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        FINREAD.TXT--Read me text for the "FINCALC" program.
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[CONTACT INFORMATION]

                      THANK YOU FOR TRYING FINCALC !

                                   by
                             Joe Piedimonte
                             3609 S. 10th Street Ct.
                             Blue Springs, Missouri   64015

                             bus. phone: (816) 224-3517

                             Compuserve ID: 71573,235
                             AOL: PIEDIMONTE
                             PRODIGY: DFCY03A
                             INTERNET: 71573.235@compuserve.com

  COMPUSERV USERS: You can register this product through the Compuserv
  Registration Database. If you do, I will forward the final version 
  of the software. To purchase by this method do the following:

                             GO SWREG
                             the registration ID is 3807


             VISA & MASTERCARD Purchasing is available!!!!
             Just call NORTHSTAR SOLUTIONS 1-800-699-6395
             from 10:00am to 10:00pm EST.  Have ready this
             Program Name, Version, Card Number, Expiration,
             and desired diskette size.  I will forward 
             the final copy upon your registration with them.


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[VERSION NUMBER]  3.00
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[COPYRIGHT NOTICE]  All rights reserved by Joe Piedimonte
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[PROGRAM DESCRIPTION]  "FINCALC" is a Windows program designed to 
handle differing financial calculations related to investments and
lending.  Businesses, Financial Institutions, Government Agencies,
and Consumers will find this program useful. If you are involved in
analyzing, acquiring, and recommending investments or loans you 
will like using "FINCALC".
     The program acts like a loan calculator.  It will display and 
print loan amortization schedules.  The loan calculator portion
computes the scheduled payment, the number of payments, or the 
proper loan payout, if the other two input items are given.  The
loan calculator optionally considers four types of insurance and 
real estate taxes on the amortization schedule. Estimated annual
insurance charges can be entered for homeowners, or one other type
of miscellaneous insurance.  A provision is made for both
disability and life where the insurance is calculated on the
outstanding loan balance and allows user definable insurance rates,
terms, and repayment frequencies.  The same features are offered
for balloon loans, with a user definable amortization period and
term.  All loan calculations can be based on a 360 or 365 day
interest year.  The program allows for multiple repayment 
frequencies and will calculate the maturity date based upon leap
years.
     The investment portion of the program handles annuities and
figures both present and future values of deposits based upon user
input for APR, interest periods, investment term, and optional
recurring investment contributions.  An effective APR based upon 
input for the number of compounding periods can be performed.
General business calculations including, markup over cost and 
price, percent of total cost, and price based upon a markup percent, 
are also available.  The program provides context sensitive on-line 
help with examples and hypertext links.
     Also included with the Investment portion of the program is a
complete system for recording and analyzing stocks and mutual fund
investments called "Investment Tracker".  This feature offers a fund 
summary data entry screen where new funds can be setup and viewed
with the latest yield analysis information.  The yield can be based
on an entered value, or the most recent transaction.  If a value is
entered it can be used to do a "what-if" type profitability analysis,
or to establish a more current value for the fund.  The system will
calculate continuosly by fund, the current value in dollars, the gain/
loss dollars, the gain/loss percent, the book value, the total number
of shares and the average cost per share.  Reports giving the current
value of all funds and a transaction recap are available.  All trans-
actions for each fund can be entered, or viewed on screen.
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[REGISTRATION INFORMATION] This program is shareware.  If you find it
useful, please send me $20.00 plus $3.00 for shipping and handling. 
The user is granted a limited license to evaluate the program.  If you
wish to continue using the program, please register is by completing
the registration form (which can be printed from the HELP menu item
called registration form).  Please send the completed form with the 
$20.00 registration fee (plus $3.00 S/H) to:

                        Joe Piedimonte
                        3609 S. 10th Street Ct.
                        Blue Springs, Missouri   64015

             VISA & MASTERCARD Purchasing is available!!!!
             Just call NORTHSTAR SOLUTIONS 1-800-699-6395
             from 10:00am to 10:00pm EST.  Have ready this
             Program Name, Version, Card Number, Expiration,
             and desired diskette size.  I will forward 
             the final copy upon your registration with them.

Registration will entitle you to a licensed copy of the latest version
and special upgrade prices on future releases of the program.
     The user is granted permission to make unlimited copies of the
demo program and distribute those copies as long as all files are
copied intact and no fee is charged for the program.
     "FINCALC" is written by Joe Piedimonte and all rights are reserved.
No warranties are made, either expressed or implied, with respect to 
the software, its fitness for any particular purpose, or its documen-
tation.  The product is sold "as is".
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[INSTALLATION] After downloading "FINCALC.ZIP", unzip this file.  The
following program files can be placed in any directory you wish.

