Finance software?

sheepofblue · 01-08-2010, 01:28 PM

Anybody use something other than Quicken? Seems the new Mac version is not going to do investment tracking (and still cost the same) so I think the time has come to go to something else. I don't want something web based as putting financial info on the web seems a bit crazy. I am almost ready to use a 'doz version of something in VMWare but that seems a bit addled also....

sheepofblue · 01-17-2010, 09:54 AM

So far I have checked out iBank. The interface is cluttered and it is SLOW. Things take longer to enter and much of what it is doing is unclear. Sadly I cannot see it being useful.

sheepofblue · 01-17-2010, 10:27 AM

MoneyDance looks interesting... the quote method is a bit obtuse since you need to download an extension. It is FAST and pretty nice. At first glance I cannot see a way to plot debt but that is not a major issue. I think I will play with it some more to see if it can replace !@#$@# Quicken.

Oh on a side note. The quicken site says if you want advanced features

then use 2007. However to export my portfolio for analyses it wants me to register. The quicken site won't let you register saying you need to get the new (yet unavailable) version that will not do the same amount as the old version.

Geek · 01-21-2010, 08:47 AM

Have you gone to the Apple store to see what they have on the shelf? Quicken can't be the only viable finance software...

I'd be interested in something too but I'm not putting my data in the cloud.

sheepofblue · 01-21-2010, 09:22 AM

The Apple store has Quicken 2007 (unsupported and they need to pull it) and I have seen iBank. I almost want to like iBank but it is just to slow (and that is on my quad core tower

) I will be the first to say that Quicken actually is the best product except for support and now it looks like intuit will cripple it despite recommending it

My current plan is to use MoneyDance in parallel with Quicken for a bit then switch. There is things that are missing but nothing is a show stopper. Also it is fast and seems reliable.

I would create an excel sheet before putting it on the web. While I am mad at Intuit my data is still available unlike if it was on the web where the plug pulls and you are hosed.

sheepofblue · 01-31-2010, 10:58 AM

I want to like MoneyDance but it is just not quite there. I just went to enter a house payment and you have to manually enter all the data. In the end Quicken 2007 is the best product out still even with no support and web stuff broken

Geek · 02-25-2010, 09:26 AM

Quicken Essentials for Mac now available

sheepofblue · 02-25-2010, 07:27 PM

Looks like a grand disappointment as expected

colryn · 04-22-2010, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geek

Quicken Essentials for Mac now available

I bought Quicken Essentials a couple of weeks ago. While not the greatest piece of software, it does what it should. I will say it was more money than what I figured it would cost. One item that didn't go well was transferring my quicken for Windows file to the Mac. So, I had start from scratch for the checkbook. I guess the best part of this is, I was able to retire an old Dell PC. The only reason I had the computer was because I was using it for Quicken for Windows.

sheepofblue · 04-23-2010, 12:07 AM

It does not do individual stock sales

sheepofblue · 05-06-2010, 03:33 PM

So after a bit more looking I picked up iBank. The app is good but I was puzzled on a few things. Number one was loans. In essence you can set one up but need to make it a recurring payment to get the most out of it. I don't auto anything for finances so I was resisting that. However you can just set it for the 1st and hit enter now before then. After that you go manually adjust the date and add over payment and it seems to work well. Graphs are a bit sketchy to understand. They are nice but I struggle on some of the functionality, that will improve with usage. I also picked up Mobile iBank but that has the pain of needing MobileMe or a wifi network to sync. Since my Mac Pro is hardwired it was not seeing it. Kind of a pain since they are on the same network

I have some adapters or could get the card but given I will only use it for that and it opens a potential security I am not enthused (well and cost).

More later

sheepofblue · 05-12-2010, 10:30 AM

The sync does work from wired to wireless. The Cisco router I have was blocking Bonjour connections. So far I like it. The entry on the iPhone took a bit to get used to but actually has a feature they need to add to the desktop. Say you get a coke, you enter it then add a split for tax. On the iPhone it automajically subtracts the amount from the coke price on the assumption that is what you want. The desktop one doesn't do that. Also I miss in place calculations like Quicken had. Otherwise it is pretty nice. On a large file with a ton of history it also gets a HUGE speed boost turning off all (think I have YTD selected)

sheepofblue · 05-14-2010, 03:14 PM

Liking it more and more. The iPhone app makes keeping better track of spending easier. Certainly a shift from Quicken but not all bad. I skimmed the manual and there is a couple of things I need to play with. There is a method of entry that should be faster but I need to have it in front of me to test that. Then I will need to test the plots and graphs more.

