Mastering Quicken X

I have been a Quicken user since 1995, and I believe that the best way to learn the software is to start using it to manage your money. This is a good reference manual if you are fimilar with Quicken and want to learn the finer points of the sotware. If you are new to Quicken, I would recommend to dive right in and get a basic feel for the program before purchasing this book.

When I started using Quicken three years ago, I mainly tracked daily transactions. That didn't take a lot of warm-up readings. But now, as I try to streamline the recordkeeping which includes investment tracking and tax planning, it seems that more time spent in planning and setting up Quicken scheme will yield more meaningful results. If you find yourself in a similar situation, then you might want to check out Mastering Quicken 2000 by Stephen Nelson. Recognizing that Quicken is just a record-keeping tool, Nelson, a CPA himself, does a good job of presenting both contextual and technical information. Take a look at what he said about tax planning. "There's only one real trick to using Quicken as a tool for income tax preparations: Use category lists that neatly tie to the tax form lines you need to fill in when you file your income tax return." He then presents 14(!) pages of various tax forms before discussing Quicken features. Nelson isn't afraid to voice his opinions, either. In discussing Quicken's 401(k) feature, he says, "..it probably doesn't make sense to track tax-deferred mutual fund investments in Quicken. There's no harm in doing so, but you don't get anything extra for your effort."I appreciate his honesty, hands-on opinions and advice that come from a person with financial and accounting background, as opposed to someone who is more on the technical side. Nelson also is the author of Quicken 2000 for Dummies, but I think he suffers a bit in that book from the Dummies format. Mastering Quicken 2000 is far less technical and far more comprehensive, though it is twice as thick as the "Dummies".Which brings me to the only shortcoming of this book. While the book is organized so that first-time Quicken users may benefit, I think two-thirds of the book seem to be written for readers who are familiar with personal finance software. If you are trying Quicken for the first time, don't try to read the entire book -- start with just Part I, and read the rest as you increase your comfort level with Quicken.