Rating: 
Summary: You'll be glad you paid for it;-)
Review: I used Quicken extensively for years and loved it a lot. Few years back, when my portfolio started to melt like ice on salt, I quit using Quicken as I was scared to see my stock losses grow each day. Recently, a very good deal on Money 2003 Delux at CompUSA prompted me to get back to the habit of tracking my financial life. It's just been 2-weeks and I already like it a lot. I don't know how well it compares to Quicken 2003 but I sure am happy for getting it. The best thing about Money 2003 is the interface. I like the web look and feel. You can customize the views and display the features you want on home page. With some credit cards and banks, you can setup automatic downloads that will sync your account with the bank. Saves you from a lot of data entry. You can display your budget views on the home page. At times, I can just get all the info. I need on the home page and not worry about running reports. You can setup a passport account at MSN's Money website and you will be able to entry your expenses online when you don't have your PC with you. When you get back to the PC, your Money syncs with the new entries you made online. You can also use the Car View to track info about your cars. On the downside, there sure are few annoying bugs but they didn't bother me much as most of them have work around. This is my advise to anyone who runs into minor problems using money. Delete the transaction and re-enter it and all related problems may be solved. Finally, the microsoft support is excellent. Also, you can use the message boards at http://support.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.aspx. Just make sure you select Desktop Applications and then Money to view the Money board.
Rating: 
Summary: OK only.
Review: This program has been useful for tracking my day to day expenses and income. However, with my skills I could write a better and easier to use program if that was all I needed. As far as what I actually bought the program for, cash flow analysis and investment and retirement tracking, it is third rate. The pre-tax deductions from my paycheck do not translate directly into the retirement contributions. Also, I have to do an individual purchase of stocks in my 401k each paycheck. In reality the contribution is by percentage into each mutual fund. Money 2003 will not allow you to select percentages and automatically purchase mutual fund shares. Also, the portfolio analysis is the usual "don't sue us" pap. In order to track my total net worth in any kind of intelligent way I had to buy the cheesy investment tracking version. This should be standard as it is below par and not worth the extra money. In addition, the cash flow analysis is primitive and not flexible enough for my purposes. Finally, I have had a total failure of the program in which I had to reinstall all the software. No data was lost, but I have more inportant ways to spend my valuable time. Quite frankly, I believe financial software is overdue for some competition.
Rating:
Summary: Online quotes just stopped working
Review: After using Money 2003 for a year the online stock quote update function just stopped working. No warnings, no message, no nothing. After searching the web and reading the fine print I discovered that it will stop working 1 year from the date of registration or first use. Typical MS tactics. I am going to pick up a copy of Quicken.
Rating: 
Summary: Fine software except for one thing.
Review: Overall I'm pleased with my purchase of Money Standard 2003. It's a very useful tool. The account register allows for categorization of all transactions, which produces interesting reports on how all your money was spent and the bills section makes sure you won't forget to pay those many bills on time. However, if you read the fine print on the bottom of the box you'll notice that it says that portfolio quotes downloading functionality and the ability to synchronize your data with MSN Money expire 1 year from first use of Microsoft Money Standard or September 1, 2004, whichever is earliest. Now what is the point of that?! It sounds like part of the software becomes useless after a year. But since I will have gotten it for free after rebates (not counting the time value of money), I suppose I can't complain too much.
Rating:
Summary: Useful software, has its downsides.
Review: After using Money for some years (previously Money 99 FS) upgraded to 2003 Deluxe. It would not read my previous money file saying it was corrupted. After countless hours with support (they did continuously keep me updated) they said the upgrade was not supported. They even looked at my 99 file and couldnt find a reason why it wouldn't read in 2003. Anyways, I did the upgrade the hard way - export/import. Currently everything seems to work good. One botheration which another reviewer pointed out is that the shares purchased should be rounded to 3 decimal places instead of six. It always messes up the sale if you have partial purchases like DRIP etc.
Rating: 
Summary: I hate this version!!!
Review: I have been using Microsoft Money for many years and been pleased. I made the biggest mistake by upgrading to 2003. I had never bounced a check until now. It's register keeping is very confusing. It enters the electronic payments with a date of several days before it is due and it is very hard to tell how much money you actually have in the bank without calling and verifying with the bank. I am seriously considering switching to another software such as Quicken, since I can't go back to the previous version of Money.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Tool to Manage your finance
Review: This is an excellent tool to manage all your finances. Provides with all sorts of reports, Planners etc. I had a problem though, i couldn't synchronize with MSN Money as promised. Microsoft suggested so many solutions, but nothing works. I couldn't sign-in to .Net Passport from Money 2003
Rating: 
Summary: Good product
Review: Upgraded from 99 to 2003 and have not regretted it. Plus points:
1) nice reconciliation system that is much easier to use than it has been in the past
2) QIF import that does not duplicate transactions left right and center
3) nice GUI, with suitably toned down look and feel
4) good set of standard reports
5) nice integration with online services
6) great upgrade path/data take on from 99 Minus points:
1) sponsorship/logos
2) sometimes complains of an error with online downloading but does not seem to have lost/missed any data In addition YOU DO NOT NEED A PASSPORT to use the online services. I use online services and do not use a passport. I secure my money file with username and password as always. All in all a robust product from MS and good value for money with the rebate. Definitely upgrade if you have a really old version of Money.
Rating:
Summary: Upgrade from 2002 - Maybe, Maybe Not
Review: This is one of the most "usable" MS products out there. Complain all you want about their business practices, licensing policies or whatever, someone on the Money team really knows how to design a useful tool and an intelligible UI at the same time. It's hard to say your really excited about an upcoming software release and still keep a straight face. Still, I couldn't wait to pop up the hood and have a look at Money 2003. Perhaps it's a case of expecting a really great product to be somehow greatly better, but I was disapointed to find more or less the same thing. One improvement I noticed is better reconciliation of imported statements - something that still remains a little off. Despite this and a coule other positive tweaks here and there, I'd wait to upgrade to v2003 if you're anticipating something "greatly better". On the other hand, if you really want to keep up with the Gates's, or you can't resist the rebate (both reasons I fell prey to), then by all means have at it. This is a great product from someone who really know what they're doing. * Note: I don't use Money's (MSN) online services, so this review only applies to the desktop app.
Rating:
Summary: Money 2003 Deluxe& Business weak for business
Review: I purchased Money 2003 Deluxe & Business to include my wife's self-employed service business. The regular 'home' part of the program is fairly good and has lots of feature. The business part lacks quite a bit in several areas. The invoice designer wouldn't save a modified version on my Win 98 machine but works on Win Me on my notebook. Modification are rather limited. Certain fields have to stay in a certain frames within the Invoice. Worse, payment of invoices doesn't allow to enter a check number. When a payment is received and put into an account it becomes divorced from the invoice. The invoice shows having been paid but it is no longer associated with the actual payment entry. Makes it very hard to look and and figure out when problems arise. Also the business reports are almost un customizable except in a few minor things. Very frustrating. Accounts can't be designated as business accounts, distinguished from home accounts. Also 'project' information can not be put on invoices. Fields (such as customer name) are limited in size. Some Businesses have more than 20 or so characters in their name!
Anyway, it looks like we will be buying the Quicken equivalent. From the 'tour' of the Quicken site at least we can enter a check number against an invoice!
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