Updated: July 2005 Microsoft® Money 2006 Premium builds on Microsoft Corp.’s commitment to provide consumers with essential financial tools designed to address today’s growing online audience. As more and more consumers are turning to the Internet to get the latest information on their personal finances — viewing their account balances, getting a grasp on their spending and credit, and paying bills online — online banking continues to grow. More than 44 percent of all Internet users are now banking online* and are accustomed to viewing their accounts quickly and paying bills with only a click. Money 2006 is designed to make online banking even better by providing a snapshot of a consumer’s complete financial information in one place, alleviating the need to access different Web sites to find information on checking, savings, brokerage and credit card accounts. Based on consumer feedback, Money 2006 takes online banking to the next level by providing automated tools and expert insight to empower consumers to understand their spending and manage bills easily. With all their financial information in one place, consumers will find that Money 2006 makes money management simple and efficient, letting them spend less time worrying about their money and more time enjoying it. Product Overview: Microsoft Money 2006 is the ultimate personal finance solution that allows consumers to effortlessly optimize their financial outlook by automatically updating and consolidating all of their transactions with only one password, making managing and monitoring multiple accounts easy and time-efficient. Money works with the online services provided by thousands of banks nationwide to provide consumers with easy-to-use resources all in one place that allow them to watch and pay multiple bills with just a couple clicks of a button, manage and plan investments, and prepare for taxes and long-term financial goals. With the help of financial experts and automated tools, Microsoft Money 2006 arms consumers with the essential information needed to manage their finances the way they want to while planning for the future when they are ready. Features Essential Tools for Managing Day-to-Day Finances | • | New! Multiple Bill Payment. Money now enables consumers to pay numerous bills from multiple accounts all at once, including the ability to pay directly from the Bill Calendar. | | • | Enhanced! Bill Calendar. Integrated with the register, this robust calendar provides a quick look at the user’s latest bills, or if a person prefers, more specific transaction details such as paychecks and investment purchases. Now consumers can click on a specific day and, without leaving the Bill Calendar, they can pay the bills that are due. | | • | Improved! Spending Tracker. Consumers can now set up their budget their way. It’s simple to track spending in categories they want to watch closely, such as dining out, entertainment or clothing. Spending “thermometers” show them at a glance exactly how much they’ve spent and when they’re getting close to budget limits. The Spending Tracker now lets consumers automatically track daily spending in as many favorite categories as they want and provides alerts when overspending occurs. |
Learn About Investing Money includes a wealth of investment information, from the popular Portfolio Manager to expert guidance and information that helps consumers plan and optimize investments and long-term savings. Money 2006 Premium also provides at no extra cost financial information and tax help that makes managing money and planning for a sound financial future easier. | • | New! Automatic Investment Prices. Consumers can automatically receive today’s stock prices with just a click of a button. Transactions within the Investment Register are automatically updated to help eliminate the guesswork and the time it takes to research current stocks prices. | | • | New! Exchange Traded Funds Center. Money 2006 now enables consumers to view and track Exchange Traded Funds, a growing investment category. With investing experts’ portfolios for consumers to watch, Money has made it even easier to invest. | | • | Enhanced! Portfolio Manager. Money 2006 can now calculate portfolio returns based on any day’s actual price by clicking on the “get price” button. This ensures a correct return calculation in real time. |
Easy Access Anytime, Anywhere | • | New! Toll-free help. Microsoft has always provided free product support for Money. This year, consumers can use a toll-free number to call customer service for help. | | • | Enhanced! Backup. Money users now have the option to easily back up all of their files on a variety of electronic formats such as CD or DVD. | | • | Updated! Online Help. The Help system is updated regularly based on consumers’ inquiries and feedback. Money 2006 also provides context-sensitive help rather than a generic table of contents. Top-Line System |
Requirements: Recommended system requirements for all versions of Money are as follows: | • | Multimedia PC with Pentium 166MHz or faster processor (or compatible); Pentium II 266MHz (or compatible) required for Windows® XP; Pentium II 300MHz (or compatible) recommended, Windows 98 Second Edition or later, Windows 2000 Professional with Service Pack 3 (SP3) or later, or Windows XP SP1 or later (SP2 recommended) | | • | Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later, 32 MB of RAM required, 64 MB of RAM recommended; 64 MB of RAM required for Windows XP, 128 MB of RAM recommended | | • | 130 MB of available hard disk space, plus 60 MB for Internet Explorer 6 SP1 (included on the CD; won’t displace the primary browser) if not already installed, plus an additional 200 MB while installing product updates | | • | 2X or faster CD-ROM drive, SVGA graphics card or compatible video graphics adapter | | • | SVGA color monitor with a minimum of 256 colors, capable of displaying 800x600 resolution, 16-bit color recommended | | • | Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device; 56Kbps modem Internet functionality requires an Internet service provider; local and long-distance telephone charges may apply; most online features require users to sign in to Money with their Microsoft Passport Network credentials (e-mail address and password). |
Availability: Money Standard, Deluxe and Premium versions are scheduled to be available at retail or via download at http://www.microsoft.com/money on July 5, 2005. *According to Online Banking 2005: A Pew Internet Project Data Memo Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. For information about the portfolio of Microsoft home software: http://www.microsoft.com/discover
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