Quicken Home & Business 2011 - [Old Version]

by Intuit

Product Features

• Quicken Home & Business 2011 pairs the personal finance features of Quicken Premier with tools for the home business
• Easily organizes your personal and home-based business finances, all in one place
• Shows you where your money is going: automatically categorizes your personal and home business expenses
• Lets you view your profit and loss at a glance, so you always know how your home-based business is doing
• Helps you choose the right investments to reach your goals, and identifies ways to minimize taxes on your investments

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B003YJ78JA
• Item model number: 413786
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 19, 2010
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (182 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #254 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #13 in Software > Personal Finance > Money Management

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Quicken Home & Business 2011 gives you the personal finance features found in Quicken Premier plus tools that make it easy to see how your home business is doing.

Always know how your home-based business is doing.

Helps maximize deductions and simplify your taxes.

Easily Organizes Your Personal and Business Finances

Manages Both Your Personal and Business Finances Together in One Place

Organizes your financial information by bringing your personal and home-based business accounts together in one place--including banking, credit card, loan, 401(k), and investing accounts. Avoid the hassle of going to multiple websites: see your complete financial picture with just one password. Access over 12,000 banks, brokerages and other financial institutions--including PayPal.

See Where Your Money's Going

Quicken Home & Business automatically categorizes your personal and home business expenses. Then, Quicken shows you where you're spending your money, including both business and personal expenses. Check in anytime to see exactly where your personal and business finances are for the week, month or year.

Always Know How Your Home-Based Business Is Doing

View your business profit and loss at a glance: Quicken Home & Business gives you an overall snapshot of what's coming in for the month, what's going out, and what's left in your accounts.

Helps Maximize Deductions and Simplify Your Taxes

Captures all your deductions, including mileage and expenses for specific jobs, or even household expenses that you can partially write off. The business tax deduction summary lets you instantly see your tax deduction status throughout the year to help avoid any April 15th surprises. At tax time, save time by creating Schedule C reports for your accountant. You can also easily export your data directly to TurboTax to prepare your taxes quickly and accurately.

Simplifies Estimating and Invoicing

Easily create, print, and save professional-looking estimates and invoices for your clients and customers.

Comprehensive investing and planning tools help you easily track, analyze, and optimize your investment portfolio.

Know your risk vs. return.

Provides Comprehensive Investing and Planning Tools

Easily track, analyze, and optimize your investment portfolio. You can see changes in assets, liabilities, and net worth with one click: we show how your investments are performing across all your accounts.

Helps You Make Better Buy/Sell Decisions

We identify your top-performing investments and compare your portfolio to the market, so you can make smart decisions on buying or selling. For example, use Morningstar Ratings to compare mutual funds and see which ones best fit your investment management goals.

Getting Started Is a Breeze

It's simpler than ever to put Quicken to work for you--so you can reach your personal finance goals faster. With the new Guided Setup, you just answer a few simple questions; we'll show you how Quicken works, and what to do next. You'll see your total financial picture come into focus even sooner than you expect.

Create--and Stay--on Budget

We make it easy to get on--and stay on--a budget. Quicken automatically sets up budget goals based on your historical spending. You can easily customize your plan, and Quicken then tracks your progress.

Save for the Things Most Important to You

Quicken Deluxe can also help you create customized plans to reduce/eliminate debt--and to save for a house, college, retirement or large purchase.

Never Miss a Bill

See what bills have already been paid, what's coming up, and if you have enough left in your accounts to cover them--all in one convenient place. Set reminders to pay bills on time and instantly check the status of past bills so you can avoid those pesky late fees!

Easily Uncover Any Unusual Account Activity

We've made it easier to review your transactions, so you can quickly spot anything that looks inaccurate or out of place. If a transaction requires follow-up, you can flag it with a reminder.

Shows you how to minimize taxes on your investments.

View all your accounts in one place.

See exactly where your money's going with auto-categorization.

Simplify Taxes With TurboTax

Quicken pairs perfectly with TurboTax to save you time. Easily export your data directly to TurboTax for fast and accurate tax preparation.

