Follow a To Do list: A few times weekly

Follow a To Do list: A few times weekly

Tip: For easier reading, click (above).

Follow these weekly strategies to use Money most effectively. (For more information, see The Money 99 Companion.)

Take a look at the Money Home screen This is the center of your finances ù you can see a summary of your financial situation, and receive reminders and guidance you might want to act on.
If you are signed up for Online Services, connect to your banks and brokerages Download your statements and send scheduled payments, transfers, investment purchases, and messages. Read your statements and enter any new transactions into your account registers.
If you don't bank online, enter any transactions you made since the last time you used Money Remember to categorize, and if you've made a similar transaction in the past, use the same variation of the payee's name. And don't forget to itemize your paycheck!
Enter any new bills Don't wait until you have a pile ù as soon as you receive a bill in the mail, enter it in the Bills & Deposits area, and put the bill in your In box, which ideally is close to your computer, so you'll know where it is.
Pay any bills that are due If you've entered your bills into the Bills list, Money will remind you when they're due. To pay them, go to the Bills & Deposits area ù Money will give you a chance to make changes, and you can enter the transactions into your Account Register. You can then write checks, have Money print them, or use online bill payment for the ultimate in efficiency.
Update your portfolio If you have investment accounts, connect to Online Quotes in the Investments area to download the latest prices for investments you own or track.
Update your Internet information Whenever you connect to the Internet to download statements (some banks don't use the Internet), or download Online Quotes, Money automatically downloads current mortgage and tax rates, and financial headlines that appear on your Financial Home Page.
If you don't bank online or update quotes, you can update your Internet information manually: just choose Update Internet Information on the Tools menu or on your Financial Home Page. The process might take several minutes. Connecting regularly ù either automatically or manually ù ensures that all the information you see when you use Money is current.
Connect to Investor and Decision Center If you have the Money 99 Financial Suite, connect to the Web to get all the latest information on investing and personal finance.
File your receipts If an expense is tax-deductible, the burden of proof is yours. File your receipts by category so that you can validate the numbers on your tax return. The IRS can audit you for seven years after filing, so be sure to keep your receipts.
Back up your file MoneyÆs default is to back up your file to your hard drive when you exit the program and prompt you to back up to floppy disks every 14 days. Be sure to back up to floppy disks, so you'll be able to access your records if something happens to your computer's hard drive.