Get Started

Note: The loan feature is not available for Quicken Starter.

When you set up a loan, Quicken creates a loan account that tracks the amount you owe, the length of the loan, the current interest rate, and your chosen method of payment. After it's set up, click the loan name in the Account Bar to use the Quicken loan feature. It provides some great tools for managing your loans and figuring out where you stand.

Looking for the loan calculator?

To use the Loan Calculator go to the Planning tab. Select the Planning Tools menu, then Loan Calculator.

For more information, see How do I find out what a loan would cost before I take it out?.

Set up an online loan account

An online loan account accesses your loan information through your financial institution's website, providing you with the most up-to-date and accurate loan information.

1. Click the Add Account plus sign icon 

   

    at the top right of the Account Bar.

2. During the setup process, you’ll be asked a few questions:

   What is the name of your bank or brokerage

   If your bank or brokerage is listed on the screen, click it.

   If your bank or brokerage is not listed on the screen, start typing its name. After you type a few characters Quicken displays a list of possible matches. If you see what you are looking for, go ahead and click the name of your bank or brokerage. If you don't see what you are looking for, click Back and try again.

   What if I can’t find it in the list, or I want to enter transactions manually?

   Use Manual Loan Account Setup. 

   Why does Quicken want to know my bank name?

   Quicken needs to know your bank or brokerage name to find out if it can download transactions for you.

   Downloading transactions will:

   • Save you from manually entering your data
   • Ensure data accuracy
   • Help you detect invalid or fraudulent transactions

   What if I don’t enter the name of my bank? (Keep the info that’s already here?

   If you don't enter the name of your bank or brokerage, Quicken won't be able to download transactions for you. You will therefore have to manually enter your transactions into Quicken. See Manual Loan Account Setup.

3. Select a currency for the account (Optional)
   If you have set up Quicken to track multiple currencies, select one from the list. If you decide you need to change the currency for the account, you can do so only if you haven't entered any transactions except the opening balance.

4. What is your financial institution User ID (user name) and password?

   Information about User ID and Password

   Quicken needs this information so it can download your account information. For most banks and brokerages, you can use the same user ID and password you use to log in to their website. If you don't have a user ID and password right now, add the account manually. You can always activate it to update transactions or send payments later on.

   • What is a user name?

     It may be an account number or some other number assigned by your bank or brokerage. It may also be the user ID you use to log in to their website.

   • Can I use the password for my bank website?

     Yes. If you entered the user ID that you use to log in to your bank or brokerage website in the user ID field, then enter the website password as well.

   • Did you receive "Direct Connect" instructions from your bank or brokerage?

     Direct Connect is a service some banks and brokerages use to connect to Quicken. You will know if you have Direct Connect if you specifically signed up for it and/or your bank or brokerage sent you a special user ID and password to use with Quicken. If so, use your Direct Connect login information on this screen.

     If you did not receive special login instructions, use your website user ID and password here.

     If you are not sure what to do, use the user ID and password you would use to log in to your bank's website.

   • Can I see my password while entering the user ID and password?

     Yes. To see the password while adding an account, select the Show Characters box to the right of the password box.

   • What happens if I save my password?

     This step is necessary only for accounts using direct connect. See Why don't I need to enter my bank password to download from my bank? (support site) for more information.

     Quicken's Password Vault is a secure and convenient way to store multiple financial institution passwords that you can then access with a single master password.

     • You can open the Password Vault to add, remove, or change stored passwords at any time.
     • When the Password Vault was developed, it went through a rigorous security review.
     • The Password Vault uses industry-standard encryption to save your passwords, and it is careful to remove them from memory when they are no longer being used.

5. Tips for successful connections 

   Expand for more information

   Sometimes Quicken needs more information to determine what type of account you have, or at what branch the account resides before it can access it. If you are not sure, here are some tips that may help you:

   Account Type

   If different types of accounts are shown, such as checking, savings, or credit card, choose the account type that applies to you.

   State or Location

   Some banks and brokerages use a state or region to classify accounts. If you see your state listed, this is probably the option to select.

   Bank Mergers

   Did your local bank or credit union merge with a larger bank? If you see your old or pre-merger bank name listed, this is probably the option to select.

   Having trouble? Contact your bank or brokerage for instructions.

6. How should Quicken set up accounts it has found?

   
   

   Expand for more information

   We have found the following

   This is a list of your accounts that Quicken has detected at your bank or brokerage.