100% Satisfaction Guarantee

If you're not 100% satisfied, return your Quicken 2011 personal finance software with your dated receipt within 60 days of purchase for a refund of the purchase price (return shipping and handling charges not included).

Get Tips From Other Quicken Users

With Quicken Live Community, you can get help and advice from other Quicken users without ever leaving Quicken. If you have a question about something specific you're trying to do, just look to Live Community on the right of the Quicken screen for the answer.

Enjoy Free Support When You Buy, Install or Upgrade Quicken

If you need help purchasing, installing or upgrading your new Quicken personal finance software, free phone support is available. For more information, visit our Help & Support site.

Easily Import From Microsoft Money

If you've been using Microsoft Money personal finance software, we can help you transfer your valuable financial information to Quicken. With our easy-to-use Data Converter tool, you'll be up-and-running with Quicken in practically no time.

What's New in Quicken 2011

Improved--See Exactly Where Your Money's Going With Auto Categorization!

Automatically categorizes more of your expenses with greater accuracy so you don't have to manually enter or edit them.

New--Stay on Top of Your Day to Day Finances

Get a better picture of what you have coming in, going out, and most importantly, what's left over to spend or save with our completely redesigned cash flow graph. See how much money you have left after upcoming bills and income.

Improved--Find the Tools You Need, Faster

The most commonly used features have moved front and center, making them easy to find.

Improved--Quicken Updates Faster Than Ever

When it comes to your money, time is precious: Quicken updates your transactions using a speedier account download process.

Improved--Customize Your Register to Fit Your Needs

The new Quicken layout lets you see your information exactly how you'd like: easily resize, sort and hide columns.

New--Stock Quotes Automatically Update

Stock quotes updated every 15 minutes so you always know your portfolio's value.

Product Description

Organizes your personal and home based business finances in one place. Identifies tax-deductible home business expenses. Shows your profit and loss at a glance. Creates customized invoices and estimates. Creates Schedule C reports to save you time on taxes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

188 of 193 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Minor Upgrade from Quicken 2010, October 20, 2010

By 

Steve Kowal (Louisville, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Quicken Home & Business 2011 - [Old Version] (Software)

I was not a beta tester and was not "encouraged" to write a glowing review by Intuit. This review only speaks to the question of whether this is a worthwhile upgrade from the 2010 version. The 2011 version contains very few new features when compared to the 2010 version. Whether you find these new features worth the upgrade price is debatable. The quicken site is a bit misleading in their "new features" list since many of the items they mention were already in the 2010 version. As with past Quicken upgrades, they largely give you MORE of a existing feature, and not much in the way of new features. So, for example, MORE banks are supported for direct connect. MORE transactions can be automatically categorized since auto-categorization already existed. So in these cases, if your banks are already supported and you don't use auto-categorization, then these enhancements are irrelevant. So for those thinking of upgrading from 2010, here's the list of only NEW features in the 2011 version:

- All Transactions register: This could be handy if you use many accounts and want to enter, maintain and view your transactions in one place. However, if you download transactions from your banking and investment institutions, the download window does not show up when you are in this mode, so you will be forced to continue using the individual account registers anyway.

- Register customization: You can decide which columns appear in each individual register. Transaction Notes can now be shown/edited as a column instead of treating them like an attachment.

- Attachment Encryption: I'm fairly certain this wasn't in the prior version. I guess you can now password protect attachments.

- The usual "Where's Waldo" changes to the program: They've moved menu items and eliminated speed button lists in registers. I imagine they did this to make the interface "look" simpler/cleaner, but now you have to rummage through the menus to find them. So, for example, the "Live Community" speed button was eliminated; It is now found as a "Help" menu item. Also, each account's "Overview" speed button has been eliminated; You now find that in the "Account Actions" menu. Since it is likely that the eliminated speed buttons were rarely needed by most users, the changes will be well received.


That's it! Is it worth the upgrade? You decide.

