Update: The giveaway has ended and the winners will be announced shortly.

Note: This is a long article containing an in-depth review of the new version of Quicken. If you are just interested in the giveaway of Quicken 2010 Deluxe, scroll to the bottom of this article.

It took me a long time to warm up to Intuit Quicken. When I first saw the software in the early or mid 1990s, I wasn’t very interested. That’s not the software’s fault; at that time I most likely did not see the need for tracking money I did not have. When I finally realized I needed to build some control of my personal financial situation, I first looked for free solutions.

After several months of spending less than I was earning and tracking my progress using freeware, I evaluated Microsoft Money alongside Quicken. Money looked nice and ran smooth while Quicken was clunky and unattractive, so I stuck with Money for a few years. After some time, I came to realize that Money’s features for dealing with investments were not as comprehensive as I would like, and for some reason it interpreted the downloaded data from my 401(k) incorrectly. I decided to give Quicken another shot.

While Quicken wasn’t perfect, it worked better with the transaction data I downloaded from the banks and offered configurable reports. So I stuck with it, and I still use a desktop version of Quicken almost every day. I receive questions about why I haven’t switched to popular Web 2.0 applications like Quicken Online (review here) or Mint.com (review here). These websites offer interesting features, particularly those powered by community aggregate information, but they lack some of the basic investing functionality that I get from the desktop version of Quicken.

Quicken 2010 review, first impressions

I received Quicken 2010 Home and Business in the mail yesterday and gave it a test drive tonight.

The upgrade from Quicken 2009, including downloading updates to the software online, took about ten minutes. Tens of thousands of transaction records needed to be converted to the new version, and this took the bulk of the time for the upgrade.

After the upgrade was complete, the software brought me to Quicken.com to register. Although I am already registered at Intuit, I was required to provide my information again before using all of the software’s functionality. Although required, the registration process was quick.

I was impressed with the new version’s look and feel. The interface is redesigned to be cleaner, and switching from one page to another within the software seems to move faster. One of my biggest complaints about Quicken has been its sluggish display but this seems to be greatly improved.

Quicken 2010 opens to a new main screen with three horizontal sections. The top includes a pie chart describing your spending within categories and the middle of the screen lists your anticipated expenses.

The focus here is on your cash flow: how much is left in your spending accounts at the end of the month. Here is the top half of my screen. Click on the thumbnail to view the image full-size (and note the exceptionally large tax expense thanks to quarterly estimated payments).

The bottom section of this screen is new. According to Quicken, it would take 5 minutes to begin tracking spending goals. I began creating spending goals, which seem to form a softer style of a budget. Unfortunately, because I use sub-categories, Quicken’s “average monthly spending” in categories like “Auto,” “Dining,” and “Entertainment” were inaccurate. As a result, the “suggested monthly goals” were not appropriate. I solved this by choosing my own categories, such as “Auto:Fuel” rather than “Auto.”

After assigning several categories to watch, here are my results so far for October.

I also like the new Net Worth tab. Here is what the top half of my Net Worth page looks like.

Downloading data from banks

The “Direct Connect” feature of Quicken, in which you store your bank accounts’ passwords in the software and send Quicken on a mission to download your latest transaction data, has never run smoothly for me. In Quicken 2009, this process would occasionally lock the software, requiring me to kill the process through the Windows Task Manager. Furthermore, this downloading should be a background process. However, whenever you initiate the data update, you are preventing from performing almost every other task in the software.

Quicken 2010 has not fixed this completely. During the update process in the new version, Quicken will prevent you from moving around the software.

What to look forward to

All things considered, this seems to be a good upgrade with my limited experience so far. But like most yearly, incremental software updates, there is not a lot to justify buying the software if you already have a recent version of Quicken.

The best news from Intuit is not reflected in Quicken 2010. As a result of Intuit’s pending acquisition of Mint.com, the CEO of Mint.com, Aaron Patzer, will be leading the development of the desktop version of Quicken in addition to the online personal financial management software. I expect future versions of Quicken will look slicker and work faster as Intuit leverages the team and the talent behind Mint.com.

Latest prices for Quicken 2010 versions

Before you buy, consider trying to win the giveaway for Quicken 2010 Deluxe. Instructions for entering the giveaway are below. Free is always a better option. Also, Intuit often offers discounts. Right now the software is offered for full price only. But keep watching Consumerism Commentary to find out when new discounts are available.

