Microsoft Breaks New Ground in Personal Finance Software With Money 99 Basic and Money 99 Financial Suite

REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 10, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the release of its newest financial management software, Microsoft® Money 99 Basic and Microsoft Money 99 Financial Suite. Money 99 Financial Suite combines personalized financial planning tools with award-winning investment services and seamless Web integration to provide consumers with a complete financial management solution. With Money 99 Financial Suite, consumers can take control of their financial situation and achieve long-term goals through a personalized financial plan.

“With Money 99 Financial Suite, Microsoft fulfills the biggest unmet need in the personal finance management category – long-term financial planning,”
said Lewis Levin, vice president of the desktop finance division at Microsoft.
“More than 70 percent of consumers today are not fully confident that they can reach their financial goals – a challenge and an opportunity. Only with Money 99 Financial Suite can consumers accurately develop their own plan for their financial future and track their daily finances and progress toward fulfilling their plan using the same product.”

World-Class Financial Planning With American Express Financial Advisors

Microsoft sought the financial planning expertise of American Express Financial Advisors (AEFA), one of the oldest and largest financial services companies in the United States, and collaborated with them throughout the development of Money 99 Financial Suite. With Microsoft technology and AEFA financial planning expertise, Money 99 Financial Suite provides complete and credible financial planning capability that can be tailored to a consumer’s unique financial situation.

“We are delighted to be working with Microsoft to provide an unparalleled level of financial planning guidance in Money 99 Financial Suite,”
said Dave Hubers, president and CEO of AEFA.
“We share a commitment to providing consumers the very best in financial services. Microsoft provides the best personal finance software, and AEFA brings more than 100 years of financial planning expertise to the table. Together, by working throughout the product development process, we deliver an unprecedented level of planning and guidance in Money 99 Financial Suite.”

With Money 99 Financial Suite, consumers get an accurate look at their current financial picture and can build a comprehensive financial plan for near and long-term events, from buying a car to planning for college or retirement. A critical difference is that Money 99 Financial Suite links long-term goals to daily financial decisions, so the software automatically adjusts the plan when key life events occur, allowing consumers to stay on track toward achieving their financial goals. Additional financial planning features include the Budget Planner, which helps consumers establish and maintain a budget; and the Debt Reduction Planner, which guides consumers toward reducing high-interest debt.

Award-Winning Investment Management in Money 99

Through tight integration with the award-winning online investment site Microsoft Investor ( http://www.investor.com ), Money 99 moves financial management software beyond recording and tracking investment transactions to provide a comprehensive set of tools for making investment decisions. Microsoft Investor has won several key reviews this past year including Barron’s, PC Magazine and BusinessWeek. Over 2 million people now use Microsoft Investor on a monthly basis to follow their investments and get new investing ideas. Microsoft’s innovative technology allows users to seamlessly link their Money 99 and Microsoft Investor portfolios so their information is kept current and they can view their portfolio either on or off line.

New features for Money 99 Financial Suite include Investment Search, a powerful finder tool that easily explores an in-depth, up-to-the-minute database of more than 16,000 stocks and mutual funds; and the Investment Watch List, which automatically tracks the performance of potential stock and fund purchases. In addition, Money 99 intelligently integrates essential investment services from Investor, including current stock quotes, news alerts and charting capabilities.

Money 99 Provides a Personalized Solution for Managing Personal Finances

A key focus for Money 99 is to provide a personalized solution for each user by adjusting the software to meet their individual needs, presenting the information they want and providing them with personal financial guidance. Money 99’s new customizable Financial Home Page serves as a personal financial hub for each Money user, delivering relevant financial information each time Money is opened. The Financial Home Page provides user-specific information, including a snapshot of personal finances such as upcoming bills and budgeting goals, as well as a customizable clipping service from leading online publications such as the Wall Street Journal delivered by MSNBC, Forbes, Worth, SmartMoney Interactive and USA TODAY.

Other new personalization features in Money 99 include the Personal Profile, a quick, up-front interview that captures users’ financial preferences and provides links to relevant product features as well as a personal action plan for managing finances in Money 99. In addition, Money’s new Advisor FYI
™
Alerts automatically present consumers with timely information about important news events, account changes, budget status and investment updates that are of importance to them.

Harnessing the Power of the Web in Money 99

Microsoft has expanded the level of integration between Money 99 and Web-based information and services to bring more relevant financial information to the consumer. Finding the right information in a timely way, and making use of it, Money 99 actively retrieves and automatically integrates financial information such as tax rates, mortgage rates, up-to-date college tuition costs and current news headlines from the Web into the program.

