Online software is obviously a big help in managing your budget as well as your investment portfolio, but there are certain qualities that you should look for. For example, regular viewers of those business and money TV shows on cable hear a lot about budget software packages like Quicken or Microsoft Money. The reason? Both include household accounting functions in addition to their investment portfolio tools.

If you don’t want to spend the $50 -- $100 required to buy such a software package, there’s always the World Wide Web. While the list of personal financial planning Web sites available runs long and deep, a few sites in general offer some stable budgeting and family finance advice.

Some sites I recommend include:

Quicken Financial Network (www.qfn.com) – Easy to learn and easy to use. Does loan payment calculations in addition to budgeting. Plus, it has a good tips and research sections.

FinanCenter (www.financenter.com/budget.htm) – Fairly high brow stuff. That said, the site has some cool calculators for figuring out your financial situation, particularly in the areas of budgeting and spending. The site has some good overall financial tutorials, as well.

MetLife Online (www.metlife.com) – The folks that brought you the Snoopy ads have a great site for everyday financial living. Just made a major purchase? The site has a financial calculator to help evaluate the financial impact on your life. The same story goes for major health expenditures – like surgery for a loved one in your family – or the impact of taking on a new job at a new salary.

Kiplinger.com (www.kiplingers.com) – From the same folks who bring you Kiplinger’s magazine, the company web site has some good overall personal financial information in addition to its impressive roster of financial calculators.

The Dollar Stretcher (www.dollarstretcher.com) – A good site for the whole family. It has a great section on money and budgeting.