Introducing Quicken 2010 Personal Finance Software!

The Quicken team is excited to announce the availability of Quicken 2010 windows desktop software. A leader in personal finance for more than 25 years, Quicken has made it easier for more than 12 million households to manage their money. Quicken 2010 is chock-full of the enhancements customers say are most important to them. The improvements mean consumers can begin using Quicken faster and spend less time managing their money and more time enjoying it. Here’s how we’ve made Quicken 2010 easier than ever:

• Faster setup – A new, simple three-step guided setup walks customers through connecting accounts, setting up bill reminders and creating savings goals.

• At-a-glance home page – A new home page greets customers with a complete view of their financial picture. It features a snapshot of their spending, upcoming bills, and savings – all in one place.

• Simplified navigation – The most commonly used resources appear front and center, giving customers have easy access to their bills, banking, investments, net worth and planning tools.

• Automatic categorization – Transactions are automatically placed in the appropriate category, helping customers quickly see where their money is going.

• Ease of use – New users will find it easy to start using Quicken 2010 personal finance software, while returning customers have the flexibility to customize the Quicken experience to meet their specific needs.

If you’re a user of the recently discontinued Microsoft Money, Quicken 2010 can help you! Here is a helpful guide to help you quickly and accurately transfer everything from accounts and addresses to categories and scheduled transactions into Quicken 2010. We’ve also posted two new FAQ items to help customers before and after they import files from MS Money to Quicken.

As always, we’re looking forward to your feedback!
- Have product suggestions? Join our Inner Circle to participate in forums, betas and surveys.
- Discuss technical aspects of products with other customers in our Live Community
- Get product support here.

Leave us comments here, or find us on Twitter: @Quicken, @QuickenChels, and @PRGully.

Dads Need to Teach Kids About Money Early, Often

Teaching kids about money and finances needs to be a priority for Dads and our schools too.

As fathers, we have lots to worry about when it comes to our kids. Their health, education and well being all move to the front of our minds at a hurried pace as we navigate the journey of fatherhood. Read More »

Quicken Teams with American Mustache Institute for 'Stache Bash 2009

Rock & Roll Legend John Oates To Play ‘Stache Bash 2009

Oates to Reunite with His Mustache as Headliner of Fourth Year of Annual Charitable Event, Presented by Quicken Online, Which Benefits Baseball League For Disabled

Sept. 17, 2009 (St. Louis) – John Oates, one of the most famous mustached rock ‘n soul performers in music history, will reunite with his mustache as headliner of the American Mustache Institute’s ‘Stache Bash 2009, presented by Quicken Online.

The show will be the first appearance of Oates and his mustache since the two parted ways, reportedly in Tokyo in 1990. His mustache has since gone on to star in the new animated series “J-Stache,” while Oates has continued to tour the world.

“We are proud to be bringing the two back together for the first time,” said Dr. Abraham Froman, executive director of the American Mustache Institute. “This will be an important event, not unlike the moment when Frank Sinatra reunited Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin or when the cast of “Saved by the Bell” appeared on the Jimmy Fallon Show. It’s big.”

In its fourth year, the Halloween-oriented ‘Stache Bash is a music and mustache extravaganza benefitting Challenger Baseball routinely drawing more than 1,000 attendees. It will take place October 30 in St. Louis at the historic Roberts Orpheum Theater, and tickets will go on sale through Ticketmaster beginning September 18.

With a forthcoming deluxe Hall & Oates box-set, “J-Stache,” and a new solo album – 1000 Miles of Life – on the way, Oates will headline a bill that includes Chicago’s the Flavor Savers and St. Louis’ Hazzard To Ya Booty, who are in fact, a hazard to your booty.

“I’m really looking forward to playing ‘Stache Bash in St. Louis as it’s always been a great music town and a cradle of Hall & Oates fans,” said Oates.

The AMI’s Froman, however, was reticent about Oates’ appearance but the reunion between the man and lip sweater will be permanent.

“Like the right wing of the Israeli Parliament, we’re a hard-line organization and debated long and hard whether we could allow Mr. Oates to play ‘Stache Bash,” Froman added. “But then we thought, ‘maybe this is an opportunity to bring him back to his senses?’”

For more information about ‘Stache Bash, visit www.AmericanMustacheInstitute.org or call 877-STACHE-1.

About AMI

The American Mustache Institute, the bravest organization in the history of mankind behind only the U.S. Military and the post-Jim Henson Muppets, is the world’s only facial hair advocacy and research organization, with more than 700 global chapters. AMI battles negative stereotypes and discrimination against Mustached Americans. Based in St. Louis due to the presence of the world‟s largest mustache – the Gateway Arch – the organization is committed to recapturing the mustache’s glory years of the 1970s, when there existed a climate of acceptance, understanding, and flavor saving for people of Mustached American descent.