If you’re a Mac user, hang on until February 2010. A new version of Quicken for Mac will be released next year, and Intuit says the will be a major upgrade from the most recent release. Alternatively, you can run software on the Mac that emulates Windows and allows you to run these updated versions of Quicken.

Giveaways

Intuit sent me two copies of Quicken 2010 Deluxe to give away to readers. Here is how you can win one of these copies. Each of the following will provide you with one chance to win, so you have a maximum of three chances.

• Leave a comment on this post.
• Become a fan of Consumerism Commentary on Facebook and let me know in your comment below.
• Mention and link to this review on Twitter. Your tweet should say:

Pls RT! Review and giveaway: Quicken 2010 from @flexo! http://bit.ly/RjD3y

You must be over 18 years old and must have an address in the United States in order to qualify. The winners will be chosen using the random number generator at random.org. Thanks and good luck! The giveaway will end Friday night, October 23, at 11:59 pm.

Update: The giveaway has ended and the winners will be announced shortly.

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Quicken 2010 Review and Giveaway

If you are interested in winning one of two iPods, today is the last day you can qualify. We’re celebrating Consumerism Commentary’s sixth anniversary by hosting a “scavenger hunt.” Four clues have been scattered throughout the website and media throughout the past couple of weeks.

The details for the scavenger hunt are here. If you are interested in having your name included in the random selection for one of the iPods, make sure you send the four clues you find, in the order that makes the most sense, to fourclues at this domain name.

As a further hint, you can find the four clues in the first post about the giveaway, the RSS feed, an episode of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, and the most recent email newsletter. The last newsletter was sent last Sunday, so if you haven’t joined you might need an extra hint: the clue is the middle five letters of the fourth word in the title of this article about the Cash for Clunkers Program being suspended.

Good luck!

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Last Chance to Qualify for iPod Giveaway

Today is the sixth anniversary of Consumerism Commentary! Long-time readers know that this blog was one of the first of its kind to focus on personal finance and money-related topics. Thanks to the readers, we are still going strong. I have learned much about money, especially from visitors and commenters, throughout the past few years. Although I started Consumerism Commentary as a public way to hold myself accountable for my own financial decisions and share articles of interest from around the internet, the website has grown significantly and has a life of its own.

To celebrate Consumerism Commentary’s sixth anniversary (have you read our first posts from July 2003 or browsed the archives?) we are giving away two iPods: one iPod Touch and one iPod Classic. There will be two winners, and each winner has a choice of either model. In order to be considered, we will have an electronic scavenger hunt.

Starting within the next few days, four clues will be hidden around Consumerism Commentary. In order to find the clues, you will need to experience a variety of media related to Consumerism Commentary. Once you find all four clues, email your answer to fourclues at this domain name (consumerismcommentary.com). In order to win you must live in the United States and in a state where such contests are not prohibited. Not everyone who finds all clues will win, however. The names of the two winners will be randomly selected among all the correct entries. Please only submit one entry per person, and if you find any clues, don’t share them.

I imagine that if you play your chances of winning are pretty good, but that ultimately depends on how many entries we receive.

The contest will end on July 31, 2009, but all clues will be available by Sunday, July 19.

I’ll start you off with a hint towards one clue: Fourth sentence, third word, second letter through fifth letter. Good luck! If you want to win, I suggest subscribing to Consumerism Commentary in as many forms possible and listening closely.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Anniversary Giveaway: Enter to Win Free iPod If You Find All Four Clues

I have ten passes for free federal and free state tax filing using TurboTax Online Premier to share with Consumerism Commentary readers. Each prize is valued over $100. If you are interested in being included in the drawing, it’s very simple to enter.

To enter for the giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. If you subscribe to the Consumerism Commentary RSS feed, say so in the comment. You will receive a second entry in the giveaway, theoretically doubling your chances to win. It’s not too late to subscribe. (If you’re curious about RSS feeds, see this information.)

For yet another chance to win, tripling your odds, follow me on Twitter and leave a comment here to let me know you have done so. If you are already tracking my Twitter updates, just say so in the comment. If you then “tweet” this post, you will receive a fourth entry in this contest.

Prices to electronic tax filing are sure to increase very soon, but you can increase your odds of filing for free by participating in this giveaway. And it’s quite easy to quadruple your chances by increasing your participation without much effort.

