Unspecified Lots

[Ivan]

Mark,

I notice that for some funds, purchases on graphs have a green circle surrounding the red. According to the documentation this indicates an unspecified lot. Can you explain what triggers this. I have never intentionally done anything to specify a lot.

Thanks,
Ivan

[Mark]

Hi Ivan,

This indicates this lot is still available to be sold. This determination is based off you having specified which lots you sold whenever you sell some shares. If you sell some shares, and do not "Specify Lots", then none of your buy markers will show an un-specified lot marker, since you haven't specified all available sell transactions.

[Ivan]

Thanks Mark,

I don't mean to be dense, but I'm still confused. I have two EFT's, both set for First In First Out. One of them I have purchased twice and never sold, and it has green circles around both purchases. The other I made a purchase and then sold all the shares. Then made two more purchases, but nothing is circled in green. Can you help me to understand the difference between these two?

Ivan

[Mark]

Hi Ivan,

In the first case, you've specified every lot you've sold. You have sold any, so you didn't need to specify any.

In the second case, you haven't specified the shares you sold, so this investment isn't fully specified, and thus the un-specified lot markers can't be displayed. To change this, right mouse click on the investment, and choose "Investment Data / Specify Lots..." and specify which shares you sold when you sold those shares. Once you do this, your remaining purchased shares will have the un-specified lot markers displayed.

[ThomasK]

Okay, my turn.

I am looking at Graphs: Share Price...some show the buys as "specified" (red dot) "unspecified" (green circle around red dot).

I recall that I was experimenting with FIFO but never with Specified Lots. I simply Buy and Sell and using Avg Cost Method.

Question 1: does FundManager automatically code these as specified/unspecified or is it only when we go to FIFO or Specified Lots?

Question 2: I'm a bit OCD I suppose, so I like knowing that there are shares to sell! How do I verify/edit my holdings? It seems stock specific...either way.

Thanks,
Thomas

[Mark]

Hi Thomas,

The red markers are buy markers. The green outer circle markers are un-specified lots, meaning they are available for selling. The un-specified lot markers will show if your investment has all recorded sell transactions "specified". You do this by going to the "Investment Data / Specify Lots..." dialog for each of your investments. You are telling Fund Manager for each sell transaction, which shares you sold. Fund Manager doesn't automatically assign specified lots.

Unless you are using the "Specified Lots" accounting method, it is not necessary to go specify all your lots, other than for the purpose of plotting these markers. You can specify your lots, even if you aren't using this accounting method. You can see the accounting method for your investments under "Investment Properties... / Other / Accounting Method".

[ThomasK]

This is from Investment Data / Specify Lots for a stock price chart that shows the purchases as "specified" (ie not having the green circle around the red marker)

Specify Lot Issue.PNG (63.69 KiB) Viewed 4397 times

That makes sense.

So, most likely the few stocks that show "specified" (ie not having the green circle around the red buy marker) were bought/sold via Specified Lots or FIFO.

When I pull up Investment Data/Specify Lots for a stock that is UNspecified, no shares are listed in either Redemptions or Purchases.

How best to "unspecify" shares as in this example?

Thanks,
Thomas

[Mark]

Hi Thomas,

If nothing is listed in the "Redemptions" box, then you haven't sold anything, and there is no need to do anything. In that picture you've sold 2 lots, but haven't specified them, so no un-specified lot markers will be shown, since you have sold some shares, but haven't specified which shares you sold.

[ThomasK]

Ah, so WHEN I sell something the green circle around the red buy market disappears, regardless if I don't specify anything?

Sorry for all the posts...I'm actually just putting more and more of the features to work! This is awesome software!

[Mark]

Hi Thomas,

Yes, if you sell something and do not specify anything all the green circles will disappear. It doesn't know what lots are still available for selling since you haven't specified which shares were sold, so it won't display anything as available for selling. Use the Specify Lots dialog to specify it, and then the remaining shares will be shown as available.