   Add, Ignore, or Link

   • Quicken needs to know what you want to do with the accounts it has found. Keep in mind that you don't need to set up all of the accounts it finds; just the ones that you want to track in Quicken.
   • Choose Add to create a new Quicken account in which to download your transactions. If you are new to Quicken, this is probably the option that you want.
   • Choose Link to download your transactions into an existing Quicken account. If you have previously set up the account in Quicken, but are not yet downloading transactions into it, this is probably the option you want.
   • Choose Ignore to disregard one of the accounts that Quicken has found. No account will be created, and transactions for that account will not be downloaded into Quicken.

   Nickname (Optional)

   Enter the name you want to use to refer to the account in Quicken. This name will appear in reports, and in the Quicken interface. If you don't enter a nickname, Quicken will use the name provided by your financial institution for the account.

   Used mostly for

   If you are using Quicken Business & Personal choose the primary use of the account: Personal (which is the default), Business, or Rental Property. Your selection determines where in the Quicken interface (on which tab) the account appears. You can change this from the Account List later if you wish.

   • Your accounts have been added!

     You will receive confirmation that your account, or accounts, have been added to Quicken. Depending on the type of account you are adding there may be other steps you need to take. This screen will tell you what you need to do, if anything, to start using the accounts. Congratulations!

     If you have chosen to use mobile as a part of your Quicken Registration, on this screen, you will get an option to sync the added account to the cloud. If you wish to add this account to the cloud, select the Sync to Quicken cloud for Mobile / Alerts check-box next to the account that you have added.

   • Why do I not see the option to Sync to Quicken Cloud?

     You will see this option only if you have chosen to Use Mobile as part of the registration. If you wish to view your accounts in mobile or to receive custom account notifications, click the Mobile and Web tab and follow the instructions.

7. Your accounts have been added

Why don't I see the option to Sync to Quicken Cloud?

You will see this option only if you have chosen to Use Mobile as part of the registration. If you wish to view your accounts in mobile or to receive custom account notifications, click the Mobile and Web tab and follow the instructions.

Set up a manual loan account

A manual loan account requires you to enter all of the relevant loan details in order to provide you with loan information. When possible, it is much easier to access and maintain an online loan account. If you would prefer to enter your loan information manually, or if it is not available online, then follow the instructions below.

1. Select the Add Account 

   

    icon on the top right of the Account Bar.
   

   

   
   You can also add a new account by selecting Tools → Add Account from the top menu.
2. Select Offline Account.
   

   

3. Under Loan & Debt, select Loan. If you are setting up a Home Equity Line of Credit, select HELOC. 
   

   

4. Enter your loan information. (See loan information details below)
5. Select Next. Answer any additional questions.
6. Review the Loan Payment Reminder.
7. Select Done.

Loan Information Details

When you add an account, Quicken adds the new account to the Account List (choose Tools menu > Account List). In most cases, you'll want to add all your accounts in the same Quicken data file, so that you can track all your finances in one place.

What is the difference between simple investing and complete investing?

Simple Investing tracks positions only

With Simple Investing, Quicken keeps track of the positions (number of shares for each security) over time, and your cash balances. Quicken’s tracking is based on information provided by your broker.  Your portfolio value, net worth, and investment returns over time will be available, but Quicken will not be able to calculate capital gains and losses or investment income. Quicken will display an account summary rather than an investment transaction register when the account is selected.

Complete Investing tracks positions and transactions

With Complete Investing, Quicken keeps track of transaction detail as well as the positions over time, based on information provided by your broker.  This is the tracking approach that Quicken has always provided in the past. With Complete Investing, in addition to portfolio value, net worth, and investment returns, Quicken is able to tracks and displays capital gains, and capital losses, and investment income. Quicken will displays the investment transaction register when the account is selected.

Why don't I have a Complete Investing option?

When the Complete Investing feature is unavailable for a specific account, Quicken automatically provides the Simple Investing view as the default option. This approach ensures that you can continue to monitor your investment by viewing securities, positions, and holdings within your balances, despite the absence of full transaction and activity data. This limitation typically arises from the level of data integration offered by the financial institution or brokerage. For those requiring detailed investment tracking, manually setting up the account and entering transaction details is a viable alternative to access comprehensive investing insights.

Simple Setup wizard

As you move through the account setup process, you may not see all the pages described below—these depend on the type of account you are adding and how much information Quicken can download from your financial institution. Expand a section below for more information.

Advanced Setup wizard

For most users, Simple Setup is all they will need to add their accounts. If you need to use Advanced/Manual Setup you will see a few additional screens. Click a link for more information.

Note for our Canadian Customers

The following terms will be different in the Canadian releases of Quicken.

