Microsoft Money 2004 Deluxe (Old Version)

When installing the program I got an error about Norton AntiVirus preventing Money from connecting to banks, and it said to click the More Info button. The button opened a web page that did not list this error. I had to call Tech Support to install the program and they said I may have to call again if I have trouble connecting to Banks.

I spent 3 long solid days setting up my budget and catagories and paying my 1st 3 bills. With all the videos and many kinds of help, the screens were not very intuative for just the basics of how to set up a budget and catagories and writing checks. I have not even tried the advanced things like balancing your check book or setting up a portfolio.

I had problems setting up my Budget. I get paid every two weeks and video shows you how to set up your paycheck so it knows your gross pay as well as putting your deductions into catagories. My problem is that all reports show my annual gross pay as the wrong amount. I get paid ever 2 weeks which the program lets you enter. Thus there are 26 pay checks per year. The reports show the total income as 25 checks per year which is a very significant error. I tried increasing the date range of the budget, thinking it was chopping off one pay period since the 1st pay check is on 1/6/04. This does not fix the problem. I've had 3 Tech Support calls on this issue and they have not resolved this issue yet. They now admit there is a bug that prevents the annual income from your paycheck, and the budget column total from being correct. This is the basics folks, and it's WRONG!!!

Reports do not show what you want to see. After setting up my Budget with budgetted amounts for each Catagory, I wanted to print a report so I could see my Budget. The only report like this prints the budget but also prints 2 columns for each month of the year. If only fits 2 months on a page so a simple 2 page report prints out as 12 pages! And I did not want any months at all. Customizing the report does not fix this problem.

After spending lots of time looking at the 6 kinds of HELP it provides and not finding answers, I went to the Microsoft Web site to look in their Knowledge Base. As of 2-1-04, you can not search the database for Money 2004. It only goes up to Money 2003.

I'd ask for my money back, but after spending all this time getting it set up, I'm going to live with it.

Don't waste your money on Money 2004


Don't get this if you're a Quicken user   December 25, 2003
 13 out of 14 found this review helpful

I downloaded the trial version from Microsoft's Web site, and imported all my Quicken data. I started using the program, but soon noticed that numbers were subtly wrong. Some odd transactions (ones that were in Quicken, simple check payments) were missed; and the loans were so screwed up that some of the payments were showing negative principal payment.

I can't trust the data I imported or anything I've done since then, which means that I wasted a half dozen hours on this. Save yourself the time, and don't do the same. If you want to use this (and it seems okay, except for its insane handling of "matching" transactions that are months apart to different payees for different amounts), start from scratch and don't import your Quicken data.


Pocket PC ? - Don't buy!   November 19, 2003
 3 out of 13 found this review helpful

I purchased Money 2004 for use with my Pocket PC. I have had nothing but trouble with it. It will not Sync properly and gives bad data.