IGC Software (http://www.iggsoftware.com) has released released iBank 4.0, a new version of its financial management application for Mac OS X 10.5.8 or higher.

Among dozens of new features and improvements in iBank 4 are: faster transaction entry and dynamic editing options in a two-line register; a set-up assistant for transferring data from Mac and PC versions of Quicken, MS Money, or other finance programs; a streamlined set-up process for downloading transactions from online bank accounts; a more accessible user interface for easy monitoring of account balances, net worth, or summaries of assets and liabilities; upgraded investment tracking capabilities; more powerful support for multiple currencies; and speed enhancements.

Features that have been entirely revamped for iBank 4 include:

° An all-new reporting engine that, for example, lets users examine income and expenses by category, monitor net worth over time, check the performance of investments, analyze spending by payee, compile tax-related information or keep track of debt. Users can customize report data, generate graphs instantly, drill down into data with a click, save to PDF and print reports as they appear in iBank.

° A whole new approach to budgeting with envelopes. Users can: drag and drop cash from income categories into envelopes representing different types of expenses; see at a glance how much money is available for a particular purchase; move cash between envelopes to balance out surpluses and shortfalls in different categories; carry over extra cash from month to month; and incorporate one-time expenses or bonuses into a budget.

° A new template system that merges the functionality of memorized transactions, scheduled transactions and smart import rules into one feature. iBank 4 records payees as they are typed in, autofills the same transaction details (including splits) later on, and records changes users make when they download data. iBank 4 learns how users clean up and categorize their imported transactions, and applies those changes to future downloads automatically. Schedules can also be added to templates so that transactions can be posted to users' accounts on a repeating basis.

iBank costs USS$59.9; licensed users of previous versions of iBank can upgrade for $29.99. iBank for iPhone requires a MobileMe account. The Mac version requires Mac OS X 10.5 ("Leopard").