| An even easier way to handle your banking needs is to let Money do it automatically, by downloading all your transactions from your bank or credit card company, using the Internet. This way you don't have to enter much of anything Money interfaces with your financial institutions to track all your transactions. Setting Up Online Banking To set up an account for online management, follow these steps: From within Money, select Accounts & Bills, Online Services Manager to open the Online Services Manager page.
caution  | Not all banks or credit card companies offer online banking, and not all online banking services are compatible with Microsoft Money. Some banks let you perform online transactions only from their own Web pages; these banks are not compatible with Money's online banking feature. |
Find the account you want to connect to, then click Setup Online Services.
Money now displays the Online Setup screen. Confirm that your bank is listed here, then click the Next button and follow the onscreen instructions.
If your financial institution is not listed, it does not offer Money-compatible online banking services. Paying Bills Online If you're tired of dealing with paper checks even those that Money itself prints then you need to start paying your bills electronically. Money enables you to sign up with an electronic bill paying service to handle all your bills online, via the Internet.  | Most bill payment services charge either a monthly or per-payment fee. |
Money's bill paying service of choice is MSN Bill Pay. (It's also owned by Microsoft.) You can set up a new MSN Bill Pay account from within Money, by following these steps: From the My Money Home page, select Accounts & Bills, Online Services Manager; this displays the Online Services Manager screen.
Click Set Up Electronic Bill Pay Service, to display the Set Up Online Payment Provider page.
Pull down the Select an Online Payment Provider list and select a provider, then click the Next button.
Money now downloads information specific to the bill pay provider you selected; follow the balance of the onscreen instructions to setup your new account.
Once you're signed up with your bill pay service, paying a bill electronically is as easy as following these steps: Click the Account List button to display the Pick an Account to Use page.
Select the account you want to use to pay your bills; this displays the account register.
From the Common Tasks pane, select Make an Electronic Payment or Transfer, Make an Electronic Payment; this displays the Record Payment dialog box.
Enter the payment information.
Make sure you're connected to the Internet, then click Submit Payment.
tip  | The first time you enter an electronic payment for a payee, Money prompts you for certain details, such as the payee's name, address, and account number. Be sure you enter the correct information (typically available on your most recent bill from that payee), and then click OK. |
The Absolute Minimum Here are the key points to remember from this chapter: You can use any financial management program including Microsoft Money and Quicken to manage your banking and investment transactions. When you first start Microsoft Money, you need to enter key personal and financial information including the names and numbers of your banking and investment accounts. Money lets you write checks manually or schedule recurring payments. You can also use Money to download transactions from your bank or credit card company, and to pay your bills electronically.
|
|
