Quicken 2006 is here!

At last I can share the newest version with all of you!  Quicken 2006 is available today 8/1 on Quicken and you’ll see it in stores in the next week or two.

I’ve told you how excited we are about this version (I have been anxiously waiting for this day to come), so now let me answer the question “What’s new in this version,” that many of you have been asking on the Quicken Community or through our product feedback website.

Check out some of the new features at Quicken Personal Finance Software.  This has pictures and descriptions of how to use them.  In the next couple of months I’ll write  some of the other improvements, but let me share some of my overall favorites…

1. Get instant insights into where your money is going (directly in the register).  Clicking on an icon next to a payee or category will give you 30 days worth of spending, the last 6 bills paid (with the average payment) or whatever is useful.  If you had trouble seeing where your money was going, or could do it but had to work hard at it, you’ll love this feature.  I’m addicted to it (especially with my wife’s Starbucks habit and how much I eat out).

2. We’ve redesigned the Report Center. All the information you need at tax time, to see where your money is going or to monitor your investments is at your finger tips.  We’ve added 5 new spending reports, including the ability to see and compare to averages.  If you save reports, you can now create folders to quickly get to the ones you use most.

3. You can now attach images and electronic documents directly to a transaction or account.  Very cool, I know.  Use it for account statements, cleared checks (from your bank web site), receipts, warranties, bills, web purchase confirmations (like from Amazon) and pretty much anything else…

4. Here are some of the other improvements.  Many might not make marketing materials, but I know lots of you will enjoy them (because you’ve told me they've been a problem ;-)):
   1. Press F11 and you can minimize most everything around the account register to maximize your working space.
   2. Edit in place in the investment register, not just form entry anymore.
   3. Keyword “Find All’ short cut added to the toolbar (I love this for finding bills and recategorizing payments).
   4. Review spending and customize reports by payees (not just category).
   5. Save reports and invoices as .PDFs
   6. Renaming Rules (Online menu> Renaming Rules) now looks at the memo field.  Those who have this problem know what I am talking about.

I have been waiting to share all of this for so long I may have gotten a little carried away (the post is way too long). The rest will have to come later.  If this reads like a sales pitch I apologize, my excitement is genuine. 

Check out Quicken, there is tons of information up there to help you make your decision.  I also encourage all of you to discuss what’s new on Quicken Community if you decide to get Quicken 2006.  It will helps others understand what is new and help us continue to improve the product.

Comments

[MikeB]

As a Quicken 2004 user, it seems time for an upgrade. The scheduled transactions list changes in Q2005 and now the little instant reports can make a significant improvement in the way I manage my personal finances!

[Eric Vasbinder]

Does the MACINTOSH version of Quicken 2006 fully support repeating online payments in the same way as the Windows version? In other words, in the WINDOWS version, I can set up a repeating online payment for the 1st of every month lasting forever, and as soon as I have submitted the request to the bank, the bank will always send out the payment - no matter if I login to Quicken or not. My computer could be destroyed and the transaction would still go - as it is based at the bank's server, not in the Quicken program. Can the MAC version now do this? Or are the Mac users still stuck with a sub-par feature set?

Thanks for your forthcoming reply.

[Flarg]

Why isn't Quicken Basic sold on your website when I can get it through Amazon, CompUSA, etc. for $30.

Your website doesn't even show any results for Quicken 2006 basic when I search for Quicken Basic Look here: http://intuitsearch.intuit.com/search?client=quicken&site=quicken&output=xml_no_dtd&proxystylesheet=quicken&num=25&q=%22quicken+basic%22&x=37&y=11

It seems a little dishonest to not offer your cheapest product for comparison against other products. It's almost as if you are trying to deny the existance of the cheapest product and trick people into buying the more expensive products, yet you still retain the image that "Quicken is about $30". I searched all over your website and was convinced that Quicken Basic no longer exists-- then I stumbled upon a copy of Quicken Basic 2005 at CompUSA for $25.

It's not that you are promoting the more expensive products more heavily then you are promoting Quicken Basic. You aren't promoting the product at all.

