Re: Data entry and aggregation for multiple accounts

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In Reply to: Re: Data entry and aggregation for multiple accounts posted by Ross Stone on June 05, 2000 at 18:21:30:

: : : : : June 2, 2000

: : : : : Mark -

: : : : : I've entered a fair amount of data, but I'm only just started. I think
: : : : : I need some guidance on how best to set up the data to get the program to do
: : : : : what I need. I have multiple brokerage accounts (8-10), each of which typically
: : : : : contains a money-market fund of some kind, along with as many as five mutual
: : : : : funds (these are IRAs, Keoghs, regular accounts, and family trust accounts).
: : : : : Many of the accounts contain many of the same funds. I'm treating each account
: : : : : as a portfolio. Since the number of shares, the investments, and the purchases
: : : : : for the same fund held in different accounts differs, I've been entering each
: : : : : fund in each account as a separate investment. I can then aggregate the
: : : : : investments from two or more accounts into "super-portfolios," in order to get
: : : : : an idea of how a group of accounts is doing overall. However, one of the key
: : : : : things I want to be able to do is to track and adjust asset allocation across
: : : : : groups of accounts. For that, I need to have two things happen. First, when I
: : : : : create a super-portfolio containing A's Fidelity Contrafund, B's Fidelity
: : : : : Contrafund, and C's Fidelity Contrafund (where A, B, and C are each separate
: : : : : accounts), I would like to have the total Fidelity Contrafund holdings shown,
: : : : : rather than each investment being separated (e.g., in a pie chart of the
: : : : : super-portfolio holdings). Second, I had to define assest types (financials,
: : : : : technology, utlities, consumer cyclicals, etc.) for each investment when I
: : : : : first put it in (e.g., the first occurrence of Fidelity Contrafund). I'm now
: : : : : having to re-enter all of those types (and then, the actual allocation) for
: : : : : each new occurrence of that investment. That's a HUGE amount of duplicate data
: : : : : entry. Furthermore, since each occurrence of Fidelity Contrafund is treated as
: : : : : a separate investment, I'm not sure if I'll get the aggregation of asset
: : : : : allocation when I look at one of these super-portfolios. Is there a better way
: : : : : to do this? If not, can you recommend a piece of software that will let me
: : : : : accomplish what I want, hopefully with less duplicate data entry?

: : : : : I do like Fund Manager and I think it is a very nicely done package
: : : : : (and I did just send in the registration fee). Thanks for your help, and take
: : : : : care.

: : : : : Ross

: : : : : W. Ross Stone, PhD
: : : : : E-mail: 71221.621@compuserve.com

: : : : Hi Ross,
: : : : To address your first question, use one of the portfolio pie or stacked
: : : : graph types with the "Symbol" selection to get a graph grouped by symbol,
: : : : so it will combine all investments with the same symbol into one pie slice
: : : : or stack group.
: : : : As far as duplicate entry on multiple investments for asset allocation,
: : : : I can make one suggestion that may help. When creating the second investment,
: : : : instead of creating it from new, you could copy the investment file (*.dat)
: : : : to a new name. This would give you a starting point wherever you want.
: : : : Once the investments are set up, you would have to modify the allocation %
: : : : for each investment though...

: : : : Thanks,
: : : : Mark
: : : : --
: : : : Mark Beiley
: : : :
: : : : Fund Manager for Windows 3.1x/95/98/NT
: : : :
: : : :

: : : Mark -

: : : Choosing "symbol" is a good suggestion. Thanks. I did try starting from a previous
: : : investment file, rather than creating a new investment. However, using Edit...
: : : All Data..., the program wouldn't let me delete (so I could re-insert it) or
: : : otherwise change the initial investment - which, of course, would be different
: : : for each instance of the same fund held in a different account. If you can tell
: : : me how to make that change, then it will indeed save having to re-enter all of
: : : the asset allocation information for each fund that is the same in the various
: : : accounts, and that would be a tremendous help. Thanks.

: : : Ross

: : Hi Ross,
: : You can delete any investment data from within "Edit/All Data...". To
: : delete transactions, make sure to select the "Investments (all)" data
: : type, rather than "Prices".

: : Thanks,
: : Mark
: : --
: : Mark Beiley
: :
: : Fund Manager for Windows 3.1x/95/98/NT
: :
: :

: Mark -
: Thanks. I'd forgotten to choose "Investments (all)," of course. This (copying
: an existing investment and simply changing the purchase data) has saved a great of
: time and made it possible to keep the asset allocation data. That raises another
: question: is there some way to download and automatically update the asset
: allocation data for the various funds? The data are available on Yahoo, under
: "Holdings" within each fund. Thanks again.

: Ross

Hi Ross,
No, this isn't currently a feature.

Thanks,
Mark
--
Mark Beiley

Fund Manager for Windows 3.1x/95/98/NT

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