Setting up your first spending account

To use Quicken you must start by adding your financial accounts. It's easy to add the accounts you want to track in Quicken. The more accounts you add the more closely Quicken reflects your true financial situation, which can assist you in short- and long-term financial planning.

Add an online account

With online accounts, you download your transactions directly from the financial institution. If you do prefer to enter your transactions manually, see Add an offline spending account below.

Select the Add Account icon on the top right of the Account Bar.
Start typing the name of your financial institution, such as your bank or credit card provider. Quicken will filter the results based on what you type. When you see your financial institution in the panel below, select it and click Next.

For online accounts, Quicken finds accounts based on the financial institution. This way, if you have multiple accounts at the same bank, you can add them all at once. You will have a chance to select the type of account later.
Enter your account information. You will be prompted to enter the Customer Number or Saved ID and Access Code (password) for your account.
Click Connect when you have entered your information.

Your account information is the same information you use to access your account through your financial institution’s website. Depending on your financial institution’s requirements, you may be asked for additional information such as a confirmation code.
Review your accounts. Quicken will find all the accounts associated with you login. On this screen you can make any adjustments, then click Next.
- Type: Your options will vary according to the financial institution but Checking and Savings are the standard types.
- Nickname: Enter any name that helps you easily identify the account.
- Used for: Most accounts will be Personal, but depending on your versions you may have the option of Business and Rental.
- Action: Select Add to Quicken if you want to add an account.
Quicken now adds your accounts. You'll see a message letting you know what accounts were added. You can choose to either Add Another Account or Finish.

Add an offline spending account

Offline accounts (sometimes called manual accounts) don't connect to a financial institution. It is your responsibility to enter all the information and track your transactions accurately. In most cases, it is preferable to use an online account, but you may choose this for security, control, or because the account is not with an online institution.

Select the Add Account icon on the top right of the Account Bar.
Select Offline Account.
Select the account type. Spending accounts include Checking, Savings, and Credit Card.
Name your account and select Next. Depending on your version of Quicken, you may also have options for selecting how your account is used.
Enter your Statement ending date (The date you want to start tracking from) and your Statement ending balance (how much was in your account that day). Select Next.
Your account will be added. Select Finish.