User Manual (978-0-470-64648-9)Table of ContentsIntroduction1Introduction1About This Book1How to Use This Book1What You Can Safely Ignore2What You Should Not Ignore (Unless You’re a Masochist)2Three Foolish Assumptions3The Flavors of Quicken3How This Book Is Organized3Part I: Zen, Quicken, and the Big Picture4Part II: The Absolute Basics4Part III: Home Finances4Part IV: Very Serious Business4Part V: The Part of Tens5Part VI: Appendixes5Conventions Used in This Book5Special Icons5Where to Next?6Part I: Zen, Quicken, and the Big Picture7Part I: Zen, Quicken, and the Big Picture7Chapter 1: Setting Up Shop9Installing and Starting Quicken10Finishing Setup If You’ve Used Quicken Before11Finishing Setup If You’ve Not Used Quicken Before11Already a Quicken user?12Are you new to Quicken?12Describing Your Banking13Slogging Through More Setup Stuff17Steve’s Overview19Starting Quicken for the second time19Using the Accounts bar20Navigating with Tabs20Solving Tricky Setup Problems20Did somebody say Macintosh?21The mysterious case of the missing Quicken data files21Migrating from Microsoft Money21Chapter 2: Introduction to the Big Picture23Boiling Quicken Down to Its Essence23Tracking tax deductions24Monitoring spending24Printing checks (and other forms)25Tracking bank accounts, credit cards, and other stuff26Planning your personal finances26Banking online26Setting Up Additional Accounts27Setting up another banking account27Hey, Quicken, I want to use that account!30Whipping Your Category Lists into Shape32Subcategories . . . yikes, what are they?36Category groups . . . double yikes!37Four tips on categorization37Ch-ch-changing a category list38Want to Play Tag?42Chapter 3: Maximum Fun, Maximum Profits45Should You Even Bother with a Budget?45Serious Advice about Your Secret Plan45Your personal Secret Plan46Two things that really goof up Secret Plans46Setting Up a Secret Plan49Introducing the Budget window49Entering budgeted amounts52Reviewing the options52Reviewing your budget54What to do after you enter your budget55Part II: The Absolute Basics57Part II: The Absolute Basics57Chapter 4: Checkbook on a Computer59Getting Started59Finding Your Checkbook60Recording Checks61Entering a check in the register62Changing a check you’ve entered64Packing more checks into the register64Sorting transactions65Recording Deposits66Entering a deposit into the register67Changing a deposit you’ve already entered69Recording Account Transfers69Entering an account transfer70Working with the other half of the transfer72Changing a transfer you’ve already entered72Splitting Transactions73Steps for splitting a check73Editing and deleting split categories76Deleting and Voiding Transactions76The Big Register Phenomenon77Moving through a big register77Finding that darn transaction78Pop-Up Calendars and Calculators81Attaching Flags, Notes, and Images83Chapter 5: Printing 10185Printing Checks85What if you make a mistake entering a check?88Printing a check you’ve entered89What if you discover a mistake after you print the check?92Printing a Check Register92Chapter 6: Online and In Charge97What Are Online Account Access and Online Bill Payment?97Wise Whys and Wherefores98Banking with Online Account Access and Online Bill Payment99Finding an online bank — online100Paying bills101Transferring money between accounts102Updating your Quicken accounts103Chapter 7: Reports, Charts, and Other Cool Tools105Creating and Printing Reports105Printing the facts, and nothing but the facts105Reviewing standard reports110Finding the report you want115Going to the printing dog-and-pony show116Editing and rearranging reports117Charts Only Look Tricky121QuickReports: Last But Not Least122Chapter 8: A Matter of Balance125Selecting the Account You Want to Balance125Balancing a Bank Account126Telling Quicken, “Hey, man, I want to balance this account”126Giving Quicken the bank’s information126bank’s records128Ten Things You Should Do If Your Account Doesn’t Balance132Make sure that you’re working with the right account132you haven’t133Look for reversed transactions133Look for a transaction that’s equal to half the difference133Look for a transaction that’s equal to the difference134Check for transposed numbers134Have someone else look over your work134Look out for multiple errors134Try again next month (and maybe the month after that)135Get in your car, drive to the bank, and beg for help135Chapter 9: Housekeeping for Quicken137Backing Up Is Hard to Do137Backing up the quick-and-dirty way137Deciding when to back up139Losing your Quicken data after you’ve backed up140Losing your Quicken data when you haven’t backed up142Working with Files, Files, and More Files143Setting up a new file143Flip-flopping between files144When files get too big for their own good146Using and Abusing Passwords149Setting up a file password149Changing a file password150Chapter 10: Compound Interest Magic and Other Mysteries153Noodling Around with Your Investments153Using the Investment Savings Calculator154Trying to become a millionaire155The Often Unbearable Burden of Debt157Using the Loan Calculator to figure payments157Calculating loan balances159The Refinance Calculator160The Retirement Calculator161The dilemma in a nutshell161Retirement planning calculations162If you’re now bummed out about retirement165Retirement roulette166Cost of College166The College Calculator166If you’re now bummed out about college costs168Planning for Taxes169The Other Planning Tools172Part III: Home Finances173Part III: Home Finances173Chapter 11: Credit Cards, Petty Cash, and PayPal175Tracking a Credit Card175How to Set Up a Credit Card Account176Adding a credit card account176Selecting a credit card account so that you can use it179How to Enter Credit Card Transactions180Touring the credit card register180Recording