Quicken 2015 For Dummies

Stephen L. Nelson is an author and CPA. He provides accounting, business advisory, tax planning, and tax preparation services to small businesses. He is the author of over 100 books, including all editions of QuickBooks For Dummies and Quicken For Dummies, which have sold more than 2 million copies.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Three Foolish Assumptions 2Beyond the Book 3Special Icons 4Where to Next? 4Part I: Zen, Quicken, and the Big Picture 5Chapter 1: Setting Up Shop 7Installing and Starting Quicken 8Finishing Setup If You’ve Used Quicken Before 9Finishing Setup If You’ve Not Used Quicken Before 10Already a Quicken user? 10Are you new to Quicken? 11Registering Quicken 11Describing Your Banking 12Slogging Through More Setup Stuff 16Steve’s Overview 19Using Quicken Qcards 19Starting Quicken for the second time 19Using the Accounts bar 19Navigating with tabs 20Solving Tricky Setup Problems 20Using the Quicken Mobile App 20Did somebody say Macintosh? 20The mysterious case of the missing Quicken data files 21Migrating from Microsoft Money 21Chapter 2: Introduction to the Big Picture 23Boiling Quicken Down to Its Essence 23Tracking tax deductions 24Monitoring spending 24Printing checks (and other forms) 25Tracking bank accounts, credit cards, and other stuff 26Planning your personal finances 26Banking online 27Setting Up Additional Accounts 27Setting up another banking account 27Hey, Quicken, I want to use that account! 31Whipping Your Category Lists into Shape 32Subcategories yikes, what are they? 37Category groups double yikes! 38Four tips on categorization 38Ch-ch-changing a category list 39Want to Play Tag? 43Chapter 3: Maximum Fun, Maximum Profits 45Should You Even Bother with a Budget? 45Serious Advice about Your Secret Plan 46Your personal Secret Plan 46Two things that really goof up Secret Plans 47Setting Up a Secret Plan 50Introducing the Budgets window 50Reviewing the options 55Reviewing your budget 56What to do after you enter your budget 56Part II: The Absolute Basics 57Chapter 4: Checkbook on a Computer 59Getting Started 59Finding Your Checkbook 60Recording Checks 61Entering a check in the register 61Changing a check you’ve entered 64Packing more checks into the register 64Sorting transactions 65Working with a kooky (and clever) little thing named QuickFill 66Recording Deposits 67Entering a deposit into the register 67Changing a deposit you’ve already entered 69Recording Account Transfers 69Entering an account transfer 70Working with the other half of the transfer 71Changing a transfer you’ve already entered 72Splitting Transactions 72Steps for splitting a check 73Editing and deleting split categories 76Steps for splitting deposits and transfers 77Deleting and Voiding Transactions 77The Big Register Phenomenon 78Moving through a big register 78Finding that darn transaction 78Pop-Up Calendars and Calculators 83Attaching Flags, Notes, and Images 85Chapter 5: Printing 101 87Printing Checks 87What if you make a mistake entering a check? 90Printing a check you’ve entered 91What if you discover a mistake after you print the check? 94A few words about check printing 95Printing a Check Register 96Chapter 6: Online and In Charge 99What are Online Account Access and Online Bill Payment? 99Wise Whys and Wherefores 100Banking with Online Account Access and Online Bill Payment 101Finding an online bank — online 102Paying bills 103Transferring money between accounts 105Updating your Quicken accounts 105Chapter 7: Reports, Charts, and Other Cool Tools 107Creating and Printing Reports 107Printing the facts, and nothing but the facts 108Reviewing standard reports 112Finding the report you want 118Going to the printing dog-and-pony show 118Editing and rearranging reports 121Charts Only Look Tricky 124Customizing Your Reports 125Chapter 8: A Matter of Balance 127Selecting the Account You Want to Balance 127Balancing a Bank Account 128Telling Quicken, “Hey, man, I want to balance this account” 128Giving Quicken the bank’s information 