Microsoft KB Archive/919526

= Information about Essential and Advanced features in Money =

Article ID: 919526

Article Last Modified on 8/2/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Money Plus Deluxe
 * Microsoft Money Plus Home & Business
 * Microsoft Money Plus Premium
 * Microsoft Money 2006 Deluxe
 * Microsoft Money 2006 Premium
 * Microsoft Money 2006 Small Business
 * Microsoft Money 2006 Standard
 * Microsoft Money 2005 Deluxe Edition
 * Microsoft Money 2005 Premium Edition
 * Microsoft Money 2005 Small Business Edition
 * Microsoft Money 2005 Standard Edition

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SUMMARY
''This article describes how to enable additional features in the account register, in bills, in budgets, and in reports in Microsoft Money. Some features may appear to be missing if you are using the Essential level of service in these areas. The Advanced level of service provides additional features.''



SYMPTOMS
When you use one of the Microsoft Money products listed in the &quot;Applies To&quot; section, some features may be missing.



CAUSE
This behavior occurs when you have the Essentials level of features enabled. The following areas of Money have both Essentials and Advanced level of features:
 * Account Register
 * Bills
 * Budget
 * Reports



RESOLUTION
To resolve this behavior, change the area setting from Essentials to Advanced.



Account Registers
The Essential Account Register gives you quick and easy access to everything that you want to know about your current account balances and transactions, without tedious data entry. Use the Essential Account Register for accounts that you expect to update online, instead of entering updated transactions one by one.

The Advanced Account Register is designed for people who enjoy updating and analyzing their finances, and who are willing to invest extra work in tracking the precise details of their financial situation. The detailed information that is tracked in the Advanced Account Register is typically used for very thorough budgeting, long-term planning, and tax analysis. The easiest way to keep the Advanced Account Register up to date is to use online updates from your bank or brokerage firm. Money will automatically categorize the transactions if it recognizes the payee. Then, you can add the detailed information that you want. You can also update your accounts by typing in transactions.

To switch between the Essential Account Register and the Advanced Account Register, follow these steps:
 * 1) Locate the account list.
 * 2) Click the name of an account.
 * 3) In the left pane, under Other tasks, click Change account settings.
 * 4) Under Register Detail, click switch to the Advanced Account Register.
 * 5) Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

Bills
Essential Bills is the streamlined bill scheduling and payment setting that most users prefer. It offers all the tools that you must have to quickly and efficiently manage your bills. You do not have to spend time tracking bill and account details. Therefore, it is easy to pay both your recurring and regular bills.

Advanced Bills offers all the basic features of Essential Bills, plus additional features that give you more detailed control over your bills, bill tracking, and bill payment. Be aware that Advanced Bills does require additional setup and management time.

To switch between the Essential Bills and the Advanced Bills, follow these steps:
 * 1) On the Tools menu, click Settings.
 * 2) On the Settings page, click Bill settings.
 * 3) Depending on your current setting, use one of the following methods:
 * 4) * Click switch to Advanced Bills, and then click Use Advanced Bills.
 * 5) * Click switch to Essential Bills, click Use Essential Bills, and then click Yes.
 * 6) Click OK.

For more information about a missing feature in bills, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

916916 You can only write a check to pay the bill when you create or change a recurring bill in Money 2006

Budget
The Essential Budget makes it easy to handle day-to-day budgeting tasks without spending extra time on details. Essential Budgets are quick to set up, easy to change, and are preferred by most Money users.

An Advanced Budget provides extra detail and helps you set more specific long-term planning goals. Although an Advanced Budget requires additional set up and management time, it also provides more in-depth analysis of where your money is going. If you want to track only basic budget information, use the Essential Budget to stay up to date, effortlessly.

To switch between the Essential Budget and the Advanced Budget, follow these steps:
 * 1) Locate the Budget summary page.
 * 2) Under Other tasks, click Change budget settings.
 * 3) Use one of the following methods:
 * 4) * Click Switch from the Essential Budget to the Advanced Budget.
 * 5) * Click Switch from the Advanced Budget to the Essential Budget.
 * 6) Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

For more information about problems switching to Advanced Budget, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

899628 You cannot switch from Essential Budget to Advanced Budget in Money

Reports
Essential Reports provide an overview of your spending and income patterns in basic reports that are easy to interpret and contain the essential financial information most people need. You can see at a glance how much you spent on groceries last month or how much you paid to the plumber. A monthly overview wraps up the important details in one report.

Advanced Reports provide in-depth financial reporting and the ability to customize specific report details. You can send any report in an e-mail, or save it to the computer.

Essential Reports provide the simplified financial overviews that most people need, such as spending by category and net worth. However, if you want to access reports that contain more in-depth financial analysis and allow for detailed customization, you may prefer Advanced Reports. You can change the kind of reports that you use at any time.


 * 1) Locate the View a report page.
 * 2) In the left pane, under Other tasks, click Change report settings.
 * 3) Use one of the following methods:
 * 4) * Click Switch from Essential Reports to Advanced Reports.
 * 5) * Click Switch from Advanced Reports to Essential Reports.
 * 6) Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

Additional query words: money2006 money2005



Keywords: kbprb KB919526

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