals, and saving goals in a matter of minutes.

Quicken Bill Reminder: With rising bank fees for overdrafts, Quicken has introduced a new feature that shows you want bills are upcoming and how much you have left until payday. it's a simple feature really, but one that could pay off if your bank balance is always nearing zero right before payday:

Quicken 2010 Bill Reminder

Quicken WillMaker

So are these improvements worth the upgrade? In my view, Quicken 2010 is a nice-to-have, but probably not a must-have. There is one thing, however, that may move those on the fence into the upgrade category. To celebrate its 25th Anniversary, Intuit is giving away Quicken WillMaker for free. As the name suggests, this software will help you draft a will for you and your family. In fact, the software can help you prepare several important documents: