Now that Microsoft has sent its Microsoft Money product out to pasture, what would be the best product to take its place.  There are numerous products out there and I could list them all but I wanted to give you a little more.  When it comes to deciding which one to purchase most of the software programs fall within the same price range, so price really shouldn’t be the deciding factor.  Simplicity and ease of use are my top priorities when it comes to finance software and also compatibility with other programs like turbo tax.  I also like software that can even link directly to my bank account.

Before looking at my list why should you use personal finance software anyway?  I have been using them for the last few years and the answer is very easy, simplicity and organization.  As a person who has worked as an employee and a business owner I have needed solutions to simplify my personal financial matters.  Financial software has helped me tremendously become more organized and focused in managing these things saving me lots of time.  Well that’s the simple why, now let’s see what are the resources out there.  Here is what I believe are the top 4 personal finance options:

1 – Quicken – I have been a Quicken fan for years.  Quicken meets the criteria I like.  It’s simple to use and you can track every part of your finances, from income and investments to all of your expenses.  Quicken also has two of my top criteria for evaluating software, which is you can connect directly to your bank account and also you can import directly into turbo tax, which is a big time saver come tax season.

2 – Mint – Recently acquired by Intuit, the makers of Quicken, Mint scores high on my list as well.  This is not software but a free online site that really offers all of the functionality you need to manage your finances.  It is very user friendly and has the ability to connect with numerous banks.  Mint is simple and free and has been winning rave reviews all over the airwaves and on the internet.  Click here to read what another user said about Mint.

3 – Moneydance – Of all the software programs out there this is the only one which operates on all of the various operating systems, windows, mac or linux.  Moneydance is easy to use and is compatible with all of your banking systems.  Moneydance also allow free online bill pay.  Moneydance does not directly transfer into turbo tax, it can be done but you would need assistance from customer service to make this happen.

4 – Mvelopes –  As far as budget management goes, Mvelopes is one of the best tools out there.  This really focuses on your day to day spending habits and will help to keep those hidden expenses under control.  I fmanaging your investements is your goal then this may not be the best option but if you are looking to get out of debt and budget better this is ideal.  Mvelopes is not software but is actually a membership site so you will have to pay for continued use of the service.

As you can see there are many options to choose from.  If you need more sites and software you can click here to get find more.  The bottom line is consider where you are and choose the best option for you.