[Walter R Basil]

Well, I bought Quicken 2006 (via download from the Quicken site). It said it had support for Wachovia (using zWachovia) and I was dupped. It does not support online anything with zWachovia. I called Wachovia and they said that no, it won't work, but I could continue to use 2004 or 2005. I don't have either of those. I tried to use the URL on the Quicken site for a refund since they tout a money back guarantee, but that page doesn't do anything when I try to submit it. I would like to get a refund, or be able to download the 2005 version but I don't see how. Wachovia says they won't have support for 2006 until November at the earliest. That does me no good for now. Quicken is useless to me if I can't interact with my bank online with it. I hope someone from Quicken reads this and gets in touch with me to offer me a solution.

[Sanjay]

I just upgraded from 2004 to 2006 (both deluxe) and i think I found a bug. My ESPP shares that I had sold from my brokerage account and some I had transferred to another brokerage account still show up in the totals. In the total shares only though. If I click the plus sign, it only shows the share I have but total amount for my espp brokerage account shown was incorrect. this used to work correctly in quicken deluxe 2004. Looks like a bug or is it that Quicken 2006 deluxe doesnt support ESPP handling correctly? I am a bit disappointed. Everything else seemed improved.

[david womack]

Just ordered mine!! Can't wait to get it!!

[Anthony Bidwell]

According to my research, Quicken 2006 is the most overhyped version out on the market today. Here's my supporting evidence: I did some research on Intuit's website & found absolutely no difference whatsoever between Quicken 2005 Deluxe & Quicken 2006 Deluxe. Quicken users, if you have 2005, don't purchase 2006. I won't justify a $53.24 purchase of the new version (US$49.99 plus 6.5% sales tax because I'm from MN). I would save that money for something I would find more useful.

[John Barlow]

I want to upgrade to Quicken Deluxe 2006. I have Quicken Deluxe 2004 on two computers. How much and how do I upgrade both computers?
John

[Alan]

Just returned Quicken 2006 Home & Business. Intuit's decision to only support downloads from Intuit's list of financial companies didn't work for me. I have several financial accounts that won't pay Intuit to be listed as a financial service company, but will download QIF or OFX format. It's too bad that Intuit doesn't support OFX and had to come up with their own QFX format so that they can only accept downloads from paying financial institutions. So, I'm in the process of moving to another system. I'm done with Intuit.

[Mark]

I've been using Quicken Deluxe 2000 since out came out and have been been very satisfied with it. It does everything that I want and more, so I was extremely upset when I received a notice that online services for this version are being retired. I will NOT be BULLIED into upgrading to the new version. I'm switching to Microsoft Money.

[Earl Schultz]

I read your blog about all tax information at your fingertips, etc. and how you are so responsive to customer suggestions.
I have Quicken2005 XG, have used Quicken almost since you started 20+ years ago and you don't fix obvious errors.
Take your capital gain report...one column heading says "Gross Proceeds". Not true it is "Net Proceeds" and the absence of the ability to include commissions on the report means that I have to recalculate each individual stock sale during the year for my income tax.
Also, your reports cannot handle return of capital--it shows up under "interest". I have to redo almost every transaction using a calculator at tax time. I can prove everything I say but Intuit does not fix their bugs.

[Tom Hundt]

Alas, I gave in to the bullying described by Alan [12/25/2005] and upgraded... very reluctantly. And he's right, of course. There's all this bloat and junk. I tried a year or two ago, and that version was so horrible I just uninstalled it and ran, not walked, back to Q2K.

Now I'm using Quicken 2006, and it it's a painful experience. None of the windows work the standard Windows way; there is "product placement" for dubious Internet companies (e.g., Zipingo); and I've somehow made my toolbar disappear and can't figure out how to get it back (it seems to be the only way to get a useful "Find All" feature to appear).

I basically hate it. But, I'm stuck with it for now because I'm scared to death of losing my data. I'm not optimistic that Money is any better (but at least with that, I think the UI would be smoother and more Windows standard compliant). I'm waiting for an open source solution to mature. Once it hits Q2K equivalency, I'm out of here.

-Th

[Bill Roussarie]

Hi,

I am trying to do my taxes and I used to have a memorized report by payee, by month, so I can make sure they are properly categorized.

Now, since I upgraded to 2002, my report is gone and the super easy way to create it is gone, also.

Any suggestions?

I deal with databases all of the time, but this one requires HIGH maintenance!!!!

What happen to the easy Quicken??