Book description
This classic bestseller has been thoroughly updated for the newest version of Quicken
Who doesn't have questions about managing finances these days? Stephen Nelson translates his years of expertise as a CPA and tax expert into this plain-English guide that shows you how to manage your finances with the nation's leading personal finance software, Quicken. Trying to keep track of your credit card expenditures? Starting to save money for a college fund? Managing your household expensess? Steve's straightforward advice shows you how to take control of your money, without being an accounting wizard. Discover how to
Get started with Quicken and maintain your checkbook on your computer
Access your account information and pay bills online
Manage your 401(k), IRA, stocks, and bonds
Get up to speed on the new enhancements and changes in Quicken "X"
Track your deductions and plan for tax time
Capture your small business and personal expenses in one place
Spend less time crunching numbers and more time making the most of your money with this perennial For Dummies bestseller on Quicken.
Table of contents
- Copyright
- About the Authors
- Author's Acknowledgments
- Introduction
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I. Zen, Quicken, and the Big Picture
- 1. Setting Up Shop
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2. Introduction to the Big Picture
- 2.1. Boiling Quicken Down to Its Essence
- 2.2. Setting Up Additional Accounts
- 2.3. Whipping Your Category Lists into Shape
- 2.4. Want to Play Tag?
- 3. Maximum Fun, Maximum Profits
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II. The Absolute Basics
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4. Checkbook on a Computer
- 4.1. Getting Started
- 4.2. Finding Your Checkbook
- 4.3. Recording Checks
- 4.4. Recording Deposits
- 4.5. Recording Account Transfers
- 4.6. Splitting Transactions
- 4.7. Deleting and Voiding Transactions
- 4.8. The Big Register Phenomenon
- 4.9. Pop-Up Calendars and Calculators
- 4.10. Attaching Flags, Notes, and Images
- 5. Printing 101
- 6. Online and In Charge
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7. Reports, Charts, and Other Cool Tools
- 7.1. Creating and Printing Reports
- 7.2. Charts Only Look Tricky
- 7.3. QuickReports: Last But Not Least
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8. A Matter of Balance
- 8.1. Selecting the Account You Want to Balance
- 8.2. Balancing a Bank Account
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8.3. Ten Things You Should Do If Your Account Doesn't Balance
- 8.3.1. Make sure that you're working with the right account
- 8.3.2. Look for transactions that the bank has recorded but you haven't
- 8.3.3. Look for reversed transactions
- 8.3.4. Look for a transaction that's equal to half the difference
- 8.3.5. Look for a transaction that's equal to the difference
- 8.3.6. Check for transposed numbers
- 8.3.7. Have someone else look over your work
- 8.3.8. Look out for multiple errors
- 8.3.9. Try again next month (and maybe the month after that)
- 8.3.10. Get in your car, drive to the bank, and beg for help
- 9. Housekeeping for Quicken
- 10. Compound Interest Magic and Other Mysteries
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4. Checkbook on a Computer
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III. Home Finances
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11. Credit Cards, Petty Cash, and PayPal
- 11.1. Tracking a Credit Card
- 11.2. How to Set Up a Credit Card Account
- 11.3. How to Enter Credit Card Transactions
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11.4. Reconciling That Crazy Account
- 11.4.1. What the nasty credit card company says
- 11.4.2. Ouch! Did I really spend that much?
- 11.4.3. If you record a transaction wrong, do this
- 11.4.4. Oh, that explains the difference
- 11.4.5. If you're ready to finish
- 11.4.6. If you want to postpone the inevitable
- 11.4.7. Paying the bill as part of the reconciliation
- 11.5. The Online Banking Hoopla
- 11.6. Petty Cash and Mad Money
- 11.7. PayPal Can Be Quicken's Friend
- 12. Other People's Money
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13. Tracking Tax-Deferred Investments
- 13.1. Deciding to Use Investment Features
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13.2. Tracking a Tax-Deferred Investment
- 13.2.1. Setting up a tax-deferred investment account
- 13.2.2. Recording your initial investment
- 13.2.3. Buying investments
- 13.2.4. Recording your profits
- 13.2.5. Selling investments
- 13.2.6. Correcting a mistake
- 13.2.7. Working with slightly tricky investment transactions
- 13.2.8. Reconciling an account
- 13.2.9. Trying reports
- 13.2.10. Using menu commands and other stuff
- 13.3. Updating Securities Prices
- 14. Stocks and Bonds
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11. Credit Cards, Petty Cash, and PayPal
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IV. Very Serious Business
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15. Mind Your Business
- 15.1. Setting Up a Business the Quicken Way
- 15.2. Working with Customers
- 15.3. Business Bookkeeping Whistles and Bells
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15.4. Quicken Dirty Payroll
- 15.4.1. Getting ready for payroll
- 15.4.2. Setting up the wages expense category
- 15.4.3. Setting up the payroll tax expense category
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15.4.4. Getting the taxes stuff right
- 15.4.4.1. Requesting (or demanding) an employer ID number
- 15.4.4.2. So what about Social Security, Medicare, and withholding taxes?
