Updated 05/13/2010
Microsoft Money Plus personal finance software has been replaced by Money Plus Sunset Deluxe, which does not offer Internet-based services. The online services referred to in this review are not available in Money Plus Sunset and are scheduled to be permanently discontinued late in 2010.
Microsoft Money and Money Plus was discontinued in June, 2009. Get suggestions for finding a replacement for Microsoft Money.
Among the latest features in Microsoft Money Plus is enhanced background banking which makes using a Live ID. Passport has been discontinued.
Microsoft Money Standard and Essentials
Microsoft phased out Money Standard in 2007 and Microsoft Money Essentials, now the most basic Microsoft Money version, does not import Microsoft Money data. This leaves Microsoft Money Standard users with the alternative of upgrading to Microsoft Money Plus Deluxe, or entering transactions manually and losing some of the Internet-driven features in Money Standard.
Microsoft Money Plus Insights
Microsoft Money Plus Spending Insight
Courtesy of MicrosoftMicrosoft Money Plus Deluxe, Premium and Home and Business include the new Insights feature. Insights are visual financial reports pulled from Microsoft Money and presented in the Windows task bar. The benefit of Microsoft Money Plus Insights is that you need not open Microsoft Money Plus to be alerted to when you are close to budgeted spending limits, when bills are coming due or to get a quick look at account balances.
Microsoft Money Plus includes Cash Flow Insights, Spending Insights and Bills Insights.
Image Linking in Microsoft Money Plus
Another new feature in Microsoft Money Plus Deluxe, Premium and Home and Business is the ability to link image files and other file types to transactions. This is useful for documenting expenses entered into an account register with a scanned or copied and saved image. For example, if you pick up the tab for a business lunch, you can scan the receipt, save the digital image and link to that image file from the transaction in Microsoft Money Plus. Many files types can be linked to Microsoft Money Plus transactions because Money does not actually execute the linked file (it opens with its associated software application).
Microsoft Money Plus Investing Tools
Microsoft Money Plus Premium and Home & Business includes some new investment tools:
- Morningstar ratings in MSN Money ETF center
- Participate in stock ratings with Motley Fool CAPS
- Track U.S. world markets, currencies and more MSN Money Market Dashboard
- Daily Top 10 StockScouter stock ratings
