There are few experiences like the panic of realizing you haven't made the mortgage or rent payment by the end of the grace period �� especially when you're flying over Kansas and won't reach your destination until 1 a.m. the day after the payment is due. If the flight offers Wi-Fi, you're in luck. You can make the payment directly from your bank, if you've signed up for that feature, and you pay a monthly fee for using it. But there is a better way.
For as long as I can remember, I've started my reviews in old-timer mode, as in, "I've been using Quicken ever since its DOS days." For history buffs, DOS predated Windows �� you have to be a dinosaur to remember that far back. Every day since, I have used Quicken to download financial data and balance my inconsiderable wealth.
Starting in 2018, Quicken became a membership service. Previously, as in 2017, you paid once and could use that version for as long as you wished. Is it worth paying for membership?
It's up to you, but Quicken has enhanced its software in its newest version, thanks to users who told the company what's important to them, and asked when those features would be included.
Quicken responded with many improvements, but one sticks out as being the "well, it's about time" feature. The latest version for Windows and Macs doesn't look much different from the 2018 version; the changes are subtle.
But there is one improvement that may convince you to upgrade. It's called web and mobile sync. You can pay that rent bill on your smartphone and it will sync with your desktop and web versions of the software. Photos of your receipts can be synced, too.
It's pretty amazing.
I download my checking, savings, credit card and investment data daily on my desktop version of Windows. When I'm away from my PC, I can now check to see which checks have cleared my bank, which charges have posted on my credit cards and (woefully) how the market is doing. When I saw that Apple stock had sunk, I realized that sometimes it's better not to have too much information. While all these functions can be performed by going to the appropriate website for each account, Quicken has merged them so one sign-on displays your entire financial picture.
If you have a budget, the web version, like the desktop version, will tell you exactly how close you are to insolvency.
If you've used Quicken before, you'll know that the interface is polished, loading the program is fast. I've never had the software crash. I still don't like the fact that the reconcile feature is buried in the tools menu, however.
If you buy the Premier version ($75) or the Home and Business version ($100), you'll get Quicken Bill Pay free, with more than 11,000 payees. You also can download PDFs of your bills. If you buy the Starter ($35) or Deluxe ($50) versions, Bill Pay costs $10 a month, making the Premier version a bargain. All versions offer the desktop-mobile-web feature, the ability to export transactions into Excel and bill reminders.
Some folks may not want to fork over the money for a membership. Not to worry � your data will be saved and accessible even if you don't upgrade, but you won't be able to download transactions when you try to update your accounts.
Would I want to belong to a club that will have me as a member? In this case, yes, because when it comes to managing my finances, it's either sync or swim.
