Quicken for Mac 2017 v4.5.4 Released

Unknown · June 2017

Whatever happened to the export to CSV functionality? I'm trying to export a report that I custom created and need the values into Excel. This was there before in the 2016 version and earlier.

Unknown · June 2017

Version 4.5.8 (Build 45.17542.100)I just updated it last night.

cneal · June 2017

If you open the trasnaction view of an account the menu command 'File->Export->Register Transaction to CSV File' is enabled. I've never worked with it, but could this be what you are looking for?

Unknown · June 2017

No that option does not work. Sadly it is grayed out. It doesn't really make sense because it worked in the previous version. 2016 that is

cneal · June 2017

Mine is greyed out until I go to the transaction view of an individual account. Then it is enabled.

M C Crockett · June 2017

@Rick0, CFree: I think a new conversation would be good as I am running QM2017 4.5.8 and can generate reports in CSV format.

I tried the "original" Category Report and then used New Report to generate a Category report summarized by year. In addition, I opened a savings account transaction register and exported the transactions to a CSV file.

I was able to open and view all of the files using Numbers and NeoOffice without issue.

smayer97 · June 2017

I should also point out that you can add your VOTE to

First, click on each underlined link above to go there, then click VOTE at the top of THAT page, so your will vote count for EACH feature and increase its visibility to the developers.

While you are at it, you may want to add your VOTE to related IDEAS found on the List of Data Entry and Usability Options and Features. Click on the underlined link, then follow the instructions to add your vote to more related ideas.

(If you find this reply helpful, please be sure to click "Like", so others will know, thanks.)

smayer97 · June 2017

I should also point out that you can add your VOTE to

First, click on each underlined link above to go there, then click VOTE at the top of THAT page, so your will vote count for EACH feature and increase its visibility to the developers.

While you are at it, you may want to add your VOTE to related IDEAS found on the List of Data Entry and Usability Options and Features. Click on the underlined link, then follow the instructions to add your vote to more related ideas.

(If you find this reply helpful, please be sure to click "Like", so others will know, thanks.)

Unknown · July 2017

I hope the separation from intuit helps you improve quicken mac so that it is as good as it once was. since
2007, i have been waiting for quicken to reinstall features such as
balance sheet and easy export to excel. most software firms tend to add features with each new release not take them away. I still do not understand why i should have to cut and paste (very messy) from a quicken report then spend time doing a manual reformat in excel. That is just silly.

jacobs · July 2017

@j.r. I understand your frustration -- and share it. But just so you understand what happened, Quicken 2007 was based on a number of old technologies which Apple made clear would cease to work on future versions of the Mac operating system. So the company made the tough decision about a decade ago to start over and build a completely new Quicken for Mac product from scratch. There's a long story about some fits and stops under the old Intuit management that spread this process out over many extra years, but the short version is simply that they needed to start over. Quicken 2007 was the result of some 20+ years of program development, and the new Quicken is the result of only a few years of program development. So it's not that they took features out; it's that they haven't yet built in the new Quicken some of the features users valued in the old Quicken.

Little by little, several times each year, they release new features that bring Quicken for Mac a little closer to the features of venerable Quicken 2007, but it will likely take another few years until all the features users want have been re-created. We all wish the process were faster -- including the folks at Quicken -- but the size of their development team is limited by the amount of revenue Quicken for Mac brings in, so it's taking longer than we'd all wish.

Unknown · July 2017

@jacobs, I am familliar with the background and circumstances of Q2007 -> Essentials transition particularly since I once wrote code for a living and used quicken since the very early versions. A periodic rewrite of software is good practice for any application developer regardless of the vagaries of the OS provider.

Yours is the best explanation I have heard since the release of essentials (this complaint was posted in a number of places in the last several years). Too bad a user like you enunciates this rather than Quicken developers. I hope you are correct but thus far, the updates seem to be bug and stability fixes, not many new big features even for versions that have year numbers after them (that we must pay for); it is possible this is incorrect and it is just the features that I use are missing but. This is what I experience.

In the past, the response I had from quicken is something to the effect that:

Quicken is a work in progress, sorry for the missing features, too bad for you.
This release is an improvement none the less.
No mention about attempting to implement the full functionality of Q2007.

How long does Quicken expect users to wait for a full feature set? For example, Excel export should not be that hard to write code for. Even a text dump would be helpful. Essentials was released in 2010 (I believe). Seven years seems to be plenty of time to implement many if not all features even with a small team of developers. I have created balance sheets manually since Q2007's demise. I think many of us just want to have a simple accounting application that was as good as it was ten years ago.

I hope Quicken management reads some of these posts...

jacobs · July 2017

@j.r.: Here's a little more history on the tortured path of Quicken Mac over the past decade, if you're interested...