Canada: "Cheque" / United States: "Check"
Canada: "Colour" / United States: "Color"
Canada: "Centre" / United States: "Center"
Canada: "Realise" / United States: "Realize"
Canada: "Behaviour" / United States: "Behavior"
Canada: "Analyse" / United States: "Analyze"

Additional Information

• Decide whether to enter historical transactions.
• Special investment account types.

When you add a new account, Quicken adds it to the Account List (choose Tools menu > Account List). In most cases, you'll want to add all of your household's accounts in the same Quicken data file, so that you can track all your finances in one place.

1. Select the Add Account  icon on the top right of the Account Bar.
   

   

   
   You can also add a new account by selecting Tools → Add Account from the top menu.

2. Click Other Assets & Liabilities.

3. Select Car, Truck, Van, RV.
   

   

4. During the setup process, you'll be asked a few questions.

   • What is the name you'd like to use for this account?

   • Enter the name you want to use to refer to the account in Quicken. This name will appear in reports, and in the Quicken interface.

   • What is this account primarily used for?

     If you are using Quicken Business & Personal, choose the primary use of the account: Personal (which is the default), Business, or Rental Property. Your selection determines where in the Quicken interface (on which tab) the account appears. You can change this from the Account List later if you wish. the account appears. You can change this from the Account List later if you wish.

   • Select a currency for the account (Optional)

     If you have set up Quicken to track multiple currencies, select one from the list. If you decide you need to change the currency for the account, you can do so only if you haven't entered any transactions except the opening balance.

   • Tell Quicken about the vehicle you'd like to track

     • Enter the vehicle make/manufacturer, model, and year.

     • Enter the purchase date and price of your vehicle.

       • What if you don't know the purchase price?

         If you don't remember, enter zero. The new account will be added with an opening balance of $0.00, as of today. You can edit this amount later.

     • Enter the estimated value of your vehicle. Doing so will let you track your equity in the vehicle.

   • Is there a loan on this vehicle?

     If you have a loan, click Yes and choose one of the following options:

     • I'd like to track this loan in Quicken. Set up a new account for this. Quicken walks you through the steps to add a loan to track the payment schedule, principal, and interest, and a liability account to track your loan balance, which is used in your Net Worth report. For more information, see Set up a loan or mortgage.

     • I'm already tracking the loan in Quicken. Select existing account. In the drop-down list, select the appropriate loan account.

     • I do not want to track the loan in Quicken.

If you make a lot of reimbursable work-related expenses, you can track them in a Quicken cash account.

To add an account:

1. Select the Add Account icon on the top right of the Account Bar.

2. Select Other Assets and Liabilities.

3. Select Cash and then follow the on-screen instructions.

4. Enter a meaningful name for the account, such as Reimbursables.

5. When you get to the starting date and opening balance dialog, enter today's date and the amount of outstanding reimbursable expenses. Quicken will display this as a positive amount in the Reimbursable account's register. If you're not currently owed any money, enter zero.

Recording reimbursable expenses

In the future, follow this procedure when you record reimbursable expenses in your checking or credit card account:

1. In the checking or credit card account where you make the expense, record the transaction in the account register, as usual. This is an expense transaction. This transaction should reduce the balance of the checking account.

2. In the Category field, instead of assigning a category to the transaction, click the Transfers tab on the left of the Category List and choose the reimbursable account you added. Quicken adds this amount to the balance of the reimbursable account.

Recording a reimbursement

In the future, follow this procedure when you record the reimbursement:

1. In the account where you receive the reimbursement, record the transaction in the account register, as usual. This is a deposit transaction. This transaction should increase the balance of the checking account.

2. In the Category field, instead of assigning a category to the transaction, click the Transfers tab in the Category List and choose the reimbursable account you added. Quicken subtracts this amount from the balance of the reimbursable account.

When you've received reimbursements for all your outstanding expenses, the balance of the Reimbursement account will be zero.

If you make a lot of reimbursable work-related expenses, you can track them in a Quicken cash account.

To add an account:

1. Select the Add Account icon on the top right of the Account Bar.

2. Select Other Assets and Liabilities.

3. Select Cash and then follow the on-screen instructions.

4. Enter a meaningful name for the account, such as Reimbursables.

5. When you get to the starting date and opening balance dialog, enter today's date and the amount of outstanding reimbursable expenses. Quicken will display this as a positive amount in the Reimbursable account's register. If you're not currently owed any money, enter zero.