a credit card charge181Changing charges you’ve already entered182Paying credit card bills183Reconciling That Crazy Account184What the nasty credit card company says184Ouch! Did I really spend that much?186If you record a transaction wrong, do this188Oh, that explains the difference188If you’re ready to finish188If you want to postpone the inevitable189Paying the bill as part of the reconciliation190The Online Banking Hoopla191Should you even bother?191How to use Online Account Access with your credit card191Petty Cash and Mad Money192Adding a cash account192Tracking cash inflows and outflows192Recording checks you cash instead of deposit194Updating cash balances195PayPal Can Be Quicken’s Friend196Chapter 12: Other People’s Money197Should You Bother to Track Your Debts?197How Do You Get Started?198Setting up a liability account for an amortized loan198Fixing loan stuff204Delivering a Pound of Flesh (Also Known as Making a Payment)207Recording the payment207Handling mortgage escrow accounts208Your Principal-Interest Breakdown Won’t Be Right211So you can’t change the world211Think this adjustment business is kooky?212Automatic Payments213Scheduling a payment or a reminder213Another way to schedule transactions216Checking out the Calendar216Chapter 13: Tracking Tax-Deferred Investments219Deciding to Use Investment Features219Are your investments tax-deferred?220Are you a mutual fund fanatic?220Some investors don’t need Quicken221Many investors do want Quicken221Tracking a Tax-Deferred Investment223Setting up a tax-deferred investment account223Recording your initial investment227Buying investments231Recording your profits233Selling investments234Correcting a mistake236Working with slightly tricky investment transactions237Reconciling an account239Trying reports239Using menu commands and other stuff240Updating Securities Prices240Chapter 14: Stocks and Bonds243Setting Up a Brokerage Account243Recording your initial share balances244Working with brokerage accounts244Setting up security lists244Working with cash246Recording other not-so-tricky transactions252More Quick Stuff about Brokerage Accounts254Monitoring and updating securities values255Adjusting errors255A few words on the Investing tab’s other tools256Part IV: Very Serious Business261Part IV: Very Serious Business261Chapter 15: Mind Your Business263Setting Up a Business the Quicken Way263Describing your business(es)264Designing business invoices265Identifying invoice items266Working with Customers268Setting up a Customer Invoices account268Invoicing your customers269Printing invoices271Recording customer payments271Issuing credits and making refunds273Business Bookkeeping Whistles and Bells273Jobs and projects273Using finance charges, estimates, and statements274Managing vendor bills274Vehicle Mileage Tracker275Quicken Dirty Payroll275Getting ready for payroll275Setting up the wages expense category275Setting up the payroll tax expense category277Getting the taxes stuff right277Depositing taxes280Tax deposit tips282Filing quarterly payroll tax returns283Computing annual returns and wage statements284Doing the state payroll taxes thing285Chapter 16: Managing Rentals287Describing a Rental Property287Describing Tenants290Recording Tenant Rent Payments291Recording Rental Expenses292Tracking Rental Property Profits293Part V: The Part of Tens295Part V: The Part of Tens295about Quicken297What Are Quicken’s Best Features?298Does Quicken Work for a Corporation?298What Happens to Stockholders’ Equity in Quicken?299Does Quicken Work for a Partnership?299Can I Use Quicken for More Than One Business?300What Kinds of Businesses Shouldn’t Use Quicken?301Can I Use Quicken for Real Estate Investing?302Can I Use Quicken Retroactively?303Can I Do Payroll with Quicken?304Can I Prepare Invoices?304Can I Import Data from an Old Accounting System?304What Do You Think about Quicken?305Chapter 18: (Almost) Ten Tips on How Not to Become a Millionaire307Ownership Investments and Earning Average Returns308Money from Tax Savings and Employer Matching310Insights311Give Up, Because It’s Too Late to Start Anyway312Get Entangled in at Least One “Get-Rich-Quick” Scheme313Fake It with False Affluence314Give In to the First Big Temptation of Wealth Building314Give In to the Second Big Temptation of Wealth Building315Chapter 19: (Almost) Ten Troubleshooting Tips317Tactics #1 and #2: Use the Quicken Help File and This Book317Tactic #3: Visit the Quicken Product Support Web Site318Vendor Product Support Web Site318Tactic #6: Contact Intuit Directly319Tactic #7: Try a Quicken Newsgroup319Tactic #8: Install and Use Antivirus Software320Tactic #9: When All Else Fails . . .320Part VI: Appendixes321Part VI: Appendixes321Appendix A: Quick-and-Dirty Windows 7323What Is Windows 7?323Starting Windows 7324Starting Programs325Choosing Commands from Menus326Choosing commands with the furry little rodent326Choosing commands by using the Alt+key combinations327Using shortcut-key combinations328Disabled commands329Using command icons329Working with Dialog Boxes329Text boxes329Check boxes331Tabs331Option buttons331Command buttons332List boxes332Stopping Quicken in Windows 7333A Yelp for Help333The Learn About Next Steps After Setup command334The Quicken Help command335The Current Window command336The Product And Customer Support command336The Quicken Live Community command336The Quicken Support command336The User Manuals command336The Submit Feedback On Quicken command337The Join The Quicken Inner Circle command337The About Quicken command337The Privacy Statement command337The Register Quicken command337The Unlock Again command338commands338Quitting Windows 7338Appendix B: Glossary of Business, Financial, and Computer Terms339Index347Index347Size: 82.2 KBPages: 12Language: EnglishOpen manual