129Explaining the difference between your records and the bank’s records 131Ten Things You Should Do If Your Account Doesn’t Balance 135Make sure that you’re working with the right account.135Look for transactions that the bank has recorded but you haven’t 135Look for reversed transactions 135Look for a transaction that’s equal to half the difference 136Look for a transaction that’s equal to the difference 136Check for transposed numbers 136Have someone else look over your work 137Look out for multiple errors 137Try again next month (and maybe the month after that) 137Get in your car, drive to the bank, and beg for help 138Chapter 9: Housekeeping for Quicken 139Backing Up is Hard to Do 139Backing up the quick-and-dirty way 139Deciding when to back up 142Losing your Quicken data after you’ve backed up 143Losing your Quicken data when you haven’t backed up 145Working with Files, Files, and More Files 146Setting up a new file 146Flip-flopping between files 148When files get too big for their own good 149Using and Abusing Passwords 152Setting up a file password 153Changing a file password 155Sanitizing a File 156Chapter 10: Compound Interest Magic and Other Mysteries 157Noodling Around with Your Investments 157Using the Investment Savings Calculator 158Trying to become a millionaire 159The Often-Unbearable Burden of Debt 161Using the Loan Calculator to figure payments 161Calculating loan balances 163The Refinance Calculator 164The Retirement Calculator 165The dilemma in a nutshell 165Retirement planning calculations 167If you’re now bummed out about retirement 170Retirement roulette 171Cost of College 171The College Calculator 171If you’re now bummed out about college costs 173Planning for Taxes 174The Other Planning Tools 177Part III: Home Finances 179Chapter 11: Credit Cards, Petty Cash, and PayPal 181Tracking a Credit Card 181Setting Up a Credit Card Account 182Adding a credit card account 182Selecting a credit card account so that you can use it 186Entering Credit Card Transactions 186Touring the credit card register 187Recording a credit card charge 187Changing charges you’ve already entered 189Paying credit card bills 189Reconciling That Crazy Account 190What the nasty credit card company says 191Ouch! Did I really spend that much? 193If you record a transaction wrong, do this 194Oh, that explains the difference 194If you’re ready to finish 195If you want to postpone the inevitable 195Paying the bill as part of the reconciliation 196The Online Banking Hoopla 197Should you even bother? 197How to use Online Account Access with your credit card 197Petty Cash and Mad Money 198Adding a cash account 198Tracking cash inflows and outflows 199Recording checks you cash instead of deposit 200Updating cash balances 201PayPal Can Be Quicken’s Friend 202Chapter 12: Other People’s Money 203Should You Bother to Track Your Debts? 203How Do You Get Started? 204Setting up a liability account for an amortized loan 204Fixing loan stuff 210Delivering a Pound of Flesh (Also Known as Making a Payment) 214Recording the payment 215Handling mortgage escrow accounts 216Your Principal-Interest Breakdown Won’t Be Right 219So you can’t change the world 219Slightly smarter adjustments 220Automatic Payments 220Scheduling a bill reminder 221Scheduling income and transfer reminders 223Another way to schedule transactions 223Checking out the Calendar 226Chapter 13: Tracking Tax-Deferred Investments 227Deciding to Use Investment Features 227Are your investments tax-deferred? 228Are you a mutual fund fanatic? 