01-08-2010, 01:28 PM	#1
sheepofblue Not a screen of death Join Date: 01-03-2007 Location: Huntsville Age: 48 Posts: 722	Finance software? Anybody use something other than Quicken? Seems the new Mac version is not going to do investment tracking (and still cost the same) so I think the time has come to go to something else. I don't want something web based as putting financial info on the web seems a bit crazy. I am almost ready to use a 'doz version of something in VMWare but that seems a bit addled also.... __________________ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

01-17-2010, 09:54 AM	#2
sheepofblue Not a screen of death Join Date: 01-03-2007 Location: Huntsville Age: 48 Posts: 722	Re: Finance software? So far I have checked out iBank. The interface is cluttered and it is SLOW. Things take longer to enter and much of what it is doing is unclear. Sadly I cannot see it being useful. __________________ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

01-17-2010, 10:27 AM	#3
sheepofblue Not a screen of death Join Date: 01-03-2007 Location: Huntsville Age: 48 Posts: 722	Re: Finance software? MoneyDance looks interesting... the quote method is a bit obtuse since you need to download an extension. It is FAST and pretty nice. At first glance I cannot see a way to plot debt but that is not a major issue. I think I will play with it some more to see if it can replace !@#$@# Quicken. Oh on a side note. The quicken site says if you want advanced features then use 2007. However to export my portfolio for analyses it wants me to register. The quicken site won't let you register saying you need to get the new (yet unavailable) version that will not do the same amount as the old version. __________________ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

01-21-2010, 08:47 AM	#4
Geek 's make the world go 'round. Join Date: 01-02-2007 Location: SC Posts: 1,096	Re: Finance software? Have you gone to the Apple store to see what they have on the shelf? Quicken can't be the only viable finance software... I'd be interested in something too but I'm not putting my data in the cloud. __________________ "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people" Motorcycle fanatic?

01-21-2010, 09:22 AM	#5
sheepofblue Not a screen of death Join Date: 01-03-2007 Location: Huntsville Age: 48 Posts: 722	Re: Finance software? The Apple store has Quicken 2007 (unsupported and they need to pull it) and I have seen iBank. I almost want to like iBank but it is just to slow (and that is on my quad core tower ) I will be the first to say that Quicken actually is the best product except for support and now it looks like intuit will cripple it despite recommending it My current plan is to use MoneyDance in parallel with Quicken for a bit then switch. There is things that are missing but nothing is a show stopper. Also it is fast and seems reliable. I would create an excel sheet before putting it on the web. While I am mad at Intuit my data is still available unlike if it was on the web where the plug pulls and you are hosed. __________________ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

01-31-2010, 10:58 AM	#6
sheepofblue Not a screen of death Join Date: 01-03-2007 Location: Huntsville Age: 48 Posts: 722	Re: Finance software? I want to like MoneyDance but it is just not quite there. I just went to enter a house payment and you have to manually enter all the data. In the end Quicken 2007 is the best product out still even with no support and web stuff broken __________________ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

02-25-2010, 09:26 AM	#7
Geek 's make the world go 'round. Join Date: 01-02-2007 Location: SC Posts: 1,096	Re: Finance software? Quicken Essentials for Mac now available __________________ "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people" Motorcycle fanatic?

02-25-2010, 07:27 PM	#8
sheepofblue Not a screen of death Join Date: 01-03-2007 Location: Huntsville Age: 48 Posts: 722	Re: Finance software? Looks like a grand disappointment as expected __________________ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

04-23-2010, 12:07 AM	#10
sheepofblue Not a screen of death Join Date: 01-03-2007 Location: Huntsville Age: 48 Posts: 722	Re: Finance software? It does not do individual stock sales __________________ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

05-06-2010, 03:33 PM	#11
sheepofblue Not a screen of death Join Date: 01-03-2007 Location: Huntsville Age: 48 Posts: 722	Re: Finance software? So after a bit more looking I picked up iBank. The app is good but I was puzzled on a few things. Number one was loans. In essence you can set one up but need to make it a recurring payment to get the most out of it. I don't auto anything for finances so I was resisting that. However you can just set it for the 1st and hit enter now before then. After that you go manually adjust the date and add over payment and it seems to work well. Graphs are a bit sketchy to understand. They are nice but I struggle on some of the functionality, that will improve with usage. I also picked up Mobile iBank but that has the pain of needing MobileMe or a wifi network to sync. Since my Mac Pro is hardwired it was not seeing it. Kind of a pain since they are on the same network I have some adapters or could get the card but given I will only use it for that and it opens a potential security I am not enthused (well and cost). More later __________________ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

05-12-2010, 10:30 AM	#12
sheepofblue Not a screen of death Join Date: 01-03-2007 Location: Huntsville Age: 48 Posts: 722	Re: Finance software? The sync does work from wired to wireless. The Cisco router I have was blocking Bonjour connections. So far I like it. The entry on the iPhone took a bit to get used to but actually has a feature they need to add to the desktop. Say you get a coke, you enter it then add a split for tax. On the iPhone it automajically subtracts the amount from the coke price on the assumption that is what you want. The desktop one doesn't do that. Also I miss in place calculations like Quicken had. Otherwise it is pretty nice. On a large file with a ton of history it also gets a HUGE speed boost turning off all (think I have YTD selected) __________________ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

05-14-2010, 03:14 PM	#13
sheepofblue Not a screen of death Join Date: 01-03-2007 Location: Huntsville Age: 48 Posts: 722	Re: Finance software? Liking it more and more. The iPhone app makes keeping better track of spending easier. Certainly a shift from Quicken but not all bad. I skimmed the manual and there is a couple of things I need to play with. There is a method of entry that should be faster but I need to have it in front of me to test that. Then I will need to test the plots and graphs more. __________________ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way