Microsoft Money 2002 Deluxe

First off, I was shocked to see that the overall rating for Money is so low. I tried to use Quicken Deluxe 2001 a while back and aside from hating the UI I just never felt that it worked very well. Things like balancing my account and paying bills online were awkward and I eventually gave up.

Money, on the other hand, has a beautiful, intuitive UI, makes balancing my accounts simple and sometimes automatic, and provides incredibly smooth online integration. The epay feature lets me pay all of my bills through money and they automatically get entered into my credit union's online bill pay system. Anytime something goes wrong, for example if I enter a date that's too early or if I haven't entered an address to send the bill, Money handles it smoothly.

I should note that my experience with MS Money is limited to entering and categorizing all of my transactions, electronic bill pay, and balancing my accounts so I can't comment on any of the reporting or budgeting features.

I noticed that a few of the negative reviews are from people that say they have a hard time managing their finances and it's not surprising these people would be let down. Money can't do everything for you and I spend a significant amount of time making sure everything is kept up to date. However, if you are willing to invest time to track your finances Money is definitely an application you should consider.


Comprehensive   June 30, 2002
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

You need 2 computers to use Money 2002. The one with the keyboard and the one on your shoulders

Managing your financial life is an inherently complex process. Integrating and updating constantly changing information from credit cards, bank accounts, loans, mortgages, investments, 401Ks, IRAs, etc. and displaying that information in a coherent and useful way is never going to be "simple". To think that software can do that without substantial effort from you is simple-minded, regardless of whether you use Money or Quicken or any other product. You have to read the manual, spend some time in the Help files and explore the program. If you do, you can make it work the way you want - no Moneyside if you don't want it; no registration nags if you don't want them; no advertising if you'd rather not see it. What you get is a complete and up-to-date picture of your finances presented in a way you can use.

The one complaint I see here that I do think is valid is the way MS has tied Money 2002 to Passport. I don't care for that either, but the rest of the program is sufficiently useful that I am willing to overlook it.

Money 2002 is a comprehensive and effective tool for managing your finances, but you're going to have to bring your brain with you when you use it.


Basic functions work, but has glitches   June 28, 2002
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

For the basic functions of keeping a checkbook type of register, watching stocks, and setting/monitoring a budget, this product has worked fine for me. It has, however, some glitches.

The one glitch that is currently plaguing me is the "Cash Flow" projection graph. This function takes a look at what you have in your scheduled payments/deposits and displays a projected daily balance over a set period (user defined) using a shaded line graph. A nice idea if you diligently have all of your anticipated bills and deposits set up in the program, which I did. Using the Cash Flow review, you could figure out whether you could afford that stereo next month or the following month.

The problem is, apparently, sometimes the bills/deposits file gets corrupted and then the graph will not display at all. I visited the MS site, found the precise problem in the knowledge database, and went through all of the methods MS provided. It was to no avail, and my Cash Flow function is now non-functional. Even a re-install didn't work. The best I can tell, I will have to completely set up a new finance file from scratch, re-enter all of my info, balances, etc., in order to cure the problem (which apparently is a corrupted file).

There are other issues such as a very cumbersome and quirky debt reduction planner, but the Cash Flow graph is my most current, and therefore, my most aggravating. Based on that, I can only give this product two stars. I'll be switching back to Quicken within the next few months.


A good product for organizing your finances   June 5, 2002
 1 out of 2 found this review helpful

I have been using Money for the past 18 months -- and upgraded to Money 2002 earlier this year. I found it relatively simple to use, and have come to rely on it to manage and track my finances. My only criticism is that it seems to have difficulty if you are self-employed and pay estimated taxes rather than have taxes withheld by your employer. As a result, I don't use it for tracking my income/taxes for tax preparation purposes, but it certainly comes in handy when you need to figure out capital gains, charitable donations, and other deductions when it comes to tax time.


Needs Work   May 8, 2002
 1 out of 6 found this review helpful

i purchased money02 deluxe and find it to be a waste of money. I have had a difficult time managing anything and keeping track of anything. I find it is not user friendly, and a seemingly stubborn peice of software. What I mean by stubborn is if your particular financial situation happens to be somewhat out of the norm then good luck attempting to enter it in money02 deluxe.