Quicken Starter Edition

Editor's Review

For the young adult, the household owner or the busy professional, personal finances are an unwanted and often misunderstood time expense. For some, the answer is a series of costly consultations with a professional who understands the ins and outs, but realizes that you do not and takes their time accordingly.

For others, and the option tested here at Software.com Labs, the other method is to take control yourself, and Quicken Starter Edition 2010 is a good place to start. The finest feature of Starter Edition for 2010 for us was that taking control of personal accounting was really just a matter of giving control back to the Quicken software.

From the easy install, to the walk-through Guided Set-Up feature (where you establish your preferences for layout and primary needs), and then into the renovated Home Page where all your core information is displayed in an interpretable window for one-stop viewing, we could still have no idea about our accounts but remain10 steps ahead of where our financial control started.

Visualization is a big plus in Quicken Starter Edition, the graphs you can construct to show where your money is coming from or going to, how much is left and where it is stored, are all categorized and, most importantly, easy to understand.

There have been some issues with calculation accuracy, however Intuit Software have obviously heard the complaints and the 2010 Starter Edition has a built-in reviewing tool so that anything that looks out of place can be flagged and checked later on. This feature is backed up by a personal calendar that reminds you of bill times and unpaid expenses so that they don't become big mistakes.

If a range of specific tools and in-depth reviewing of your finances is what you really need, Quicken Starter Edition 2010 is probably a little basic for you. Importing and exporting is limited, and your other Quicken programs won't be able to help you - data can only go between previous Quicken Starter Edition programs.

However, if, like a majority of the busy and uninterested population, you need a single place where you can check in, sort your ins and outs with efficiency and organize your future account issues, Starter Edition 2010 meets those concerns head-on.

Quicken Starter Edition 2010: What We Liked

Software.com Labs singled out the key features to be watching out for in Quicken Starter Edition 2010.

Quick - A renovated, guided, user-friendly process from install to set up, to result means that personal financing no longer equals time wasted. It also means the pressure is off.

Direct - Quicken Starter Edition 2010 wastes no time in getting to the core of your financial concerns. A limited number of tools means that tracking your past, present and future expenses and income constitutes the uninterrupted focus of the program.

Clear - The tools for visualizing your financial details in Quicken products are on the market. Simple layouts and logical displays make tracking results and understanding the bottom line a one-stop process.

Quicken Starter Edition 2010 2010: What We Didn't Like

No data movement between other products - imports and exports are limited to the Quicken Starter Edition prgrams.

Occasional data accuracy problems.

Support for these problems is not always a given, either.

Intuit Software Support

You can only get into direct phone contact with Intuit after filling out an identification sheet on their website. Intuit offer online support via a Quicken online community accessible from the Quicken home site, as well as a Quicken Blog and questions page.

About Intuit Software

Intuit have been developing financial preparation software and related services since 1983. In this time they have featured in Fortune magazine's "Top 100 Companies to Work For" and "America's Most Admired Software Companies" lists.

Intuit Software is headquartered in California, U.S.A.