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Quicken Home Inventory

Quicken Home Inventory is a bit of an archaic throw back from earlier versions of the software. It remains a useful tool for managing and assigning value to worldly possessions. It also provides a detailed list of items you can provide to your insurance company if the need arises. It creates a separate file from Quicken and all care should be taken to back up this file as well as your Quicken file.

Opening Quicken Home Inventory
From the PROPERTY & DEBT menu at the top of the Quicken window you will get a drop down. Simply click QUICKEN HOME INVENTORY MANAGER. On some versions of Windows Vista you will get an error opening this program. You must close out of Quicken completely then right click on the icon to start the software. You must choose the option RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR. Once Quicken reopens you can now select the QUICKEN HOME INVENTORY MANAGER and the software will open correctly.

Using The Software
The software is straight forward and easy to use. Simply type the name of you possession into the name field, enter the cost you paid, it automatically assigns a resale value of 50%. You can adjust this to a more realistic number as you see fit.
 
Ensure you make a complete list of all your possessions. I include the serial numbers in the name where possible. Ensure you choose the right location for each of the items. You can use the MOVE tool to change items if they are entered in the wrong location. You can also create locations and categories as you see fit.
 
There are three very strong reasons for using this software. The first reason being that it creates an Asset Account that greatly increases you financial net worth. Second it helps determine the value of your assets to help you properly choose the right level of coverage from an insurance provider. The third is it gives you a complete list of items, some of which you may forget, in the case of a complete loss.   

Updating Quicken
At the top of the window there is a button with a Q and an up arrow. Simply clicking this button creates an Asset Account in Quicken with the replacement value as a balance. You do not need to be completely finished before you UPDATE QUICKEN. From the main Quicken File you can simple click on the HOME INVENTORY Account to open up your file. You can more items later, but remember the balance in Quicken will not update until you tell it to do so.

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Related Articles

Categories & Groups
Scheduled Bills & Deposits
Creating a Budget
Setting Up Online Services
Reports
Quicken Home Inventory
Backing Up Your Data

 

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Additional Article Information

This Article was written by Christopher Skjonsby

This article was posted
October 25th 2008.

 

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Disclaimer
Please note the articles contained herein are examples for one method for managing your financial situation. If you are in serious financial trouble theCitySage.com recommends speaking with a debt counsellor before proceeding.

The purpose of the articles under this category are to help you the reader become more aware of how and where you are spending your finances focus on the mandatory expenses and get control of your discretionary spending. Follow at your own risk.