Recording reimbursable expenses

In the future, follow this procedure when you record reimbursable expenses in your checking or credit card account:

1. In the checking or credit card account where you make the expense, record the transaction in the account register, as usual. This is an expense transaction. This transaction should reduce the balance of the checking account.

2. In the Category field, instead of assigning a category to the transaction, click the Transfers tab on the left of the Category List and choose the reimbursable account you added. Quicken adds this amount to the balance of the reimbursable account.

Recording a reimbursement

In the future, follow this procedure when you record the reimbursement:

1. In the account where you receive the reimbursement, record the transaction in the account register, as usual. This is a deposit transaction. This transaction should increase the balance of the checking account.

2. In the Category field, instead of assigning a category to the transaction, click the Transfers tab in the Category List and choose the reimbursable account you added. Quicken subtracts this amount from the balance of the reimbursable account.

When you've received reimbursements for all your outstanding expenses, the balance of the Reimbursement account will be zero.

Simple Setup wizard

As you move through the account setup process, you may not see all the pages described below—these depend on the type of account you are adding and how much information Quicken can download from your financial institution. Click a link below for more information.

Advanced Setup wizard

For most users, Simple Setup is all they will need to add their accounts. If you need to use Advanced/Manual Setup you will see a few additional screens. Click a link for more information.

Notes

• When Quicken adds a 401(k)/403(b) account, it also creates a special tax impact account. This account tracks all the transactions associated with your retirement account that can have an affect on your taxes (for example, if you withdraw funds from your retirement account prematurely). Quicken uses this information in some tax reports and planning tools. The tax impact account does not appear in your Account List, but you can drill down to tax impact account transactions in tax reports. You should not edit or delete such transactions, or the account itself, in any way.
• There is currently no special entry for Roth 401(k) accounts.

Note for our Canadian Customers

The following terms will be different in the Canadian releases of Quicken.

Canada: "Cheque" / United States: "Check"
Canada: "Colour" / United States: "Color"
Canada: "Centre" / United States: "Center"
Canada: "Realise" / United States: "Realize"
Canada: "Behaviour" / United States: "Behavior"
Canada: "Analyse" / United States: "Analyze"

1. Open the account you want to use.
2. In the register, select the Category field of the transaction you want to categorize.
3. Enter a category name or select the drop-down arrow to select the category you want to use from a list.
   •   Tell me more about entering categories
     • The category list is divided into several groups such as personal income, personal expenses, business income, business expenses, and so on. In the left pane, choose the group you want to work with and then select the specific category.
     • Certain category groups are hidden by default, largely based on information you provided when you set up Quicken (for example, whether you own a business or manage rental property). Select Show > Hidden categories to make the hidden categories visible both as groups and as individual items in the All Categories list.
     • Start typing the name of the category you want to use. Quicken will search for what your are typing by matching either the category or subcategory name.
     • If you type the name of a category Quicken doesn't recognize, you are prompted to set it up as new category.
     • Use subcategories if you need a more detailed way of classifying your transactions. Select them from the list, or enter them directly in the category field by typing a colon (:) after the parent category, and then entering the subcategory (for example, Utilities:Water).
     • If you previously entered other transactions for a payee, Quicken displays the payee's most recently used categories (up to five) when you type a category name directly in the category field.
4. Select Save to record the transaction.

1. Open the account you want to use.
2. In the register, select the transaction you want to categorize.
3. On the transaction toolbar, select the Split icon (

   

   ).

4. In the Split Transaction dialog, enter (or edit) the category, tag (optional), and amount for each individual item on a separate line.

   What can I do here?

   As you enter a split transaction, the Transaction Total may no longer match the Split Total. Quicken displays the difference between the two amounts -- the leftover amount -- below the last split line. There are a few ways to handle this difference, depending on your situation:

   • Change the amounts in the split lines so that the Split Total is equal to the Transaction Total.
   • Select Adjust to change the Transaction Total to equal the Split Total.
   • Select Edit and choose Apply remainder to current line to absorb any remainder amount into the selected split line.
   • Select Edit and choose Allocate this line to other split lines to distribute the amount of the selected split line among all other split lines.
   • Select Allocate to distribute any leftover amount among all other split lines.

