As the first step in making ClearCheckbook more user friendly and easier to use, I have released a new visual layout and color scheme to the site. The home page now features a slideshow of some of the most important aspects of the site and makes it easier to sign up for ClearCheckbook and easier for existing users to log in.

The next thing to get an overhaul will be the way the site is laid out once you're logged in. I want to make it easier for everyone to figure out how to use the site and to be able to fully grasp all the tools ClearCheckbook has to offer.

Let us know what you think of the updated colors in the comments below!

I have officially quit my previous full-time job in an effort to devote all my time into making ClearCheckbook the best money management site available. The first things on my agenda are:
* a visual refresh to the site
* making the site more user friendly (better documentation, more "obvious" ways to do things, etc)
* making the home page more visually appealing and informative
* better budgeting tools
* mobile apps

Now is the time to start submitting and voting on new features for the site. You can do that here: https://www.clearcheckbook.com/forum/8/feature-suggestion-discussion.

I'm really looking forward to putting all my effort into the site and hope that everyone will see some great additions and improvements over the upcoming weeks and months.

In what will soon become a very long list of updates and new features and refreshes to the site, I'm proud to announce several new upgrades and features that have just been released.

Sub-Categories:
You can now add sub categories for better tracking of your spending habits. All sub categories will be rolled into the overall category for reporting purposes, but will also be broken down so you can view spending in the individual sub categories. The same is the case for pie charts and spending limits.

To add a sub category, simply go to the Settings->Categories page and add a new category name and select the Parent category from a drop down list.

Currency Conversions:
All balances can now be converted to your global currency with the Currency Conversion tool. You can access this as a dashboard gadget or through the Settings->Currency Conversions page.

If you have more than one currency set up, you will have the ability of entering a conversion rate for your secondary currencies. We will be using this rate to convert all balances to the global currency (set in your Settings->Account page). Individual transactions will not be converted, just overall balances.

Updated Reports:
The reports area has been cleaned up and made more usable by splitting Account and Category reports into separate tabs. You can now view all of your Account information on one page and all your Category information on a different page.

The reports have also been updated to reflect the new sub-categories feature. All parent categories are reported with the sub-categories rolled into them. In the Line/Bar reports, you can scroll down and see your parent and sub-category totals broken down. The Pie charts show the parent and sub-categories rolled into one total, but you can select to view the breakdown of sub categories via a drop down menu. This way you can compare individual sub-categories with each other.

Minor Updates:
- Currencies sorted with "most used" currencies at the top
- Check # / Memo / Payee field added to Recurring Transactions
- Fixed some CSV importing issues for fields listed with parenthesis and quotation marks
- Finally fixed (hopefully once and for all) the iGoogle gadget and GoogleTalk Checkbot

There will be more announcements on Monday. I can't say anything right now, but it involves a lot more time and resources being devoted to ClearCheckbook.