trade MONSTER recently announced Detachable Windows, a nifty feature that is especially useful for stock traders who use multiple displays. Click a window during a trading session and detach it by dragging it to another monitor, and you're watching more real-time market data. trade MONSTER also recently implemented Spectral Analysis as part of the tradeLAB tool set for active options traders.

Something that hasn't changed with tradeMONSTER.com: $7.50 flat fee whether you transact 100 or 5,000 shares.

I recently heard about someone who was having trouble downloading an update for his personal finance software.

Tech support for the software told him to temporarily turn off his firewall and antivirus software because it was probably blocking the patch download.  The person using the software wisely refused to do so.

Never turn off your security software as long as you are connected to the Internet, and broadband connections are always on unless you turn off the connection.

Mary Landesman from About.com AntiVirus told me, "Any machine connected to the Internet, regardless of whether anything (software)  is open or not, can be infected by Internet worms".  Other computing technology colleagues spoke up to support this opinion from About.comWindows, iPod, Javascript and Macs.

The software developer should work it out with the antivirus or firewall software that is blocking the patch, or make a patch available that isn't blocked.  Don't turn off your security software.

Early next year, Mint.com and Quicken Online will be combined into one online personal finance application called Mint.com from Quicken. Here's what current Quicken Online users can expect:

• Investment tracking
• Better budgeting tool
• Mint.com personalized savings tool ("Ways to Save" tab)

Current Mint.com users will benefit from these features in the new Mint.com from Quicken Online:

• Enter cash purchases and uncleared checks
• Support for 6,000 more financial institutions
• Upgraded iPhone app with ATM finder

You can get all the details from the Quicken Announcements Blog.

Most accounting software is much easier to use than it once was, and much of the small business accounting software out there has been designed for ease of use by a person with no accounting background at all. Get tips for how to choose small business accounting software to find an accounting package that works for your small business.