About Challenger Baseball

Challenger Baseball is a baseball league for youngsters and adults with developmental disabilities. The fundamental goal of Challenger Baseball is to give every player the chance to play. To realize that goal, Challenger has two basic rules: every player bats each inning, and every player plays the field. The league does not count strikes, and does not count outs. Every player scores and every player wins. Challenger Baseball participants learn not only the fundamentals of baseball, but also experience teamwork, being cheered on by a crowd, and being encouraged by peers. All players are named all-stars and all receive trophies.

Mint.com to Join the Intuit Family

As many of you have already seen today, Intuit announced our intention to acquire Mint.com. This big news is especially exciting because Intuit and Mint.com share a common goal: help consumers do more with their money with innovative, easy-to-use online services. Also read what Mint.com CEO Aaron Patzer has to say about the announcement on the Mintlife Blog.

By joining with Intuit, Mint.com quickly gains access to resources to scale, accelerating the time it takes for both companies to achieve our shared vision: to help consumers better understand and do more with their money. Both companies share a passion for providing easy to use solutions for personal finance. The deal will align Mint.com with the trusted Quicken brand established by Intuit over the past 25 years.

Intuit will gain another fast-growing consumer brand, a highly successful SaaS product and technology proven to serve the needs of a broad range of consumers.

We know you have a lot of questions. Once the deal closes, we will be able to answer many of them, but we do want to share with you what we can today.

Intuit will continue to offer easy-to-use Quicken desktop software, online services and popular mobile products as well. We understand it’s important to you to be able to continue using the products you know and trust. After 25 years, Quicken remains the leader in personal finance and a brand millions of consumers trust to help them manage their money.

When we do close the transaction towards the end of the year, we’ll share more with you about the exciting future of both Mint.com and Quicken.

Quicken for Mac Coming in February 2010

*Read an update here*

Recent media and blogger coverage has led to some speculation that Quicken may not release a new Quicken desktop product for the Mac.

We’d like to clear the air: Intuit will release a new version of Quicken for the Mac platform in February 2010.

We know you’ve heard this before. In early 2008, we told you we’d release Quicken Financial Life for Mac later that year. 2008 came and went and we did not.  At Macworld 2009, we told you it would be later this year.

But after speaking to customers at Macworld 2009, and opening our public beta of Quicken Financial Life for Mac to thousands of you, we learned the product was not doing what we – nor customers – wanted it to do.

We listened, and we learned.

Feedback from Mac customers led us to rethink our approach to developing Quicken for Mac. We went back to the drawing board and are making changes to everything from what the program does to how it looks. We spent extra time building a reconcile mode for the new register, a robust Windows-to-Mac transfer function for new Mac users (and existing customers running Quicken on a Windows virtual machine), and redesigned the experience to make it look and feel like a native Mac application should.

We understand our loyal Mac customers are disappointed that the product won’t be in stores until after the first of the year. For that, we apologize. We think taking our time to get it right will be well worth it and will make Mac customers even more excited when they use the new Quicken for Mac early next year.

You can go to Quicken.com beginning October 12, 2009 to pre-order Quicken for Mac. We’ll also continue to provide updates on our blog at www.quicken.com/blog.

Thanks for your patience and for being loyal Quicken for Mac customers.

Update: Please visit this post for new information on Quicken for Mac.

Farnoosh Torabi Joins as Quicken Online Senior Blog Editor

Quicken Online is pleased to introduce a new face and member of the Quicken family and the Quicken Blog — Farnoosh Torabi, a personal finance expert, author and overall just fantastic young, hip, money-saving gal.

Farnoosh Torabi

What’s even more cool about Farnoosh is that she is our new Quicken Senior Blog Editor and will serve as our own internal personal finance expert.

“The Quicken brand is synonymous with personal finance and I am excited to be part of the team,” Torabi said. “With 70% of people living paycheck-to-paycheck in America today, people are looking for help and information to help them improve their financial lives. I look forward to helping them do that in my new role with Quicken Online.”

So just how fabulous is Farnoosh?

She recently wrapped a season of contributing to the TLC reality makeover show Real Simple, Real Life, where she helped busy women better understand and manage their financial challenges. This fall Farnoosh will host Soapnet’s Bank of Mom and Dad, where she’ll help coach young women struggling with the burdens of debt. In addition, she’ll continue to provide her easy and useful financial tips in Seventeen Magazine, where she is a contributing editor, and on Mainstreet.com and AOL’s WalletPop.com where she is a regular contributor.

