Personal Accountz (Mac)

• Download bank and credit card statements (OFX and QIF)
• Convert QIF files (Intuit Quicken and Microsoft Money)
• Categorise your accounts in any way you like
• Modern intuitive spreadsheet- style interface
• Automated Direct Debits and Standing Orders
• Monthly, Quarterly and Annual Budgeting
• Graphs and Charts
• Forecasting

Manufacturer’s Description
Personal Accountz is multi platform offering a solution for all customers. You can move files from one platform to another and the software is also compatible with MacBook Air.

Personal Accountz is designed to make looking after your household accounts really simple and fast, with views into the future to help you stay in control and plan for those things you really need. Run it, enter your transactions or download bank statements from the internet, check your balances, stay in control of your money.

Personal Accountz tracks your bank, credit cards, savings and loans in the simplest possible way. You can enter all your transactions in the same window in any order so you can see exactly what you have done.

Your balances update in real time: you will always know what you have in the bank, what you have left till the end of the month, whether you will go overdrawn in the future, on what date, and by how much.

Creating the structure of your accounts is simple and with unlimited account groups and sub accounts you can see your income, expenditure and liabilities in as much or as little detail as you require.

Personal Accountz imports data (in Qif format) from MS Money and Intuit Quicken, and bank statements can be downloaded ensuring there is no quicker, easier way to manage your personal finances. Complete with user manual, context sensitive help, and electronic quick start guide. With automated direct debits and rapid data entry including our unique single key press preset entries there is no faster way to stay on top.

The price includes our legendary free forum and email support for life. Please see this link for more details: Accountz forum

Key Components
Personal Accountz can be configured in many different ways. For example, each component can be displayed in a separate tab. Alternatively all the components can be displayed in separate windows that you can re-arrange on your desktop to suit the way you work. Another way is to combine components together into single tabs. You can also have a mix of all these techniques. The following screenshots use tab mode and combine different components together in separate tabs.

Because updates happen as you enter transactions, you can see your accounts and graphs change in real time. This is what makes Personal Accountz so intuitive to use. Add a payment, for example, and see the effect immediately. No need to produce reports (although detailed monthly breakdown and analysis reports are available with just a click of the mouse).

Entries, Accounts and a graph are combined into a single tab in this view.
By combining Entries, Accounts and the Graph components into a single view you can see the effect your entries have instantly as you type. For example, the last transaction above shows a credit card being paid off for the month. The actual balances of the bank and credit card change in real time as you enter the amount. Everything happens automatically as you type, and that includes the graph changing too.

Common transactions, such as paying off a credit card can be automated in the system, so all you need to do each month is adjust the amount being paid if necessary. See below for further details of automating entries.

Database
Information on each account is recorded here.

As well as contact information (for example your bank details, emergency telephone numbers) you can also set the forecast period for individual accounts. If you are paid at a certain date every month, you can tell the system to always forecast to that date. This will give you early warnings should your account's balance get dangerously low.

This is also the place where you can enter overdraft limits and set budgets. Other features include the ability to set the next cheque number for auto-insertion (it will then auto-increment that number for you too).

This screenshot shows preset entries combined with the calculator and another graph type.
Preset entries are used for transactions that you do regularly. For example, taking cash from an ATM machine. Once set up, you can enter a transaction with a single key press, then finish it by entering the amount. Other typical examples of preset entries are buying food and petrol/diesel.

The calculator component lets you add up a series of numbers (cheques about to be paid into the bank for example). The beauty of this calculator is that you can see everything you have done. You can even add a description and multiple lines. It can be used as an aid to planning in this respect.

Select any account or account group and the Personal Accountz Graph will show you a different view of your accounts. The above graph is a view of income against outgoings and includes the forecast too. The Statement graph on the left is the view from the point of view of, say, your bank (i.e. it shows the result of only entries that have been reconciled with the bank).

This screenshot shows Automated Entries and the Bar Chart components combined into one panel.
Automated Entries are where you put regularly occurring transactions. This would include all Direct Debits and Standing Orders, and can also include income such as salaries, pensions, child tax credits or family allowances.

Whether you choose to download bank statements or enter your transactions manually, this section should still be completed as it plays a vital role in forecasting your balances.

Automated entries can be set for any periods from once a day to annually (and everything in between including 4 weekly periods).

The Bar Chart components will reflect whatever accounts you want it to show. This example shows income against expenditure for each month. As you can see, there are only a few months here where expenditure was greater than income.

Reviews

Computer Shopper - Oct 2009 5 stars BEST BUY Award "Great value, easy to get to grips with and straightforward to use, this is ideal for home finances. It's a great choice for anyone who wants control over their finances, and wins the Best Buy award"

Computer Buyer - (Mar 2008 Group Test) BEST BUY AWARD

Computer Shopper - (Jan 2008 Group Test) "Personal Accountz, however, is logical, straightforward and comes with a good manual and quick-start guide.

The Independent - (5th August 2007) "take personal finance planning one step further..."

Macworld Magazine - (August 2007) "4/5 Personal Accountz provides a very visual overview of all your finances, with balances, money owing to you and bills to be paid."

Ebay Advisor magazine - (July 2007, issue 3) "If you are after a program to look after your money, there are few better than this." - Editor's Choice Award

The Sunday Telegraph - (13th May 2007) "This does everything you'd expect including planning a budget and helping you stick to it, as well as giving you an overview of your spending and assessing your net worth."

Computer Buyer - May 2007 TOP in Ease of Use comparison survey

The Daily Express - 14th March 2007 "Accounting made Simple"

About Accountz
Accountz is a British company established in 1985. It has received critical acclaim for its software from users and the press including The Times, Computer Shopper, Personal Computer World, Independent on Sunday, Computer Active.