Short answer: MSN Money is Microsoft’s free finance portal — a hub for stock market quotes, business and economic news, and investment research tools. It has been around, in one form or another, since 1998, when it launched as MSN MoneyCentral. Here is how it started, how it changed, and what it offers today.
What Is MSN Money?
The portal is Microsoft’s online finance destination. In its own words, it is “your source for the latest stock market quotes, business, economic & financial news, as well as premium research” — free to use, with no account needed for the basics. It sits within the wider MSN network, covering markets, currencies, and personal finance.
It is easy to confuse this site with Microsoft Money — but they are different products with different fates, which we will untangle below.
The History of MSN Money: From MoneyCentral to Today
The portal’s story stretches back to the early days of the consumer internet:
- 1998 — MSN MoneyCentral launches. On October 14, 1998, Microsoft announced MSN MoneyCentral as “the online companion to Microsoft Money 99 Financial Suite,” pairing its desktop finance software with a web portal for quotes, news, and research.
- 2001 — CNBC on MSN Money. On June 26, 2001, Microsoft and NBC launched a joint venture combining CNBC’s financial journalism with the portal’s tools — an early example of a media-tech partnership.
- 2009 — Microsoft Money (the software) is discontinued. Microsoft announced on June 10, 2009 that it would stop selling its Microsoft Money personal finance software at the end of that month. The desktop product died; the web portal lived on.
- 2010s — the portal era. The site continued as a markets-and-news hub through MSN’s various redesigns, including the Windows 8 and 10 app era, shedding the old MoneyCentral branding along the way.
- Today — msn.com money. You will now find it at msn.com/en-us/money, offering live market data, watchlists, and financial news to a global audience.
What Can You Do on MSN Money?
The portal is built around a few core jobs that investors and the merely curious both need:
- Track the markets — live stock quotes, major indices, and market movers in one view.
- Follow the news — business, economic, and financial headlines alongside market data.
- Research investments — company profiles, financials, and analyst-style research tools.
- Watch currencies and commodities — exchange rates and commodity prices for the globally minded.
- Build watchlists — keep an eye on the tickers that matter to you.
For readers working on their own finances, market data is only half the picture — pairing it with solid money-saving habits is what turns information into results.
MSN Money vs. the Alternatives
Microsoft’s finance portal is not the only free option. How does it compare?
- Yahoo Finance — the long-time rival, with deep historical data, portfolio tracking, and a huge community. Many investors treat it as the benchmark.
- Google Finance — simpler and faster, good for quick quotes but lighter on research tools.
- Bloomberg and CNBC — stronger on professional-grade news and analysis, though Bloomberg’s best data sits behind a paywall.
- MSN Money — the advantage is integration: it works smoothly across the Microsoft ecosystem (Edge, Windows, Bing) and bundles quotes, news, and research without a subscription.
For following individual companies — say you are tracking a volatile name like PLL stock — any of these portals will give you the quote; the real differences come down to research depth and interface.
Is MSN Money Free?
Yes — the whole thing is free to use. Quotes, market data, and news do not require a subscription or even a Microsoft account. That has been central to its appeal since the MoneyCentral days: professional-grade market data without the professional-grade price tag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MSN Money still available?
Yes. It is live at msn.com/en-us/money, offering stock quotes, market data, financial news, and research tools.
Is MSN Money the same as Microsoft Money?
No. Microsoft Money was desktop personal-finance software, discontinued in 2009. MSN Money is a web portal for market data and financial news — it survived the software’s demise.
What was MSN MoneyCentral?
MSN MoneyCentral was the portal’s original name, launched on October 14, 1998 as the online companion to Microsoft Money 99. The “Central” was dropped in later rebrandings.
Who owns MSN Money?
Microsoft. It is part of the MSN network of internet services owned and operated by Microsoft.
Is MSN Money free?
Yes — quotes, market data, news, and research tools are all free, with no subscription required.
The Bottom Line
MSN Money has survived where many 1990s portals did not — by doing one thing well: putting free, reliable market data and financial news in front of anyone with a browser. From MoneyCentral to today’s msn.com hub, its evolution mirrors the internet’s own: from desktop companion to always-on web service. If you want quotes without a paywall, it remains one of the simplest options around.
