If you want a sum based on one condition then SUMIF is the function to use:

If column J = "X" sum column N:

=SUMIF(J:J,"X",N:N)

You would only need to use SUMPRODUCT if there is more than a single
condition involved:

If column J = "X" and column K = 100 sum column N:

=SUMPRODUCT(--(J1:J100="X"),--(K1:K100=100),N1:N100)

Note that with SUMPRODUCT you can't use entire columns as range references
(unless you're using Excel 2007).

Biff

I thought of the sumif function but here is what I can not get my brain
wrapped around

Column J = dollar amounts, of all shapes and sizes
Column N = a identifier of what kind of account that money is in, A, B, C,
or D for the different types of accounts.

What I'm wanting to do is in another cell elsewhere in the spreadsheet, pull
all the A's from column N and add the dollar amounts together for a sum in
that cell,
Below it another cell for the B's sum and C's combined,
and then another for D's

I could do a sort manually, that's what they have been doing before, but I'd
like to try to figure out a formula that will search out those identifiers
and sum up their corresponding $ amounts.  

clear as mud?