Intuit announced in early 2008 that the re-write project would result in the launch of a new product, called Quicken Financial Life for Mac, in fall 2008. The date passed with no release, and Intuit announced it was pushed back to summer 2009. Beta testers worked on an early version of Quicken Financial Life, but there were so many problems with it, it was never released. In summer 2009, Intuit announced they were going back to the drawing board, and that the product would be delayed until 2010.

But bigger changes were afoot. In fall 2009, Quicken bought Mint, an online site for managing personal finances, which in two short years had grown to be a significant competitor to Quicken. The founder and CEO of Mint was made the new VP and general manager of Intuit’s personal finance group, in charge of both Mint and Quicken. He changed the development of the Mac product and in early 2010 brought out Quicken Essentials for Mac -- the next-generation Quicken that was significantly limited in functionality. There was only rudimentary investment tracking, there was no online bill pay, it didn't export to TurboTax, etc. The new Quicken honcho said they called it Essentials because its core functionality would meet the needs of about 80% of users, and they felt it was better to ship a stripped-down product rather than waiting another year to develop all the missing functionality. But he promised a full-featured Quicken Deluxe for Mac would follow in 2011.

It wasn't to be. The former Mint CEO left the personal finance group after only 18 months to work on innovation of other Intuit products (and left the company entirely a year later). With Quicken Essentials a sales disappointment, and Quicken Deluxe a long way from completion, Intuit management largely disbanded the Mac programming team.

Then a new management team was installed, and a new product manager for Quicken Mac was hired in late 2011. He hired a few new programmers, and they first worked on fixes to Essentials just to keep it working with a revamped Intuit data service platform. Finally, in late 2012, work on a new version of Quicken for Mac got underway -- building on the Essentials code base, and starting with again revamping some of the programming architecture just to keep up with changes in the Mac operating system (particularly a new memory architecture). Through 2013 and 2014, the tiny Mac development team worked on the program, which eventually came to market as Quicken 2015 in August of 2014.

That first release of Quicken 2015 was a mixed bag. It included some of the basic functionality for tracking investments that Essentials had never had. But it was still missing a large number of features from Quicken 2007 for Mac. The product manager said they knew it wouldn't yet satisfy many legacy users, but it was a step forward for Essentials users and it was better to release a work-in-progress than to keep laboring in the lab without releasing anything. The plan was to do quick iterations, adding additional features and responding to user feedback to guide development. They didn't want to just try to recreate what the old versions of Quicken did; they wanted to re-think things and skip some features that may have been added decades earlier that people no longer needed.

And so, over the past three years, Quicken for Mac has made forward progress, but hasn't yet crossed the finish line. The development team was initially quite small -- they've supposedly doubled the number of Mac developers in the past year since Quicken became independent from Intuit -- so new features have appeared more slowly than anyone, users and developers, would like. There were many bugs to fix, as well as multiple detours to migrate back-end services to more modern and secure systems. And now they're focused on creating Quicken back-end services (Quicken ID, bank downloads, auto-categorization of transactions, etc.) which currently still rely on servers and services rented from Intuit -- a job that, if done to perfection, would be invisible to users but nonetheless take a great deal of development time.

But over time, some of the major holes in functionality have been addressed. You said it feels like it's been only bug fixes, but if we look at what's been added since Quicken 2015 shipped 35 months ago, there *has* been some significant progress. Budgeting was added, online bill payment was added, and most recently loan tracking an amortization has been added. Dozens of smaller usability enhancements requested by users have been added. Some new reports have been added -- and all the new reports *do* include exporting to a spreadsheet.

But the quality, user-configurability, and scope of reports remains one of the parts of Quicken 2017 users are still clamoring for major improvements on, along with some key improvements in investment tracking and dozens of features large and small which would make Quicken for Mac more usable, more like the venerable Quicken 2007, and more like Quicken for Windows.

It was also a huge development when Eric Dunn, the CEO of the newly-independent Quicken stated last year that his goal was to move Quicken Mac closer to feature parity with Quicken Windows. He said then that it would take a year or two. With all the work they have to do to remove the services provided by Intuit, the reality is that it will take longer; I'd guess that full feature parity is still, today, likely two or more years away. But at least the CEO is on record acknowledging that they know the Mac product is not where it needs to be, and laying out a (very hazy) road map of where they're headed. And things may change. If they roll out a change to subscription pricing this fall, as they have signaled they will, if the pricing is too high and/or the terms too restrictive, many long-time users may turn away, which could reduce revenues and result in staff cuts. Or if they get it right, it could result in higher revenue and more staff resources. Only time will tell.

That's probably way more than you wanted to know! But since the question comes up frequently why Quicken 2017 is behind Quicken 2007, I thought it was worth explaining the tortured path the program's development has taken to get us to where we are today.