228Some investors don’t need Quicken 229Many investors do want Quicken 229Tracking a Tax-Deferred Investment 231Setting up a tax-deferred investment account 231Recording your initial investment 236Buying investments 240Recording your profits 243Selling investments 244Correcting a mistake 246Working with slightly tricky investment transactions 247Reconciling an account 249Trying reports 250Using menu commands and other stuff 250Updating Securities Prices 250Chapter 14: Stocks and Bonds 253Setting Up a Brokerage Account 253Recording your initial share balances 254Working with brokerage accounts 254Setting up security lists 254Working with cash 256Recording other not-so-tricky transactions 263More Quick Stuff about Brokerage Accounts 265Monitoring and updating securities values 266Adjusting errors 266A few words on the Investing tab’s other tools 268Part IV: Very Serious Business 271Chapter 15: Mind Your Business 273Setting Up a Business the Quicken Way 273Describing your business(es) 274Designing business invoices 275Identifying invoice items 276Working with Customers 278Setting up a Customer Invoices account 278Invoicing your customers 279Printing invoices 281Recording customer payments 282Issuing credits and making refunds 283Business Bookkeeping Whistles and Bells 284Jobs and projects 284Using finance charges, estimates, and statements 284Managing vendor bills 285Vehicle Mileage Tracker 285Quicken Dirty Payroll 286Getting ready for payroll 286Setting up the wages expense category 286Setting up the payroll tax expense category 287Getting the taxes stuff right 288Depositing taxes 291Tax deposit tips 293Filing quarterly payroll tax returns 295Computing annual returns and wage statements 295Doing the state payroll taxes thing 296Chapter 16: Managing Rentals 297Describing a Rental Property 297Describing Tenants 300Recording Tenant Rent Payments 301Recording Rental Expenses 302Tracking Rental Property Profits 304Part V: The Part of Tens 305Chapter 17: (Slightly More Than) Ten Questions I’m Frequently Asked about Quicken 307What are Quicken’s Best Features? 308Does Quicken Work for a Corporation? 309What Happens to Stockholders’ Equity in Quicken? 310Does Quicken Work for a Partnership? 310Can I Use Quicken for More Than One Business? 311What Kinds of Businesses Shouldn’t Use Quicken? 311Can I Use Quicken for Real Estate Investing? 313Can I Use Quicken Retroactively? 314Can I Do Payroll with Quicken? 315Can I Prepare Invoices? 315Can I Import Data from an Old Accounting System? 315What Do You Think about Quicken? 316Chapter 18: (Almost) Ten Tips on How Not to Become a Millionaire 317Ignore the Fact That You Can Build Wealth by Investing in Ownership Investments and Earning Average Returns 318Ignore the Fact That You Can Get Much, and Maybe Most, of the Money from Tax Savings and Employer Matching 320Don’t Tap Your Computer’s Power to Develop Wealth-Building Insights 321Give Up, Because It’s Too Late to Start Anyway 322Get Entangled in at Least One “Get-Rich-Quick” Scheme 323Fake It with False Affluence 324Give In to the First Big Temptation of Wealth Building 325Give In to the Second Big Temptation of Wealth Building 325Chapter 19: (Almost) Ten Troubleshooting Tips 327Tactics #1 and #2: Use the Quicken Help File and This Book 327Tactic #3: Visit the Quicken Product Support Website 328Tactics #4 and #5: Check the Microsoft or the Hardware Vendor Product Support Website 328Tactic #6: Contact Intuit Directly 329Tactic #7: Try the Quicken Live Community 329Tactic #8: Install and Use Antivirus Software 330Tactic #9: When All Else Fails 330Part VI: Appendixes 331Appendix A: Quick-and-Dirty Windows 8.1 333What is Windows 8.1? 333Starting Windows 8.1 334Starting Programs 335Choosing Commands from Menus 336Choosing commands with the furry little rodent 337Choosing commands by using Alt+key combinations 338Context menus or shortcut menus 339Using shortcut-key combinations 339Disabled commands 339Working with Dialog Boxes 340Text boxes 340Check boxes 342Tabs 342Option buttons 342Command buttons 342List boxes 343Stopping Quicken in Windows 8.1 344A Yelp for Help 345The Getting Started Guide command 345The Quicken Help command 345The View Guidance command 347The Quicken Live Community command 347The Quicken Support command 347The Submit Feedback on Quicken command 347The Privacy Preferences command 347The Log Files command 347The About Quicken command 348The Add Tools commands 348The Register Quicken command 348Quitting Windows 8.1 348Appendix B: Glossary of Business, Financial, and Computer Terms 349Index 359