Through the new Money 99 Financial Suite Decision Center, Microsoft provides all the information and tools to make smarter financial decisions about home buying, insurance, automobiles and more. It includes more than 250 articles, four worksheets and 17 planning calculators, as well as relevant links to such leading financial Web sites as the Microsoft HomeAdvisor™ online real estate service for home-buying and mortgage information, and InsWeb for auto and life insurance questions and services.

Most Online Banking Options, Less Data Entry in Money 99

Money 99 gives consumers better access to their financial data by connecting to more than 350 banks, brokerage firms, and credit and charge card companies, more than any other personal finance software program available today. Money 99 helps consumers reduce the amount of time spent entering data by easily downloading statements from financial institutions such as American Express, Charles Schwab Company Inc., Chase Manhattan Bank, Discover Card, Fidelity Investments, First Chicago NBD Corp., First Union, Key Bank and Wells Fargo Bank.

Money continues to lead in offering consumers more options for entering financial information into their personal financial management software. Microsoft Money will connect to any financial institution that offers transactional Web-based services, and Microsoft continues to work with the financial community to enable online banking and bill-payment for consumers.

Money 99 can receive bills presented on the Internet and enables customers to pay bills directly from within Money 99 or from their financial institution Web site*. This represents a new trend for consumers in the coming year as more and more billers begin sending bills via the Internet to their customers.

Making Tax Time Easier With Money 99

Microsoft Money 99 Basic and Financial Suite export to tax preparation software packages and provide integrated tools that help consumers prepare for tax time**. New features include the Tax Deduction Finder, which helps identify potential deductions through an easy step-by-step process. Additional features include the Tax Relief Act calculator, which helps users understand how the sweeping tax changes of 1997 will affect them; the Tax Worksheet helps consumers estimate taxes throughout the year; and the Tax Bite compares the effect of taxable vs. tax-deferred or tax-free investments over a period of time.

Pricing and Availability

  • Microsoft Money 99 Financial Suite is available to users at an estimated retail price of $64.95 U.S. with a rebate of $25. Microsoft Money 99 Basic is available for an estimated retail price of $34.95 U.S. with a rebate of $10. Both rebates are available for all purchasers through Nov. 30, 1999. (Valid in the 50 states and District of Columbia only.)

  • Users of Microsoft Money 99 Basic and Financial Suite can receive free*** Internet access for two hours per month, up to 12 months, through Dec. 31, 1999, from MSN.

  • Microsoft Money 99 Financial Suite includes a six-month subscription to Microsoft Investor premium features (up to a $60 value). This offer expires Dec. 31, 1999. (Valid in the 50 United States and District of Columbia only.)

Money 99 Basic and Financial Suite are scheduled to be available at some retail outlets Aug. 17, 1998, with nationwide availability Aug. 27, 1998. A trial version and online tour of Microsoft Money 99 Financial Suite is planned to be available for download from the Money home page at http://www.microsoft.com/money/ on Aug. 17, 1998.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, Advisor FYI and MSN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

*Internet functionality requires an Internet service provider (ISP) and browser (MSN trial offer and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1 provided). Connect-time charges may apply. All software required is included in Money 99. Compatible with all Windows-compatible ISPs. Online banking/brokerage options vary by financial institution; some require Internet access while others offer direct dial-up. Contact your financial institution for program details. To receive and pay bills electronically through a third-party Internet Bill Delivery and Payment Provider, a checking account with any financial institution in the United States and Internet access is required, as well as other additional requirements as indicated by the third-party Internet Bill Delivery and Payment Provider. Online receipt and payment of bills through Bill Delivery and Payment Providers is subject to availability by these third party providers. Go to www.microsoft.com/money/ for information and scheduled availability dates for third-party Internet Bill Delivery and Payment Providers. This information is also automatically updated in the Money 99 product when users choose Update Internet Information.

**Microsoft Money 99 exports to any tax preparation software product that can read .txf format and Microsoft Money files, including TurboTax and TaxCut.

***A trial offer for MSN is available to Money 99 Basic and Money 99 Financial Suite users. New users of MSN will receive two hours per month, up to 12 months, through Dec. 31, 1999. Each additional hour will be billed at $2.50 per hour. After Dec. 31, 1999, customers will be charged the current rate for standard membership plan for MSN. This offer is available to new members of MSN in the 50 states and the District of Columbia only (connect-time charges may apply). A credit card is required. The MSN premium charge, access charges (if access charges are purchased from a provider other than MSN), local phone and long-distance charges may apply. Local market network activity and capacity may affect access availability.


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