Quicken software and online stock brokerages?

I'm trying to get my finances in order (get out of debt, purchase some stocks, get an IRA, etc.) so I purchased Quicken's 2008 software to track my spending habits and such. I'm reluctant to put any sensitive information, such as account numbers, into the program for fear of hacking/viruses/theft. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this software and if you think it's safe. I would like to set up online bill pay and just go totally electronic. Any tips, ideas, or suggestions? Also, which online stock brokerage do you think is the best for absolute beginners?

You can use Quicken to track spending without putting any account numbers in, but you won't be able to automatically download transaction information from your bank, credit cards, or brokerage accounts. You will have to enter the transactions yourself.

I would use my own bank's bill pay instead of Quicken's because your bank's is probably free. I use my bank's bill pay all the time and have been happy with it.

You can put two levels of passwords on your Quicken information. First, you can protect your entire Quicken file with a password, and you won't be able to open it up without the password. The other level you can use is on what Quicken calls the "PIN vault" and that protects all your passwords and PIN numbers separately. I feel this protects me from someone who might gain casual access to my PC in my home.

However, if someone stole your PC, it's possible they could use software tools to break the password and get access to your information. You can protect against that by keeping your Quicken data on a removable flash drive and storing that away from your PC. That way even if your PC is stolen your data is not available.

You have to decide what you are comfortable with. I think if you have a good firewall and antivirus program, and use Quicken's password features, you are relatively well-protected. Keeping the data on a flash drive adds another level of protection as long as you don't keep it plugged in to the PC where it might get easily stolen.

I can't advise you on stock brokerages, but the smartmoney.com and kiplingers sites do reviews of brokerage firms that you would probably find helpful.

I download my 401K, credit card and IRA info all the time without entering the account number. It's a userid/password combination. You can set it up through Quicken and your online accounts.