Quicken

Quicken has long been one of the most popular financial management apps around, and the rise of competitors like Mint still haven't managed to knock it from its perch of prominence. Years of legacy and expertise have allowed Quicken's creators to develop a meaningful and impressive feature set that makes it ideal for both personal and professional users looking to keep their financial records in order. The modern Quicken platform comes in a number of different versions, making it easy to find a copy of the software that meets your individual needs. It's available for both Mac and Windows operating systems. For new users looking to understand what Quicken has to offer and effectively get their finances in order, Quicken Starter is ideal. It serves as the backbone of the Quicken experience, offering the standard suite of features from which the other editions build. You can automatically import all over your banking and credit card information into Quicken, providing a template you can use to track all of your finances without having to sort through numerous records. Transactions are automatically categorized so that you can evaluate your spending according to a wide range of metrics, and you can use this information to create your own budget and even set up automatic bill payments right through the Quicken interface. Over 11,000 billers are available through the Quicken interface, and you can customize how your reports are displayed and even export all your information directly to an Excel spreadsheet. The Quicken Starter experience also comes with five gigabyte of backup space through Dropbox, creating a paper trail for all of your financial records that can last you years. You'll always have access to your data, and Quicken is secured using 256-bit encryption methods. If you're looking to expand the control over your finances, there are a number of upgrade options available to you. Quicken Deluxe is great for people looking for more control over their long term planning. Loan, retirement, and investment information can be automatically transferred into your account, an ideal choice for individuals with more complex portfolios. With this information available, you can create more nuanced and detailed plans to pay off debt or save for the future. Meanwhile, power users will find plenty of expanded options with Quicken Premier. While Deluxe is great for people looking to track their investments, Premier is designed for more aggressive investors. You'll have access to buy and sell decisions which can influence your performance in the investment market. Your quotes are continually updated, offering a detail-oriented analysis of how your investments are performing and where you can more effectively shore up your assets, while tools are also available to help you file taxes in the most cost-efficient manner. The final component of the Quicken experience is Quick Home and Business which combines the Premier options with a variety of tools and metrics for tracking and overseeing the financial health of your company.