Intuit Quicken 2002

Do you know exactly how much you have in your current account? Is your monthly budget worked out to the penny and your mortgage, pension and life assurance planned to ensure a prosperous future? Or maybe your personal finances are a disaster wrapped in an enigma, in which case you could probably use a hand.

Personal finance software is not complex, even if you've never used it before. Quicken is simple to set up and you'll soon be entering details of your financial accounts and assets. This is crucial. Current accounts, mortgages, endowments, credit cards, savings, property and the rest come under one roof. Possibly for the first time you will discover your net worth, plan a household budget, make sure bills are met and institute the financial discipline that's the first step to increasing wealth.

Not all the surprises will be nice ones. You may well find yourself asking why you have money in a building society account but are in debt on your credit cards, or why you're spending £300 a month on beer. But things start to look brighter as you get your money in order. Once everything is in Quicken you can generate reports, see where money is going and check the performance of investments. You can also check that your ISAs and pension funds are on course to deliver the funds you'll need in five, 10 or 30 years.

For existing Quicken users, the 2002 version is no great leap forward. It can now automatically reconcile bank accounts to ensure you have accurate information. You can mix quarterly and monthly budgets, and Quicken will analyse your input data and use it to create a budget for you.

For an extra £17, Quicken Deluxe lets you use data to forecast and plan your financial future. You can generate 'what if?' scenarios, and you can track your share options.

Price: Basic - £28; Deluxe - £45
Contact: Intuit 0845 606 2161
www.intuit.co.uk/quicken