Of course, if you want only one entry in the giveaway, you are free to leave a comment here saying whatever you wish.

As the winners are selected, one every weekday if I remember, they will be listed here. Once you’ve won one, you won’t be eligible to win another. But if your name isn’t selected, you will still be in the running for future drawings.

1. Jay (@marketfolly)
2. Chris (@chrishas35)
3. Erica Douglass (@ericabiz)
4. Crabhands
5. CJ
6. Nate (@NateDesmond)
7. Rev_Mother (@Rev_Mother)
8. David
9. ALLY in WA
10. Revanche

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Giveaway: Free TurboTax Online Premier Tax E-Filing (10 Available)

This post is just a reminder that Consumerism Commentary is currently holding a sweepstakes to give away one free copy of Quicken Home & Business 2009 for Windows. The odds of winning are still good. Visit this review of Quicken 2009 and leave a comment. You can earn an extra entry by using social media like Facebook and Twitter to spread the word about the giveaway.

The winner will be chosen randomly from those who leave responses to the article and those who share the article with friends. Odds of winning depend on how many people respond, and the odds are currently still good.

About twenty-four hours are left.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Giveaway Reminder: Quicken Home & Business 2009

In a few days, I will be randomly selecting a winner of the $100 SmartyPig gift card. In order to win, click here and leave a comment describing your savings goal.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Reminder: Free $100 Gift Card for SmartyPig

Earlier this month, I announced a giveaway of five USB flash drives containing TaxCut software. As of last night, the giveaway has ended. I’ve selected the five winners using the random integer generator found at random.org. Here are the results:

The random numbers correspond to the comment numbers on the original giveaway announcement. I have sent emails to notify the winners and request mailing addresses. I’ll have the drives in the mail as soon as possible.

I plan on announcing a new giveaway tomorrow, so if you like free stuff, stay tuned.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

5 Free 1GB Flash Drives With TaxCut: Winners Notified

Don’t forget, I have five free USB flash drives to give away to readers. I’ll likely pull the names randomly this coming weekend and contact the winners. If you’d like to be considered, click here and comment on the giveaway post as soon as possible.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Reminder: 5 Free USB Flash Drives (1GB) with TaxCut

From now into the foreseeable future, I will be presenting weekly giveaways. Each weekend, though this is a guideline and not a promise, I will select one commenter who has added value to Consumerism Commentary to be the recipient of a surprise gift. This is just a way of me thanking regular and quality contributors for visiting and sharing their thoughts and ideas.

You may have noticed that the latest giveaway for the free Sumo Lounge Omni chair attracted a large number of readers, 95% of whom stopped by to enter the contest after hearing about it somewhere else and never participated in other discussions before or after.

After thinking about this for not much more than a minute, I decided I’d rather find ways to reward frequent and avid visitors and participants. If you’re a lurker, now is the time to chime in with your thoughts on various discussions, as you never know who will be selected each week (or so).

Image credit: junkmonkey

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Announcing Weekly Giveaways for Helpful or Interesting Comments

I have contacted the winner of the Sumo Lounge Omni Bean Bag Chair, who will have 48 hours to respond. Check your e-mail to see if you are the winner.

Congratulations to commenter 28, Jon H!

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Sumo Lounge Omni Chair Winner

If you’re interested in receiving a free Sumo Lounge Omni Bean Bag Chair, which I reviewed here, there are only 24 hours or so left to participate in the giveaway. It’s simple — just leave a comment on this post with an interesting furniture story, and you will be entered in the contest.

The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM Eastern time tomorrow night, Tuesday, October 23.

Also, you may have noticed pictures next to each comment, representing each commenter. These are Gravatars, globally-recognized avatars. If you’re a frequent, occasional, or one-time commenter, you may want to have your icon appear next to your comments. Simply sign up at gravatar.com and upload your picture.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

24 Hours Remain to Win Sumo Lounge Omni Bean Bag Chair

If you’re visiting Consumerism Commentary for the first time, please take a look around and subscribe to our RSS feed.

So far, this has to be one of my favorite giveaways. Who wants yet another book about money when you could have a postmodern bean bag chair? Last week, I reviewed the Sumo Lounge Omni chair and Otto foot rest.