192 of 200 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very Disappointed, October 17, 2010

By 

Naomi Lynn - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quicken Home & Business 2011 [Download] [OLD VERSION] (Software Download)

This purchase was a huge disappointment. The software is new and there were only nine reviews, but they were all extremely positive, so I felt confident taking the plunge. I was so excited in fact, that I paid a premium to download rather than wait for UPS. In retrospect, I should have paid more attention to the eerie similarity between the reviews, and in fact they were all from beta testers (shills?) perhaps working off the same talking points. The new version was supposed to run faster and work with twice the number of financial institutions. But this is not what I experienced. I was fairly content with Home and Business 2008. The only reason I downloaded 2011 is because I want to access certain accounts that 2008 cannot, such as my 401K with ADP, my kids 529's with New York State, and a savings/loan account with Sallie Mae. Turns out none of these accounts are accessible with 2011! It was a complete waste and it actually runs slower than 2008. Don't be snookered like me, save your money.

199 of 208 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Best available or bad joke?, October 23, 2010

By 

Chad386 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Quicken Home & Business 2011 - [Old Version] (Software)

(running this product on Windows 7 home premium, 64 bit edition)

I have been using Quicken 2008 Deluxe for the past 3 years.

The process of sunsetting older versions is annoying, but ultimately necessary I believe. This allows the product staff to focus on making new versions better vs. endless patching of legacy products. I think staying current with this type of application is particularly important since it holds so much of your personal financial data. You really do want the latest so that encryption standards and security settings are at their maximum. Especially if you use the one step update with Quicken and the password vault.

A note on upgrading from previous versions: Make sure you have the current backup file where you can find it. The disc walks you through uninstalling the old version, converting your old data to the new version standard, and ultimately installing the 2011 version. One way overdue update is consolidating the save/backup file into a single file, vs. 3 with 2008!

The update did take awhile, it immediately downloaded patches for the newer version, which seemed to take longer than I would've thought. It also converted all the old transactions/downloads from the old data, which took awhile as well. I've been using Quicken since 2001, so I had plenty of data for it to convert.

But overall, no weird error messages or restarting, it just worked. One major gripe with 2008 was how bug-ridden the one step update process was. I managed to finally get it to work in terms of doing my IRA accounts, but always had to download transactions manually for other accounts. The 2008 software actually crashed my Windows 7 PC anytime I tried to add my Scottrade brokerage account, even after starting over with a fresh install of Quicken. Ridiculous!

So the one step update stuff has been completely revamped. I was able to add accounts like an obscure online money market account I had, as well as my checking accounts, and my Scottrade account, IRA accounts, all without crashing my machine, how quaint!

The software has apparently tried to model some aspects of Mint.com since Intuit bought them out. But if you've used Quicken before, this is very much the same software, and you will immediately know the basics of how to do everything. They didn't hide any menus/buttons, etc.

While the software is good minus the online component, I can't in good conscience give it a good or mediocre rating for the following reasons:

1. Support is non-existent. Do not bother calling because you will be routed to India where a non native English speaker will read off a laundry list script of what to do for general problems which will likely not correlate at all with the issue you may be having. You will waste your time calling these guys, and end up extremely frustrated since they will have no clue what you are talking about or why you called. This software is really better for somewhat tech oriented people who can search forums, etc. for the answers they need.

2. While impressed with the updates I've seen on 2011, Intuit has created an environment where bug fixes are miraculous and rare. They do not support their products in any meaningful way in terms of bug fixes. Applications from a software giant such as Intuit should be patched before the average user even recognizes a problem. As I pointed out previously, I've been waiting for 3 years for the "one step update" bugs to be patched. So while they say they support each product for 3 years, that really is a fabrication. Older versions are left high and dry once the subsequent version is released. This is bad customer care/support.

In other words, you should really know what you're getting into with this app. Most people would assume they could just call them up and have small problems fixed quickly and efficiently. From personal experience, when problems do arise, it can be maddening.

Unfortunately, there just isn't anything better that has the widespread use that Quicken enjoys which leads to enhanced compatibility with online services due to its sheer popularity. When you consider how long Quicken has been in the marketplace, this should be a "mature" product, much like Windows 7 or OS X, as a comparison. The main reason for this software to exist is the online integration with accounts. Sadly, the online stuff STILL doesn't work reliably, or atleast in a manner that makes any sense.