5. As necessary, adjust the individual line amounts. (Optional)

   Tell me more

   As you enter a split transaction, the Transaction Total may no longer match the Split Total. Quicken displays the difference between the two amounts -- the leftover amount -- below the last split line. There are a few ways to handle this difference, depending on your situation:

   • Change the amounts in the split lines so that the Split Total is equal to the Transaction Total.
   • Select Adjust to change the Transaction Total to equal the Split Total.
   • Select Edit and choose Apply remainder to current line to absorb any remainder amount into the selected split line.
   • Select Edit and choose Allocate this line to other split lines to distribute the amount of the selected split line among all other split lines.
   • Select Allocate to distribute any leftover amount among all other split lines.
6. Select OK to close the Split Transaction dialog.
7. On the transaction toolbar, select Save to enter the transaction into the register (unless you've enabled the register preference Automatically Enter Split Data).

• For investment transactions, the Category field only appears in the transaction entry/edit dialog when it's applicable (for example, for checks you write from the cash management portion of your brokerage account). The field doesn’t appear in the dialog if categories don’t apply to the transaction type.

  • Quicken reminds you to enter a category whenever you leave one out. (You can change this behavior by choosing Edit menu > Preferences > Notify.) If you don't assign a category, Quicken marks the transaction as Uncategorized in reports and graphs. If you see these labels when you've assigned categories to all transactions, it may be because for a particular category you sometimes add a subcategory and sometimes you don't. To find uncategorized transactions and assign categories to them, Select the Home tab and take a look at the See Where Your Money Goes section.
  • If you memorize or download transactions, Quicken can help automate the process of assigning categories. If you'd like to use the category Quicken suggests, just record the transaction as you normally would. If you make a change, Quicken remembers the new category. (You can change this behavior by choosing Edit menu > Preferences > Data entry and QuickFill.) To learn more about how Quicken assigns categories, see How Quicken suggests categories for you.

Yes. When you download a transaction from your financial institution, Quicken tries to automatically categorize it based on a database of payee merchant codes. If you don't download transactions or if the categories Quicken suggests don't meet your needs, you can memorize the payee and associate it with related transaction information such as a category, amount, method of payment, and so on.

To clear all split lines in a register transaction, Select the X button—to the right of Split—in the Category field. You can then assign a new category to the transaction.

In some cases, Quicken uses a special form to help you enter a complex split transaction. For these transactions, the word Form indicates that the transaction has been split into multiple categories or line items. You can see an example of this with the Quicken paycheck transaction or an invoice in an invoice/receivables register (only in Quicken Home & Business).

To add items to the Main View or to a custom view of the Home tab

1. Click the Home tab.
2. On the top of the page, click the required view name.
3. Click the Gear icon

   

   .
4. Select Customize View.
5. From the Available Items list, select the items to add to the selected view. (If necessary, click the plus sign next to a heading in the Available Items to display the list of items under that heading.)
6. Click the Add button.
7. Click Save.

To remove and rearrange items in a view

1. Click the Home tab.
2. On the top of the page, click the required view name.
3. Click the Gear icon

   

   .
4. Select Customize View.
5. From the Available items list on the right side of the Customize View dialog, select an item to move or delete.
   • To remove the item, click the Remove button.
   • To reposition the item, click the Move Up or Move Down button until the item is in the desired position.
     

     

6. Click Save.

To expand or collapse items in a view

You can expand or collapse the items in a view. Simply click the expand (plus) icon or collapse (minus) icon on the upper left side of the item panel.

See Where Your Money Goes

This section shows you how much of your money is being spent on each of your spending categories.

To change the date range or the accounts included in the graph, click Options in the upper right of the section.

Only spending accounts can be selected for display. For most users, their checking account is their spending account. To see which of your accounts are spending accounts, choose Tools menu > Account List > Personal Banking. The accounts listed under the Spending header are your spending accounts.

Double-clicking the pie chart, any category name, or Examine Your Spending opens the Spending tab where you can review each transaction included in the pie chart and recategorize them if they are in the wrong bucket.

Stay on Top of Monthly Bills

This section shows you how much money you have coming in and going out, so you can pay bills on time and avoid late payments and overdraft charges.

The list includes all upcoming bill reminders and scheduled income for the specified date range.

To change the time period, or to add a new reminder, click Options in the upper right of the section.

Any bill or income reminders that fall within the specified date range are displayed here.

The What's Left section displays the total amount of unallocated funds you have in your spending accounts at the end of the specified time range.

You will also see a Risk of Overdraft or a Projected Balances button, depending on your account balances. Clicking either button displays the Projected Balances graph, which shows your spending account balances over time, based on the planned spending and income you have told Quicken about.

Budget Your Spending

This section shows you how you're doing against your budget. The card displays a summary graph of your total spending for the month. If you want more detail, click on the graph to see how much you are over or under budget, or click Options in the upper right of the section to add categories to the card or go to your full budget.