As the review explains, the chair is a lot nicer than I expected. Currently, I am keeping the Omni in the “bed” position for relaxing while blogging.

Sumo Lounge agreed to give away an Omni chair valued at $150 to a lucky Consumerism Commentary reader. It will be delivered by FedEx directly to the winner’s door. Not only that, but the winner can choose the color. I was sent the fiery red, and I like it, but the other colors, like tangerine, platinum, funky brown, and lime green, look great from the pictures.

Here are the instructions for the giveaway.

In order to enter the contest, you must comment on this post below, leaving your valid e-mail address. As I’ve mentioned, I will keep your e-mail address private, but I need a way to contact the winner. The comment should include something about furniture, such as an entertaining story about how you acquired furniture in your first apartment.

I really like this stuff, and this is a contest definitely worth your time. The winner will be chosen randomly, and the odds of winning depend on the number of commenters. I would hope that this attracts strong interest, as I’m quite impressed with what they’ve sent me.

The giveaway will be closed to new entries at 11:59 PM Eastern time on Tuesday, October 23. The winner will be notified by email and expected to respond within 48 hours. Subscribe to the Consumerism Commentary RSS feed to receive updates.

Update [10/17, 12:00 pm]: If you tried to place a comment on Consumerism Commentary in the last twelve hours, I did not receive your comment. You would have received an error message after submitting your message. The problem has been fixed, so please try again.

Update [10/24, 12:00 am]: The winner has been selected and notified. Thanks to everyone who visited; I hope new visitors are sticking around.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Giveaway: Free Sumo Lounge Omni Chair

The giveaway is over.

Congratulations to shouldbeworking, commenter number 18. He is the fifth and final winner of the free 256MB flash drive with TaxCut from H&R Block.

I have some more exciting giveaways in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned for more free stuff. Subscribe to the Consumerism Commentary RSS feed to stay current.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

USB Flash Drive With TaxCut Giveaway Winner #5

It’s time to reveal the fourth winner of the free 256 MB flash drive. Congratulations to commenter number 57! Now there is only one day remaining of this giveaway. If you’re interested in entering for a chance, leave a comment on this post.

Thanks to H&R Block for sending these over for our readers. These flash drives contain their software for filing 2006 tax returns, but if you’ve already filed, they can also be used for everyday file storage.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

USB Flash Drive With TaxCut Giveaway Winner #4

Congratulations to Laurie from Debt Free for Life, commenter number 19, the third winner of a 256MB flash drive with TaxCut software, provided to Consumerism Commentary by H&R Block. They arrived a little late in the tax season, but I still appreciate free stuff to give away. If you’ve already done your 2006 taxes, you can use the flash drive as storage space for your photographs or research papers.

If you’re interested in a chance to win the free flash drive, leave a comment here. There are only two days in the week after today, so there will only be two more winners.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

USB Flash Drive With TaxCut Giveaway Winner #3

Congratulations to Mike, commenter number 35, the second winner of a 256MB flash drive with TaxCut software, provided to Consumerism Commentary by H&R Block.

If you’re interested in a chance to win the free flash drive, leave a comment here. Each day for the remainder of the week, I’ll pick another winner. Everyone who hasn’t won still has three chances.

The drives can be used for completing your 2006 tax return if you haven’t filed yet or as 256MB of storage.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

USB Flash Drive With TaxCut Giveaway Winner #2

Congratulations to Gerald, commenter number 5, the first winner of a 256MB flash drive with TaxCut software. There are still four days and four winners left, and with only 41 comments so far your chances to win are pretty good. If you’re interested in the flash drive, either for completing your tax return forms or for regular file storage, simply leave a comment on this post.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

USB Flash Drive With TaxCut Giveaway Winner #1

I have five 256MB flash drives with Tax Cut to give away. They’re great if you still haven’t done your taxes, or you can just delete the software and use them as regular flash drives. I need to pick five winners, so leave a comment here and enter the drawing.

Each day this week, I will announce one winner, but you must comment on the original post and include a valid email address.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Don’t Miss This Giveaway

If you’re interested in a free copy of Quicken Property Rental Manager, you have one more day to enter for the chance. Just leave a comment on this post after reading the other comments and reviews, and leave a valid email address so I can contact you if you win.

