Trying to decide which financial planning software to buy can be confusing. A web search of the topic is not going to be much help largely because it will return too much information, much of which a researcher will not know whether or not to trust. It can be enough to make a person feel like a dummy. That can be a good thing since there is an excellent resource for researching financial planning software – dummies.com – the web site for the series of books by the same name.

While the name has a humorous angle, the books and web site are quite serious if one is looking for a good reference for looking to buy money management software. Not only does the company publish several books about different aspects of financial planning and the major commercially available software suites, its web site also is loaded with articles on the topic.

The Books

It might be easier to detail what is not covered by the Dummies book series than to list the areas it does cover. Originally, the company that publishes what it calls "a reference for the rest of us," concerned itself with volumes devoted to computers and technology, but it now has branched out in every direction. The company, own by International Data Group (IDG), has been putting out personal finance books for more than ten years. Various editions cover personal finance in general, taxes, investing, and home buying.

The publisher also has a series that covers both the major financial planning software packages, Intuit Inc.'s Quicken and Microsoft Money. As soon as each new annual edition of the software hits the streets, so do Dummies books, telling you how to use it. The offerings for Quicken products are broader, but there also are more Quicken products, particularly for QuickBooks, which is geared more to the small business owner.

Dummies Web site

Perhaps the real treasure in the Dummies world is its web site that contains numerous articles on a wide variety of topics, covering every area touched on by the books. Of course, the idea probably is that if someone finds an online article interesting enough, they will go out and buy one of the books. With prices running generally from $14 to $20, most are a good investment.

Still, the online resources are enough to answer most basic questions a reader might have. They also can be useful in helping someone understand some of the terminology used in financial planning software and, thus, make its features easier to understand and use.