I do think you're correct that Quicken management does a pretty poor job being transparent with users and addressing user questions/concerns. Like many engineering-focused companies, when they hear of problems, they work to solve them -- but they often don't communicate back to users that they're working on a problem, that they've found a problem, or that a fix will be forthcoming. Product manager Marcus does some of that after each new release -- as he did at the top of this thread -- but he goes silent after awhile, no one else from the team posts, and we have no indication whether anyone from the company is, in fact, reading the user posts here.

Unknown · July 2017

It would be nice to be able to store the database in iCloud or Dropbox and run quicken from another mac Andy use the same data file. Moneydance has this feature. Very useful.

smayer97 · July 2017

BTW, one small but significant correction. "Eric Dunn...stated last year that his goal was to move Quicken Mac closer to feature parity with Quicken Windows. He said then that it would take a year or two."

This is a misquote. What he actually said is that they would strive to move the Mac closer to feature parity with Windows "over the next quarters and years"....you can hear what he said here from the 2:06 mark onward: https://youtu.be/SAtj1qpKcpI

(If you find this reply helpful, please be sure to click "Like", so others will know, thanks.)

jacobs · July 2017

@smayer97, sorry, your post is incorrect; I did not misquote Eric Dunn. You selected a quote from a different video than the one I was referencing (which was actually from late 2015, not 2016). From Eric Dunn's video released 11/16/15, he says: "We're targeting converging on the core functionality of the Windows product within a year or two." (Listen starting at 4:25).

smayer97 · July 2017

Ok but your quote is before the sale of Quicken. The more recent 2016 video after the sale is far more relevant and telling.

jacobs · July 2017

Aw, geez, if you want to play nit-picky games, sure, you selected a quote that was a few months later than the one I referenced, and that was more vague about the timing. It doesn't change the point I originally made: (1) the leader of Quicken has publicly acknowledged that they have work to do to get the Mac product where it needs to be, (2) that the stated goal is some degree of functional parity with the Windows product, (3) that they knew it was going to take awhile, and that (4) it's going to take quite a bit longer than they originally said it would. Fair enough?

Unknown · July 2017

But to reiterate...every delay in adding functionality results in it being rolled out in another year version...and thus another cost to the Quicken Mac user to pay to get that feature that should have been in the initial version.

So, users are paying to HAVE to upgrade to get basic functionality of a product that WAS functional in a version that is now over 10 years old.

Unknown · July 2017

They added loan amortization back in a free upgrade. Features are being added all the time without an upgrade fee.

smayer97 · July 2017

@jacobs why so sensitive...just trying to avoid any misconceptions...early on I quickly lost any allusions that things would happen quickly, and Eric Dunn confirmed it.

Unknown · July 2017

@Richard Wagoner.

Yes, some features have been added to current versions.

However, getting a functional report generator will require you to purchase the next year version of Quicken.

What I want is for them to update the current version of Quicken Mac 2017 to include that report generator. I don't want to pay again for something so fundamental that should have been included in Quicken Mac since 2015.

And I certainly don't want to get sucked into paying an annual subscription, which Quicken 2018 will presumably be, just to get a fully working, functional product.

Take all the time in the world to add basic features to Quicken Mac. Just keep upgrading my version when you do.

And I'm not talking about some big revelation of a new feature. This is basic functionality we're talking about here. Creating a report that actually gives me accurate data.

I don't think I'm asking for the moon here.

jacobs · July 2017

@gmalis: I get what you are saying, and I agree that the reports in Quicken 2017 are hugely inadequate. (It's why I still use Quicken 2007 in parallel.)

But what you're asking -- for them to continue to add major features to Quicken 2017 after they've moved on to 2018 or whatever the subscription product is called -- is just not going to happen. They didn't add loan amortization, released this year, to Quicken 2016 or 2015. They didn't add budgeting, released last year, into Quicken 2015.

To you, better reports is "basic functionality" you feel you should get. To others, it might be better investment tracking (e.g. sales by lots, gains calculated by other methods than FIFO) or investment performance metrics/analysis. To others, it's usability features, like a 2-line register option or budget reports or exporting reports that don't currently export, or... well, you get the idea: for different people, certain missing features seem "basic" or "fundamental" or "should have been included since 2015." They're all features people want, and presumably over time the developers will knock them off the wish list. But what they will certainly not do is keep adding these features to older versions of the product. After all, if something is so basic is "should have been in 2015", then shouldn't Quicken 2015 users feel they're entitled to it? But that's not the way it's worked the past two years, that's not the way it's ever worked in the past, and that's not the way it's going to work going forward. Future, not past, sales is what will pay the costs of developers creating these new features.

