Are you looking for the latest version of Quicken? Here is my review of the newest version, Quicken 2012. Downloads of Quicken 2012 are available today.
I’ve been using Quicken for six years, and I have eight years’ worth of financial data in my files.
I had the opportunity to take the beta version of Quicken 2011 Premier for a test drive. After uninstalling my current version (2010 Home & Business) and installing the new version, it took less than two minutes to convert my data file from 2010 to 2011. Some of the business-related features are not available in the Premier flavor of the software, so if I decide to keep the upgrade, I would take the opportunity to “unlock” the Home & Business features. To be careful, I converted a copy of my regular data file rather than the “real” Quicken 2010 data. This will let me return to Quicken 2010 and consider buying the new version at a later date.
First impressions
I was surprised to see that the new version of Quicken now supports Direct Connect functionality with more of my banks. It looks like Quicken is using some of Mint’s technology acquired to increase compatibility with more financial institutions.
One great improvement that I’ve been waiting for since I first started using Quicken pertains to the interface. Quicken users have become accustomed to register screens that update slowly, particularly in investment accounts with a large number of holdings or transactions. My 401(k) falls into this category. I’m happy to report that there are no longer any delays in the register screen. The interface has been streamlined in addition to the increased speed. The account information for investment accounts is the biggest example of this. In Quicken 2010, each screen offered far too many navigation options.
The “Spending” and “Income” overview pages have been improved as well. I have about 60 active accounts in Quicken. Prior to 2011, the cash flow overview pages have not been close to accurate, and that could be due to the complexity of my data and I may even have some accounts categorized incorrectly. However, the new version seems to track my real spending and income much more accurately.
Here is my spending screen, with some of the numbers obscured with PhotoShop.
One of the more interesting features is a register view that presents all your transactions on one page. By default, this view lists each transaction across all your accounts, but you can customize the options to display each account type individually, such as only asset accounts, only checking accounts, or only liabilities. You can also customize this view.
Here’s what my net worth overview page looks like in Quicken 2011. Click on this image to zoom in.
Should I upgrade?
Here is the bottom line. If it’s been several years since you’ve upgraded Quicken, or if you’ve never owned Quicken and you’d like a powerful piece of software for managing your personal finances when free options like Mint are not enough for you, then Quicken 2011 is an obvious choice. If you are happy with a recent version of Quicken on your desktop, you might not want to pay for the upgrade. (You could win a copy for free; keep reading this article to find out how.)
Consider, however, that as far as yearly incremental upgrades go, this is the best annual improvement I’ve seen in Quicken for a long time.
Latest prices for Quicken 2011
| Edition | Purchase | |
|---|---|---|
| Quicken Home and Business 2012 | Buy CD-ROM $74.95 | Download $74.95 |
| Quicken Premier 2012 | Buy CD-ROM $69.95 | Download $69.95 |
| Quicken Deluxe 2012 | Buy CD-ROM $44.95 | Download $44.95 |
| Quicken Starter Edition 2012 | Buy CD-ROM $29.99 | Download $29.95 |
| Quicken Rental Property Manager 2012 | Buy CD-ROM $148.20 | Download $149.99 |
| Quicken WillMaker Plus 2012 | Buy CD-ROM $43.95 | n/a |
| Quicken Essentials for Mac 2010 | Buy CD-ROM $32.67 | n/a |
| Mint.com | ||
Quicken 2011 giveaway
Note: this giveaway is now closed.
I am giving away four copies of Quicken 2011 Premier. 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. I was originally planning to give away two copies of Quicken 2011 Premier but Intuit has agreed to chip in two copies at their expense as well. Your chances for winning have just doubled!
- Leave a comment on this post.
- Like Consumerism Commentary on Facebook, share this review with your friends, and let me know in your comment below.
- Follow @flexo on Twitter and mention and link to this review. Your tweet should say:
Pls RT! Win a copy of Quicken 2011 from @flexo! http://t.co/shu1Yms
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 Thursday night, October 14, 2010, at 11:59 pm.
You can have even more opportunities to get Quicken 2011 for free! Investor Junkie is offering a 1 in 100 chance to win. Read his review for another opinion about Quicken 2011 from the pre-release version.
Intuit provided Consumerism Commentary with a copy of the beta version of Quicken 2011 Premier prior to this review and giveaway but have had no influence on the content of this review or form of this giveaway. Of the four copies of Quicken 2011 Premier, Intuit is providing two to give away to Consumerism Commentary readers. The others will be given away at our own expense.
About Consumerism Commentary
This article was written by Flexo in Administration. Add a comment.
Welcome to Consumerism Commentary! This website was one of the first blogs to focus on money from a personal finance perspective, and Flexo was the first blogger to share monthly financial updates, such as his net worth statement, with no restrictions. Consumerism Commentary is now a premier personal finance blog offering daily articles stemming from current events and events in the author’s own life.
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Vision, Mission, and Purposes
The Vision of Consumerism Commentary shall be to exist in a world where people live fulfilling and financially stable lives.
The Mission of Consumerism Commentary shall be to develop financially literate, capable, and successful human beings by sharing educational, entertaining, and engaging writing.
The Original Purpose of Consumerism Commentary shall be to hold myself accountable for my finances and my decisions.
The Five Purposes of Consumerism Commentary shall be
Consumerism Commentary is a personal finance blog. The writers are not necessarily financial professionals, so readers should not make any important decisions based on the information published here alone. If you want specific, personalized financial advice, seek a trained financial adviser.
A brief history
Flexo, known otherwise as Luke Landes, created Consumerism Commentary in 2003 in order to hold himself accountable for the state and progress of his own finances. “Although I had a rocky experience with my money following my undergraduate studies, by the time I started this blog I was on the path to being in decent financial shape. In order to take the next step, I believed starting a blog would help. My plan was to regularly publish my account balances and spending information so I could publicly track them over time and perhaps gain support from readers.”
Today, Flexo is back on his feet financially and his blog is one of the leaders of the now burgeoning financial blog community. Consumerism Commentary offers tips and reviews of financial products such as the best savings accounts and credit cards. Above all, it provides a community for individuals interested in improving their own finances.
Flexo’s commentary on personal finance is often cited in major publications and columnists and authors frequently seek his opinions.
Mainstream media and other popular online publications have featured stories about Consumerism Commentary. Notable mentions include the Wall Street Journal twice, Yahoo’s Ten Money Blogs Everyone Should Read, Money Magazine’s Best Web Sites, in addition to a number of others. Consumerism Commentary was featured in BusinessWeek Online and was named in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine as a Must-Read Blog.
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In my own words
Here is a short list of interviews in which Consumerism Commentary participated (to the best of my memory).
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