I’ll be holding the “drawing” Thursday evening, and if I hear back from the winner that night, I’ll be able to have the software in the mail the following day.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Quicken Giveaway, One More Day

I have a copy of Quicken Rental Property Manager 2.0 to give away. I’ve never used the software before, so I can’t provide any reviews. I don’t see owning rental properties in my near future, so I’d like to send the CD-ROM off to someone who will be able to use it.

Quicken Rental Property Manager 2.0 helps rental property owners organize their rental income and expenses in one place, saving hours at tax time. Quicken Rental Property Manager is designed specifically for rental property owners with up to 10 properties and approximately 25 total units, but it can be used to support up to 100 properties with 100 units each.

If this software sounds useful to you, simply leave a comment here with a valid email address and I’ll choose a random individual. Your email address is safe with me. I won’t send you spam or sell your address. I’ll only send an email to the commenter who is selected. Your comment can say anything you like.

Unbridled and excessive praise are my favorite comments, but any kind of comment gets you just one entry. Here is what the software claims to accomplish.

* Organize all your information in one place, into simple sheets
* Track all your income, expenses, and tax information
* Save time retrieving financial information — Easily categorize your financial information throughout the year using the income and expense log
* See how your properties are performing — get instant answers to your questions about profitability
* Take every allowable deduction all year, as you record your expenses into a Schedule E category list

I’m going to leave this giveaway open for a while. This software doesn’t appeal to everyone, so I’d like to give a chance as many people as possible.

Update: Savvy Saver has a review of the software: “The value-added features of Quicken Property Manager are few and far between, and I’ve yet to encounter any functionality that exceeds that of an Excel workbook…” Still, leave a comment here if you would like a chance for the free copy.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Giveaway: Free Quicken Rental Property Manager 2.0

The final winner of You Call the Shots by Cameron Johnson (reviewed here) is mnc from My New Choice. His comment on my latest income statement post was selected randomly. Thanks to everyone who participated!

If you were hoping to win a free copy but didn’t, I suggest purchasing the book from Amazon.com or checking it out from your local library. The author, Cameron Johnson, has a personal website with a blog on which he writes occasionally.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Yesterday’s Winner of You Call the Shots: mnc From My New Choice!

Congratulations, tmg! Your comment on my post about reaching the 5 year anniversary at my job was selected randomly, so you won my fourth copy of You Call the Shots by Cameron Johnson (reviewed here). I am very happy about being able to spread this book around; I enjoyed the stories Cameron has to share.

Today is the last day to win a copy of You Call the Shots. I only have one book left to send to a lucky commenter. If you’re interested in this free book, simply leave a comment on any post here on Consumerism Commentary. The more comments you leave (on separate posts), the more chances you have to win. Make sure you leave your email address with your comment so I can contact you if you are the winner. Don’t worry, that email address won’t be used for anything else.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Yesterday’s Winner of You Call the Shots: tmg!

Each day this week, I’m selecting a random commenter to win a copy of You Call the Shots by Cameron Johnson (reviewed here). Yesterday’s winner is Jason! He lamented his state’s lack of a property tax rebate.

I’m down two two books left this week. With each comment you post on this blog, you qualify for a chance to win one of the remaining copies.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Yesterday’s Winner of You Call the Shots: Jason!

Each day this week, I’m selecting a random commenter to win a copy of You Call the Shots by Cameron Johnson (reviewed here). Yesterday’s winner is Clever Dude! He commented on the post about the guy living out of his car.

I only have three copies of the book left to give away to lucky readers. You qualify to win with each comment you leave on Consumerism Commentary. You don’t have to be a blogger to win, you just have to write in with a comment. As long as you include your email address so I can contact you, you will qualify. In fact, if you leave more than one comment, you’ll have that many chances to win.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Yesterday’s Winner of You Call the Shots: Clever Dude!

Each day this week, I will be selecting one random visitor to win a copy of You Call the Shots by Cameron Johnson (reviewed here). The first winner is Jeremy from Generation X Finance! Jeremy commented on a post looking for advice for dealing with debt collectors.

I have four copies of the book left to give away this week. You qualify to win with each comment you leave on Consumerism Commentary. Although Jeremy has his own blog, you don’t have to be a blogger to win. As long as you include your email address so I can contact you, you will qualify. In fact, if you leave more than one comment, you’ll have that many chances to win.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Today’s Winner of You Call the Shots: Jeremy from Generation X Finance!