10/25/2010 update: I did decide to try adding my standard checking accounts to the One Step Update. This got a little wonky on me and actually broke my ability to download transactions manually, in addition to not adding the accounts correctly to begin with. I started getting the infamous OL 221-a error message. The error message actually directed me to Intuit's website (via an embedded link) to insure that my financial institution was supported. It had a search box and link driven letters to hop right to your institution. I clicked S for Suntrust and it told me my institution was currently not supported. After further exploring their list of "all financial institutions," I discovered that the list was completely empty. Again, this is very typical of Intuit and the support of their products. Even their own support site is quite useless.

I did remedy the issue by attempting the process again. If you have been manually d/l'ing transactions previously and want to now add the account to one step update, you will come across an option to "link to current quicken account." There was also a weird step where it requested me to setup another password to my bank; of which it completely ignored for future logins, even when it came time to add the password to the password vault, it still only accepted my old one.

10/27/2010 update: The one step update process is "missing' certain transactions on download. I am still receiving OL-221-a errors when trying to manually download like I always have since 2001. There is actually no way to directly contact Intuit by phone anymore. You fill out an online form, then wait for a call. A non English speaking rep called, whom I could barely understand, about 45 minutes later. She re-stated the problem I had outlined in the submission form and concluded with "have you upgraded to 2011 yet?" I responded yes.

This was funny and scary all at the same time to me since the form won't let you type anything in until you select which product you're using. I had selected Quicken 2011. At this point, she says "I call you back in one minute," and hangs up. That was 4 hours ago. As much as it pains me, I am now looking for new financial software after almost 10 years with Quicken. This company somehow manages to make money in spite of itself...mostly due to idiots like me who feel held captive and keep buying their software.

10/28/2010 update: It's now been over 24 hours since I contacted them for help. ;) They guarantee they'll contact you within 1 business hour from your request. This was true, but only to ask a question that could've been answered by reading the initial request, had the rep been paying attention. I am smiling right now just because the situation is so laughably bad. You could say that I'm an exception and that normally their support is stellar...but you'd be wrong.

11/2/2010 update: Still no one has attempted to contact me to help me solve my problem. I forgive them, though. I'm sure they're currently "overwhelmed" by support requests for their buggy, garbage program. I'm fairly certain that if I could talk to someone at Intuit support, I would equate it to bashing my head into my bedroom drywall for 90 minutes, so no big loss there.

A few tips I can offer for trouble shooting "one step update" or manually downloading transactions from your financial institution, for the new initiates out there:

1. Internet Explorer 8: Quicken defaults to Internet Explorer for web page viewing and basically anything else it needs done in terms of going online. Even though I am an avid Firefox/Chrome user, I recommend using IE 8 for Quicken. In Windows 7, IE 8 will prompt you for changes to inprivate filtering as well as firewall exceptions. In 1 situation, I used IE 8 for a manual download, it prompted a change in my "advanced firewall settings" under Windows 7, and voila! I could now use Firefox for downloading transactions.

2. Permissions, especially in Vista or Win 7: If you run your "everyday login" as a non-admin access user for security purposes as do many security conscious users, make sure the instance of whatever browser you are using also has the same permissions. For example, do not run an instance of Firefox as admin, but be running Quicken as a lower level user. This will break manual downloads really quick. Simplified, run your browser in the same permission level as whatever Quicken is running in. If you don't know what the hell I am talking about, then you are likely running your default logon as admin, and you will never have an issue since all of your apps automatically have administrative privileges.

Those are a couple things that can break one step update. Also, changes to your security settings, found under Tools----> Options in IE 8, can affect Quicken online services. The take home is it doesn't matter if you ever even bootup Internet Explorer, Quicken is so entangled with it that you have to pay attention to it. I found it best to take security settings all the way down to medium, see if that fixes your problem, and if it does, you can go back up from there in terms of adding security options one by one.

Of course this information (in terms of specific settings for IE) is extremely difficult to come by for the different versions, and don't expect Intuit to help you.