Free Quicken Online is a new web version of the veteran personal finance package. Actually the new bit is the fact that it’s free, since the program has been online for a while. It comes with security encryption safeguards, connectivity with major US banks and is iPhone compatible too, which will please the black roll-neck brigade. Be aware, however, that the value of your bank can go down as well as up. This has been a public service announcement.

 Protecting critical data is our greatest priority — and has been for over 20 years. Before your data leaves your computer — or one of our data centers — it is protected with 128-bit encryption. This is the technology used by most major financial institutions in the world — banks, stock exchanges, brokerage houses and the like.