Her work has been profiled in Real Simple, Glamour, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Money Magazine, People, Entrepreneur, The New York Daily News and The New York Post.  She has appeared nationally on Larry King Live, ABC’s Good Morning America and Fox News. Farnoosh also makes guest appearances on NBC’s Today Show, MSNBC and CNN.

Farnoosh attended Pennsylvania State University – Go Nittany Lions! – graduating with honors in finance and international business. She also holds an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University.

She doesn’t believe in buying expensive sunglasses and recently reduced her monthly cell phone bill by $15 a month just by calling and asking for a reduced rate.  Meanwhile, she is addicted to all-things Diane Von Furstenbeg, and recently splurged on a Hermès perfume.

The New York-based Torabi says she continues to make it her mission to help Americans save more, spend wisely and live better lives.

“Money may not be able to buy you happiness, but the better you’re able understand your spending habits and areas where you can save more, the happier you’ll be. There are easy steps that all Americans can start with today to improve their financial lives and we’re excited to be able to show them how with Quicken Online,” Torabis says.

Torabi will begin contributing to the Quicken Blog this month so stay tuned for her first post.

Quicken Offers up to $50 Savings and Invitation to Microsoft ‘Money’ Customers

We know there are customers looking for a financial home and with the recent discontinuation of MS Money, the Quicken team is on deck to help. As the leader in personal finance for more than 25 years, we’re committed to helping you manage your money so in a way that helps you spend smarter and save more. How are we going to do it? Read More »

Quicken Online Helps Gridiron Greats Get the Most of their Money

The last two weeks, Quicken Group Product Manager Jim Del Favero and I have been on the road talking to NFL players about the importance of watching their money. As part of a pilot program between the NFL Player Development office and Quicken Online, we’re visiting three NFL teams over the next three weeks to talk to rookies and veterans alike about keeping better tabs on their money.

We’ve been using the free Quicken Online as the tool that puts the power of personal finance right in the palm of their hand.

It may sound odd that we’re talking with a bunch of professional athletes about their money. After all, the average salary in the NFL is $350,000 per year and the league is full of millionaires who hire professional money managers and accountants. And what do they know about having to watch their money like most of us do from paycheck-to-paycheck? But, like the rest of us, they too need to watch their spending to they can live a comfortable and happy life.

Even with professionals watching their money, the fact is no one watches and cares about your finances as much as you do. Using the power of Quicken Online, and Quicken Online Mobile for the iPod Touch/iPhone, we’re giving these players a way to learn more about where their money is going.

Del Favero tells the players that scores of other trusted advisors – wives, friends, accountants – access their money so if they can just keep an eye on their transactions, then the players can ask the important questions about where their money is going.

He said he wants to empower the players to ask the right questions and that they have the right to know where their money is going. In fact, Del Favero told the Jets players if someone is resistant to tell them about where their money is going, they want to find a different advisor.

“This is your money and you have every right to ask questions about how it’s being spent or invested,” Del Favero said. “Using Quicken Online and our mobile application on the iPhone is really going to help these guys keep tabs on where their income is going so they can make good financial decisions now and in the future. Just being able to see all of their accounts and balances in one place is invaluable.”

Lance Legree, a former NFL player and leader for NFL Player Development in piloting the program, has two key objectives for the pilot with Quicken Online.

“First, we want to educate and build awareness amongst the players that this – and their money – doesn’t last forever,” Legree, who was a four-year starter at the University of Notre Dame before the NFL. “Second, we want these guys to have a great foundation in personal finance so they can do good things with the money they make in a relative short period of time in their working lives.”

Legree’s words ring true when you consider the average career in the NFL lasts just three to five seasons. That means the earning power of a pro athlete happens at the beginning of their career while the rest of us reach the pinnacle of our money earning years in our late 30s to mid-40s.

This is why we’re out here talking to the New York Jets this week. The idea is to give these guys a simple tool to just understand the basics.

Last week in Tampa with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the program was a huge success. Once players see how easy Quicken Online and it’s mobile counterpart are to use, they are instantly hooked.

“We’re just really excited to be working with Quicken Online on this important project,” Legree said. “When people think of the best in professional sports, they think of the NFL. When people think who is the best at personal finance, they think Quicken. The two of us working together is really going to help make a difference and help a whole group of young men better manage their money.”

Live Blogging from Intuit Money Matters Town Hall

Consumers discuss how they're weathering the storm at Intuit Money Matters Town Hall

10:09am: Todd finishes by saying that the tough times we’re in are changing all of us for the better. He says money can be used wisely to improve your lives. Be sure to watch archived version of this on the Intuit.com website. Thanks to all…and check our our Small Business Town Hall coming up next.

