Microsoft® recently announced that support for Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3) will end on April 8, 2014. To ensure you will receive all important security updates for Windows, you should consider upgrading to a later version of Windows such as Windows 7 or 8.
What does it mean if my version of Windows is no longer supported?
An unsupported version of Windows will no longer receive software updates from Windows Update. These include security updates that can help protect your computer from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. Windows Update also installs the latest software updates to improve the reliability of Windows, new drivers for your hardware, and more
Red Wing Software will continue support for its products that are compatible with XP. Before moving to a new operating system, it is important to verify that your Red Wing Software product is compatible with new versions of Windows. Click here to view the Operating System Compatibility Chart for Red Wing Software products. Also, if you are purchasing a new computer or plan to do so soon, please review this chart prior to finalizing your purchase.
By Stephanie Elsen
You know the answer if you are responsible for payroll at your organization. An earning code represents the calculation used to calculate an employee’s pay, such as hourly, salaried, bonus, etc. A deduction code does the same for an employee’s deductions, such as 401K, wage garnishment, etc.
Most payroll software programs include a standard set of earning and deduction codes for you to choose from. If your needs become more complex than your payroll system can handle with the standard codes, be sure that your system includes the ability to customize the codes so you can calculate earnings and deductions correctly. If your system doesn’t allow you to customize the codes, you will need to figure out a way to do the calculations outside the payroll system, and enter them into the system by hand. This is inconvenient and inefficient.
A good example of this is a wage garnishment deduction. An employee’s garnishment calculation must be done correctly, and wage garnishments can vary greatly by employee. You need to ensure garnishments are calculated and deducted correctly from employee pay checks. If the system will not allow you to create the code to meet your needs, you will need to calculate it elsewhere and enter by hand.
CenterPoint Payroll Software has a set of standard earning and deduction codes available. And you can also customize as many codes as you need to, so you won’t have to be using spreadsheets or entering data by hand.
By Stephanie Elsen
If you spend any time out on the Web, you know there are plenty of opportunities to provide reviews for almost any of the products you use. Accounting Software is no exception. If you have experience using Red Wing Software products, we want to hear what you have to say! Here are some of the most popular places to submit your review for Red Wing Software.
- Google: If you write a review on Red Wing Software’s Google page, people who find the listing during a Google search will be able to view the review. Visit Red Wing Software’s Google Page to write your review! (By the way, you can also set up your own company’s Google page, so your customers can submit reviews for you.)
- Capterra:This Web site and its staff are dedicated to helping businesses find the right software. If you submit a review here, other people who are searching for software will be able to see what real users think. Please click on the link of the product you wish to review. Once on the page, click on “Rate this software.”
- Yelp:This whole Web site is dedicated to letting people give their opinion to the public about companies.
So, let your voice be heard and let others know what to expect when becoming a Red Wing Software customer.
By Stephanie Elsen
Thousands of companies nationwide are using CenterPoint Payroll Software, and there are also many companies that administer 401K/Roth investments dollars. Employers need to report employee 401K/Roth deductions and the employer matching benefits to these plan administrators. The plan administrator normally prefers to get the employee and employer matching dollars reported on a pay period or monthly basis in a unique CSV or Excel file format. The required file formats can vary among different 401K management companies. If you need to pull out a unique set of data, how will you handle it?
Red Wing Software has a tool available for use with CenterPoint Payroll that allows the Red Wing Software staff to create a file export to match your 401K/Roth administrator’s unique format. If you need a custom export for your 401K, give us a call to discuss whether the tool would work for you. Our standard tool can handle 90%+ of custom 401K exports. However if the file format required by your 401K administrator is more complex than normal, we still may be able to help. Contact Red Wing Software to learn more! Call 800-732-9464 or e-mail info@redwingsoftware.com.
By Stephanie Elsen
Today is National Clean Out Your Computer Day! Originally sponsored by the Institute for Business Technology in 2000, this day provides you an opportunity to officially go in and clean out that stuff you’ve been meaning to do for quite some time. Cleaning out your computer can make a significant difference in your computer’s speed! Take those huge files that are taking up space and save them to a separate hard drive. Uninstall programs you no longer want or need. Got lots of emails that linger on inside your ‘deleted’ box? Get rid of them. And while you’re at it, why not dust the whole system, including the bottom side of your oft-used but never-cleaned mouse. You might just be surprised how refreshed you feel with a cleaner and faster computer!