What Is Microsoft Money and Is It Still Worth to Use Now?

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There were times when Microsoft Money is the most important software program on our computer, but time has changed. Although this software has been discontinued, it is still available to download for free. The question is, is it still worth to use? Or should we just move to other newer personal finance program? Well, to answer this question, let’s refresh our memory about this software.

What is Microsoft Money?

Microsoft Money is an excellent personal finance management software which was launched back in 1991. It was developed to be used in computers with Windows operating system. But later, since Money 2000 to Money 2006 to be exact, this program is also available in Windows Mobile.

microsoft money

Back in the days, this program was a commercial success due to its excellent features that let the users viewing their bank account balance, tracking their expenses as well as getting online supports. However, in 2008 Microsoft announced that they would not release a new version of Money and finally on June 30, 2009, it was officially discontinued.

To replace the old Microsoft Money, Microsoft Money Plus Sunset was released in 2010. But it is safe to say that Money Plus Sunset was a huge downgrade compared to the old version because it is missing some of the program’s best features, including the online support.

Two versions of Microsoft Money Plus Sunset is available—Deluxe and Home and Business version. The Deluxe version replaced Microsoft Money Plus Premium, Deluxe, and Essential edition while the Home and Business version replaces Microsoft Money Plus Home and Business. It is available to download for free, and it supports Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

In 2012, it was announced that Microsoft Money was revived and it is now called MSN Money. However, instead of providing a personal finance management tool like the old version, it is only capable of showing some financial news and worldwide stock.

Missing Features in Microsoft Money Plus Sunset

Here are some great features in Microsoft Money that don’t exist anymore in Microsoft Money Plus Sunset:

  • Direct account and transaction statement update. Every form of online updates and supports are no longer there.
  • Stock quotes and tax planning.
  • Online payment.
  • Data import from a non-US edition of Microsoft Money.

Some Good Features You Can Still Use in Microsoft Money Plus Sunset

Even though some of the best features from the old version are gone, Microsoft Money Plus Sunset is still capable of doing these important functions:

  • Entering transaction to financial account manually
  • Tracking expenses
  • Creating a budget
  • Import transactions with OFX and QIF
  • Creating and estimating personal cash flow.
  • It comes with some third-party add-ons such as MSMoneyQuotes to update quotes and PocketSense to download bank account statements.

So, is Microsoft Money still worth downloading? Well, it depends on what you need. It lacks the good features from the old Microsoft Money, and the absence of online support makes it weaker compared to other personal management software. But at least it’s free, and its current features can still be used for simple financial management tasks.

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