      1. FINCALC.EXE--The main program file.
      2. LNPAYOUT.DLL--Library required by FINCALC.EXE.
      3. BLPAYOUT.DLL--Library required by FINCALC.EXE.
      4. MARKP.DLL--Library required by FINCALC.EXE.
      5. MARKC.DLL--Library required by FINCALC.EXE.
      6. FINCALC.HLP--The online help file.
      7. FINCALC.DGB--A file required by FINCALC.EXE.
      8. FINCALC.ICO--ICON for use with FINCALC.EXE.
      9. FINREAD.TXT--The file which you are viewing that contains
         installation and product information.
     10. INVEST.EXE--The main program for investment tracker.
         (Compressed on diskette installation)
     11. HISTOREP.EXE--Report program for investment tracker.
         (Compressed on diskette installation)
     12. FUNDSREP.EXE--Report program for investment tracker.
         (Compressed on diskette installation)
     13. INVEST.HLP--The online help file for investment tracker.
     14. LINEITEM.DBF--Database fields and definitions for the
         fund history file in investment tracker.
     15. FUND.DBF--Database records and definitions for the fund
         summary data file in investment tracker.
     16. LINEITEM.KBF--Database definitions for the fund history
         file in investment tracker.
     17. FUND.KBF--Database definitions for the fund summary file
         in investment tracker.
     18. KTABLE.DLL--Library required for INVEST.EXE.
     19. CALL.DLL--Library required for INVEST.EXE.

The above files are the installation configuration for those not
interested in using the install program.  The "FINCALC.ZIP" file
can be unziped in any directory and installed with use of the install
program included in the ZIP file.  Please Note: If installing from the 
diskette program, three of the above files were compressed with the 
MICROSOFT COMPRESS program.  You must decompress them, or use the 
install program which will decompress these files or the investment 
tracker will not work. If the install program is used, it will do the 
following:

         1.  Create a program group on your windows desktop
             called "FINANCIAL SOFTWARE".
         2.  Create an ICON within the program group called
             "FINCALC"
         3.  Copy all files to your C:\WINDOWS directory.

To run the install program, select from the Program Manager in
Windows, the FILE|RUN option.  Where the command line is asked for, 
key in:  [drive]:\dir\install.exe. (As an example: C:\FIN\INSTALL.EXE).
The "dir" is the directory or path, where you placed FINCALC.ZIP
and unziped the file.  

  NOTE:  This product will run under OS/2 if WIN OS/2 is installed.
  Copy the 19 files mentioned above to the C:\OS2\MDOS\WINOS2 directory.
  Do not use the install program because it will not work.  Create
  your own program item under the WINOS2 Program Manager, or select
  FILE|RUN for FINCALC.EXE to launch the program.
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[HOW TO RUN]  You have two options depending upon how you installed
"FINCALC".

     A.  If the install program was used, double click on the group
         item called "FINANCIAL SOFTWARE" and then double click on 
         the program item called "FINCALC" while in the Program 
         Manager. This will launch the program.

     B.  If the install program was not used, either create your own
         program item using FINCALC.ICO and launch the program from
         it, or start from the Program Manager using the FILE|RUN
         option and key in the following for the command line:

                        [drive]:\dir\fincalc.exe

         "dir" is the path or directory where you unzipped FINCALC.EXE.
         As an example, (C:\FIN\FINCALC.EXE) would work if you had
         created a directory called C:\FIN and unzipped FINCALC.ZIP
         in that directory.  You may also have copied the 19 files shown
         above under [INSTALLATION], to a special directory or path and
         this directory would be used in that case, where the "dir" is 
         shown in the above example.
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[REQUIREMENTS]  Windows 3.1, PKZIP/UNZIP, 4MB RAM (8MB Recommended),
3.8MB Free Disk Space.
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[KNOWN INCOMPATABILITIES]  Incompatible with windows versions prior  
to 3.0.
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[VERSION HISTORY]  New features were added for Homeowners Insurance, 
and Miscellaneous Insurance for all loan amortizations and payment
calculations.  The Loan Input screen was redesigned to be more 
intuitive and a "COMPUTE" button was added to it.  The printed
amortization schedule now gives totals for all categories by year.
A bug was fixed having to do with insurance payments computing
incorrectly when the repayment frequency was not monthly. A bug was 
fixed making the scheduled payment more level when the interest base
is 365 days. A bug was fixed with the maturity date when the number 
of payments is given with or without the payment amount.  A bug was
fixed with the computed number of payments when disability and life
insurance are figured with a specified payment. A bug was fixed with
the loan payout totals not matching the screen listing of totals
at the bottom of the amortization. A new price based upon a user 
definable markup percent was added to the Business Menu of the 
program.  In general modifications were made to make the 
program more intuitive over version 1.1. The most recent addition
to FINCALC is the investment tracker. This will record and analyze
investments or mutual funds.  This feature was a major change over
version 2.0.
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***** PLEASE NOTE *****

This software is provided "as is".  The author claims no responsibility
for any damages you may experience as a result of using this software.
Any comments, questions, or suggestions are welcomed.

                           Joe Piedimonte
                           3609 S. 10th Street Ct.
                           Blue Springs,  MO   64015

                           bus. phone: (816) 224-3517

                           Compuserv ID:  71573,235
                           AOL:  PIEDIMONTE
                           PRODIGY: DFCY03A
                           INTERNET: 71573.235@compuserve.com 
                           
  COMPUSERV USERS: You can register this product through the Compuserv
  Registration Database. If you do, I will forward the final version 
  of the software. To purchase by this method do the following:

                             GO SWREG
                             the registration ID is 3807


               VISA & MASTERCARD Purchasing is available!!!!
               Just call NORTHSTAR SOLUTIONS 1-800-699-6395
               from 10:00am to 10:00pm EST.  Have ready the
               Program Name, Version, Card Number, Expiration,
               and desired diskette size.  I will forward 
               the final copy upon your registration with them.