- 15.4.4.3. Paying someone for a job well done
- 15.4.4.4. Figuring out the gross wages figure
- 15.4.4.5. Calculating that deductions stuff
- 15.4.4.6. Figuring out someone's net wages
- 15.4.4.7. Working with other taxes and deductions
- 15.4.4.8. Recording a payroll check
- 15.4.5. Depositing taxes
- 15.4.6. Tax deposit tips
- 15.4.7. Filing quarterly payroll tax returns
- 15.4.8. Computing annual returns and wage statements
- 15.4.9. Doing the state payroll taxes thing
- 16. Managing Rentals
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15. Mind Your Business
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V. The Part of Tens
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17. (Slightly More Than) Ten Questions I'm Frequently Asked about Quicken
- 17.1. What Are Quicken's Best Features?
- 17.2. Does Quicken Work for a Corporation?
- 17.3. What Happens to Stockholders' Equity in Quicken?
- 17.4. Does Quicken Work for a Partnership?
- 17.5. Can I Use Quicken for More Than One Business?
- 17.6. What Kinds of Businesses Shouldn't Use Quicken?
- 17.7. Can I Use Quicken for Real Estate Investing?
- 17.8. Can I Use Quicken Retroactively?
- 17.9. Can I Do Payroll with Quicken?
- 17.10. Can I Prepare Invoices?
- 17.11. Can I Import Data from an Old Accounting System?
- 17.12. What Do You Think about Quicken?
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18. (Almost) Ten Tips on How Not to Become a Millionaire
- 18.1. Ignore the Fact That You Can Build Wealth by Investing in Ownership Investments and Earning Average Returns
- 18.2. Ignore the Fact That You Can Get Much, and Maybe Most, of the Money from Tax Savings and Employer Matching
- 18.3. Don't Tap Your Computer's Power to Develop Wealth-Building Insights
- 18.4. Give Up, Because It's Too Late to Start Anyway
- 18.5. Get Entangled in at Least One "Get-Rich-Quick" Scheme
- 18.6. Fake It with False Affluence
- 18.7. Give In to the First Big Temptation of Wealth Building
- 18.8. Give In to the Second Big Temptation of Wealth Building
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19. (Almost) Ten Troubleshooting Tips
- 19.1. Tactics #1 and #2: Use the Quicken Help File and This Book
- 19.2. Tactic #3: Visit the Quicken Product Support Web Site
- 19.3. Tactics #4 and #5: Check the Microsoft or the Hardware Vendor Product Support Web Site
- 19.4. Tactic #6: Contact Intuit Directly
- 19.5. Tactic #7: Try a Quicken Newsgroup
- 19.6. Tactic #8: Install and Use Antivirus Software
- 19.7. Tactic #9: When All Else Fails ...
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17. (Slightly More Than) Ten Questions I'm Frequently Asked about Quicken
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VI. Appendixes
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A. Quick-and-Dirty Windows Vista
- A.1. What Is Windows Vista?
- A.2. Starting Windows Vista
- A.3. Starting Programs
- A.4. Choosing Commands from Menus
- A.5. Working with Dialog Boxes
- A.6. Stopping Quicken in Vista
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A.7. A Yelp for Help
- A.7.1. The Learn About Next Steps After Setup command
- A.7.2. The Quicken Help command
- A.7.3. The Current Window command
- A.7.4. The Product And Customer Support command
- A.7.5. The Quicken Live Community command
- A.7.6. The Quicken Support command
- A.7.7. The Submit Feedback On Quicken command
- A.7.8. The Join The Quicken Inner Circle command
- A.7.9. The About Quicken command
- A.7.10. The Privacy Statement command
- A.7.11. The Register Quicken command
- A.7.12. The Unlock Again command
- A.7.13. The Add Rental Property Tools command
- A.8. Quitting Vista
- B. Glossary of Business, Financial, and Computer Terms
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A. Quick-and-Dirty Windows Vista
Product information
- Title: Quicken® 2010 For Dummies®
- Author(s):
- Release date: December 2009
- Publisher(s): For Dummies
- ISBN: 9780470490020
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