10:07am: Session is wrapping up…Todd and Farnoosh are thanking everyone and both said they learned a huge amount from each and everyone of the folks on the panel.

10:04am: Farnoosh reminds the group that even with bartering, you do have to report it to the IRS so you stay within the rules. She also said people are getting closer to one another during this time. People are staying more at home…including Farnoosh’s neighbor in NYC who is an opera singer. Being at home more now, she hears her singing!

10:02am: Farnoosh is going back to bartering…there’s some energy in the room to discuss it. Bob is a big barterer and has been doing it for 20 years.

10:00am: Stimulus will invest in new sectors like infrastructure, energy, education and engineering. Farnoosh and Todd both say there will be great opportunities for employment in those sectors.

9:55am: Farnoosh asked the group how much they knew about the 2009 Stimulus. Kim is a tax preparer and she’s been studying it because there are opportunities there. She pointed out the new credits around green energy as a great opportunity.

9:54am: Todd mentioned the struggles of the auto industry and asked if anyone was planning on buying a new car. Kim said yes, and that because her and her husband have good credit and low debt, they were able to get an amazing deal on the financing.

9:52am: Mara says shes going with a smaller community bank. In fact, her contact there says they are swamped with people who are worried about larger banks and want a more intimate relationship with their financial institution.

9:49am: Farnoosh asked the group if anyone was concerned with putting their money in banks. Yvette raised her hand and said yes. Her and her husband invest and they are worried about the stability of some of the institutions they deal with. Farnoosh reminds folks that the FDIC protects you up to $300,000.

9:46am:All participants today say they know and track where their money is going. Todd adds that most Americans do not do this. 70% of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck – and that’s even folks with a six-figure income -and they need to keep an eye on where they’re spending to make sure they meet their obligations and have some money left to save.

9:41am: Todd reminds everyone to check their medical bills. 80% of medical bills consumers receive have errors on them. You’re leaving a lot of money on the table if you don’t check. He also suggested asking doctors for 90-days worth of prescriptions so you can take advantage of lower-priced mail-order options. He also talked about the new, free Quicken Health Expense Tracker as a way to stay on top of medical expenses.

9:39am: Rick is self-employed and said its tough to get insurance as someone not part of a larger group. His rates have been raised twice in six months without him making any claims. Farnoosh says you should check associations you belong to, even your religious group, for group insurance options.

9:37m: Farnoosh is telling the folks to consider bartering…even with your doctors. They’re looking for services like website design in exchange for their services. She said it seems odd, but don’t rule it out. You can save a ton of money, especially if you’re uninsured, by doing so.

9:29am: Todd Stanley is talking about the importance of knowing how much money you have to spend each and every month. Using things like Quicken Online Mobile can help you make sure you don’t over spend. He also stated people need to make sure they pay at least the minimum payments on their debts to preserve their credit rating.

9:24am: Farnoosh is asking the group about how much debt they carry. Not only do people have to cut back, but they also need to pay down debt. Farnoosh says to call your debtors and ask to settle if you’re having problems.

9:22am: Chris lost his job, had to buy a new car, and get insurance to protect to his family. He’s really had to cut spending and he realized how much he had been spending when times were better.

9:21am: Check out the live stream of this Town Hall: http://www.justin.tv/intuittownhall

9:20am: Cydney has one client but her spouse works as well so they’re doing OK with money these days. Both her and her husband are independent contractors. They do have some savings but are adjusting their lives to spend less and save more. Farnoosh says she is in a good position since she is a team with her husband.

9:18am: Participant Anna says she is not spending money outside of her obligations. She’s cut way back on spending and isn’t splurging on things she use to like a day at the spa.

9:16am: First topic introduced by @farnoosh is about paying the bills…and asking folks how they’re making money.

9:12am: Session is underway. Introduction by Quicken VP/General Manager Todd Stanley (@quickentodd).

9:09am: Renowned editor Michael Runzler just arrived. Bloggers and journalists have arrived. Including Harry McCracken from Technologizer.

9:03am: @quickentodd and @farnoosh are getting their microphones setup so we’re going to get started soon. The consumers joining us today are all set and very motivated to share their stories. We’re in for an informative and great session.

8:45am: Scott from the Quicken team…getting ready to live blog from the Intuit Money Matters Town Hall. Follow us on Twitter (@intuittownhall, @prgully, @quickenchels) or check in here for some updates on this discussion.

We just spent the last 45 minutes mingling with consumers and hearing their money stories. It’s really interesting to hear how the current economy is impacting everyone.

More to come…stay tuned.

WATCH THE LIVE FEED OF TODAY’S EVENT: http://bit.ly/intuitth