Quicken Starter Edition 2010 Review

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Quicken Starter Edition 2010 ReviewBefore you read my review, understand this: I have been a quicken user since Quicken 4 for DOS. I have probably owned 10 versions of Quicken in my lifetime.
My last version was quicken 2005 Basic, which was okay, but not as good as the one I had before that. (I was only upgrading bc Intuit crippled it so that I can't import my bank data anymore.) Over the years, the features available in the "beginning tier" have slowly disappeared. Starter 2010 comes with so few features, it hardly qualifies as money management.
I started out pleasantly surprised, because it successfully imported my 2005 data, even though the box said it could only import from 2008 and 2009. But it was all downhill after that.
The only types of accounts it supports are checking, savings, and credit cards. You can't find out what your balance is in your 401k. Can't track how much of your last mortgage payment went to principal vs interest. Can't track your return on stocks. Needless to say, this data won't be available when you fire up TurboTax.
For anyone with online banking, Quicken Starter will offer almost no value. In that case, there is really only one useful feature: expense categorization (i.e., what did I spend my money on last year?). My bank gives me a doc at the end of year with my expenses categorized, so I don't need it, but some people might. I don't know if buying (and rebating if avail to you), installing, entering all the info on a regular basis, etc is worth the hassle.
If you don't have online banking, then you can also use it to balance your checkbook, and remind you to pay bills. That's it. For these kinds of users, I am giving the product a second star, even though there are surely several less expensive apps that do these same basic functions. It is otherwise a 1-star product.
The most shocking aspect of the program was how shoddy it had become. I've always considered Quicken to be a user-friendly, intuitive program. However, in this version, I found myself clicking on buttons repeatedly, because they didn't do anything. I went in and out of the menus because I couldn't find features. In some cases, there would be two buttons, but they overlapped each other, so I'd have to click something else and then the first button would appear again.
In my 20? years of using Quicken, I have rarely had to check the Help/read the manual, and never had to ask someone how to do something. Try this test. Note the heading on Intuit's Starter Edition page[...]. "Simple money management and budgeting" it says in bold. So, you'd expect to be able to create a budget, wouldn't you? I challenge anyone to figure out where to enter a budget. Maybe you'll figure it out eventually, but I never did.
Intuit seems to have lost interest in their lowest tier product, perhaps because they rebate them to 0. In several cases, when I went to Help to try to figure out how to do something, the instructions would tell me to click on something that didn't exist. "To setup a loan, click the Net Worth tab." Presumably, this tab exists in the Deluxe version. Why don't they at least save my time and try to upsell me? "Setting up a loan requires the Deluxe version, upgrade here." At least I would know right away to quit looking. Further evidence that Intuit doesn't respect the Starter Edition: if you go to Intuit's site to compare the "Quicken 2010 Desktop Personal Finance Products", guess what's not even listed? [...]
On the Quicken site, one user suggested that Intuit should stop making this product bc it's an embarrassment. I agree. Someone responded that there's no harm in providing a free "intro" product, but I disagree: many people will be turned off by such a lousy version and never return. Like me.Quicken Starter Edition 2010 OverviewQuicken Starter Edition 2010 offers simple money management and budgeting. Personal finance made easy.




Simple money management and budgeting
Easily organizes your personal and household budget: shows your bank and credit cards in one place
Helps you stay on top of bills: avoid late fees with alerts on upcoming payments
Shows exactly where your money's going: expenses are tracked and categorized automatically
Gets you up-and-running fast with step-by-step guidance
Upgrading your Quicken? See "What's New in 2010" for the latest features and benefits



Features and Benefits
See where your money's going We'll guide you step-by-step through getting started, and help you create a personal or household budget. We show you what's coming in, going out, and most importantly, what's left over each month to spend or save.

View your accounts all in one place Organizes your finances by bringing your online accounts together--including checking, savings and credit cards. Avoid the hassle of going to multiple websites. Now you can see it all in one place with just ONE password. Access over 6,700 banks, brokerages and other financial institutions--including PayPal.

Never miss a bill See what bills have already been paid, what's coming up, and if you have enough left in your accounts to cover them--all in one convenient place. Set reminders to pay bills on time and instantly check the status of past bills.

Simplify taxes with TurboTax Quicken Starter Edition pairs perfectly with TurboTax to save you time. Easily export your data directly to TurboTax for fast and accurate tax preparation.

Enjoy free support when you buy, install or upgrade Quicken If you need help purchasing, installing or upgrading your new Quicken personal finance software, free phone support is available. For more information, visit our Help & Support site.

Save money and shop smart Our free service--Quicken Picks--seeks out the best online coupons and discount offers just for you, on the stuff you care about. You also get cash back on all your purchases, helping you save even more. You can sign up for Quicken Picks anytime within your Quicken software.



What's New in 2010 Already using Quicken? Reasons to upgrade now:
New--See your most important info in one place 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.

Improved--Find the tools you need, faster The improved menu and toolbar make it easier to find the tools you need to help organize your personal finances.

New--Getting started is a breeze It's simpler than ever to put Quicken to work for you--so you can reach your personal finance goals faster. With the new Guided Setup, you just answer a few simple questions; we'll show you how Quicken works, and what to do next. You'll see your total financial picture come into focus even sooner than you expect.

New--Avoid late fees and penalties We help you avoid overdraft fees and penalties--by showing you how much you'll have left in your account until your next paycheck.

Improved--Check for accuracy We've made it easier to review your transactions, so you can quickly spot anything that looks inaccurate or out of place. If a transaction requires follow-up, you can flag it with a reminder.

Improved--Get tips from other Quicken users With Quicken's Live Community, you can get help and advice from other Quicken users without ever leaving Quicken. If you have a question about something specific you're trying to do, just look to Live Community on the right of the Quicken screen for the answer.


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