MSN Money and Microsoft Money have no connection beyond being partially owned by the same company. The former is a financial news website while the latter was personal finance management software that exists in a limited form as of the date of publishing. Features of MSN Money could be useful for people who used Microsoft Money and vice versa.
Ownership
Microsoft Money was produced entirely by Microsoft. MSN Money is part of a network of sites owned by Microsoft. It stems from The Microsoft Network, which was originally an online service that was separate to the World Wide Web, similar to AOL. Unlike most MSN sites, MSN Money was at one point produced in conjunction a third party -- CNBC. This partnership ended in November 2006, though CNBC sill provides some video content for the site.
MSN Money Overview
MSN Money is primarily a financial news website with an emphasis on personal finance and how business stories could affect readers' own finances. Readers who register with the site can personalize it, for example, by choosing particular stocks to track prices and get the latest details on the MSN Money home page. MSN Money deals only with personal finance for United States readers, though Microsoft operates a separate website for those in the United Kingdom.
Microsoft Money Overview
Microsoft Money dates back to the early 1990s, when it was part of the Home suite of software on Windows 3.0. Microsoft continued offering it until a 2007 edition, then launched a paid-for, download-only edition named Microsoft Money Plus. This edition included online features such as getting quotes for financial services and paying bills online. Microsoft stopped selling Money Plus in 2009; the following year it launched a free downloadable version called Money Plus Sunset. This is still available as of the date of publication, but does not include online services.
Similarities
Most of the features of Microsoft Money, such as tools for keeping track of spending and receipts, are absent from the MSN Money site. MSN Money does have some personal finance tools such as calculators for mortgage rates and retirement savings accounts. It doesn't allow users to get online quotes in the same way Microsoft Money Plus does, but it does provide information services such as the average premium for insuring specific models of car or advertised mortgage rates in the visitor's area.