I get it that it may not feel right not to retroactively get features you feel should have been included in the product you bought, but it's not the way the world works, and certainly not the way Quicken works. So yes, I'm afraid you are asking for the moon in this case, and howling at it isn't going to get anything to change. The choices you -- all of us -- have are to stick with what we have, incomplete as it is, or continue upgrading with Quicken in the hope that they add the features we want over time, or move on to some other product.

Unknown · July 2017

I've already moved on to another far superior Mac product. And I won't be upgrading, or even using, Quicken Mac beyond the 2017 version. Which, of course, is MY choice.

Snoopy FC · July 2017

Out of curiosity, which Mac product do you feel is far superior?

Jim3 · July 2017

Yes, please tell us what product? I've been a loyal supporter/buyer/user almost from the start--when I switched from Dollars and Cents for Mac. Does this other product allow import of Quicken data in some form? If so you've got my attention. I used Q07 in parallel w/ Q15 & Q16 but gave that up with Q17. Just too hard to export everything to Q07 without some loss of data just for year-end reports. Plus I can export the register to CSV and get what I need.

Jim3 · July 2017

To @jacobs I would argue that there are some things that are basic functionality that all can agree on. The "better reports" as you mentioned is too general a notion and it lets Quicken off the hook by letting them divide customers against each other regarding which report feature they are talking about and will vote on. This gives Quicken admin a false sense of their customer base (not everyone votes and not everyone articulates what bothers them).

In any case, I think that Exporting a report to CSV (that include all columns that are displayed, e.g. Memo/notes) is basic functionality because it provides workaround options in the face of lost features. It is analogous to a word processing app's ability to save as text or rich text.

I would also argue that any software company who releases an app portending to be the next version of it, based on continued use of the app name/number scheme, but losses significant functionality for whatever reason is a bit of a bait and switch. Loyal customers (like me) keep upgrading with the expectation that the old features that we got used to will soon be added. Then when we start hearing that users are being pitted against each other via a voting system and otherwise backtracking on any future commitment to replicate Q07 lost features, one starts losing faith. If a loyal customer starts using another product it is unlikely that Quicken could ever get them back. Furthermore, Mac users (ever since 1984) are well known for promoting to others the apps that they use and like... even to the point of offering ad hoc tech support. So the loss of even one loyal customer is not a small thing.

smayer97 · July 2017

I believe he is referring to Banktivity, as he has mentioned being satisfied with that product before, though not perfect.

(If you find this reply helpful, please be sure to click "Like", so others will know, thanks.)

jacobs · July 2017

@gmalis1: I'm just curious -- no judgement, honestly just curious -- why you continue to be a prolific poster here about Quicken if you've found something you consider to be superior and have made the decision to move from Quicken to the other product? As you know, most of the venting and pontificating here goes unseen by Quicken developers and management, but you still spend a lot of time posting here.

I am waiting for the announcement of the 2018 subscription product, and unless management has truly listened to users and changed the subscription terms from the initial release for the Canadian version, I'm afraid I may face the decision to leave Quicken after 25+ years. And if I make the decision to move on, I'm pretty sure I'd immediately stop spending time posting here about Quicken.

@Jim: I agree with much of what you wrote. I do think it's a good idea for the company to listen to customers in assessing the most pressing needs, and the "idea voting" system here seems a pretty poor way to do that. (Keep in mind that all the organization of those threads, for better or worse, was done by a fellow user, not Quicken.) But I'd note that in most cases, they get tons more data from analytics on their support calls and in messages from customers from with the program than they do from a few dozen votes on ideas here. I don't see users being "pitted against each other," as you describe it; I see them with an impossibly long list of features from Quixken 2007 to be built, probably over several more years, and trying to gauge from the customer base which ones should be done before others.

I agree that "improving reports" encompasses multiple dozens of things. But I disagree that it's very clear which currently-missing features are most important to current (or would-be) users. For some, it might be exporting, as you mentioned. But for others, it might be an Income Statement and Balance Sheet. For some, it's importing saved reports from The legacy Mac or Windows versions. And so on...

In terms of exporting, they built this into all the "new" reports in Quicken 2017. I believe we're in the midst of a transition, and eventually all the "old" reports (from the Essentials era) will be re-created as the "new" style reports, which include exporting. But now they're busy de-Intuit-izing Quicken, so implementation of new features appears to be on hold.

Snoopy FC · July 2017

How likely to do you think a subscription based model is? I may be in the same boat depending upon how they package that.

Unknown · July 2017

That very, very, very long discussion goes on here:

https://getsatisfaction.com/quickencommunity/topics/quicken-inc-should-reverse-its-decision-to-chang...

I don't think that discussion needs to be continued in this thread.

Quicken for Mac 2017 v4.5.4 Released

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