Create a report using charts: Select Insert > Recommended Charts, then choose the one you want to add to the report sheet. Create a report with pivot tables: Select Insert > PivotTable. Select the ...

Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access both store data used to write a financial report. However, Excel has more built-in options for quickly generating a report from a small amount of financial data.

Q. I usually like Excel PivotTables, but because they don’t allow me to do certain things, such as delete cells or insert new columns or rows, I’m wondering if there is a reasonable alternative? A.

Microsoft Windows may get all the press coverage, but when you want to get real work done, you turn your attention to the applications that run on it. And if you use spreadsheets, that generally means ...