Online Portfolio Trackers, which do you use?

[garstud]

I've been using finance.yahoo.com but there's probably something better. Looking for your suggestions.

Thanks.

Gary

 

[ronin]

I like the one on CBS Marketwatch, but find more useful analysis with morningstar.

 

[MooreBonds]

I've been using finance.yahoo.com but there's probably something better. Looking for your suggestions.

Thanks.

Gary

While I haven't tried any of the other portfolio trackers, I love Yahoo's.

The primary reason is that I have a Yahoo! e-mail account, and once I'm logged into my mail, I don't have to keep logging in for my portfolios. Also, I'm very pleased with the research and ways to tweak your portfolio data columns that Yahoo! offers.

Like I said, I haven't tried the others, but that's probably because I use Yahoo! mainly for research for potential investments, and simply to view the portfolios in a spreadsheet, to then copy and paste into my Excel spreadsheets that have my oodles of equations and datasets.

--Peter

 

[maddythebeagle]

That is exactly what I do peter. My spreadsheet formulas can than updated and I can see my investment returns. I think in yahoo, you can put in how many shares of each you have, but I get paranoid about them knowing what I have and might market to me, lol.

 

[justin]

finance.yahoo.com. Been using it for 6 years or so.

It allows pretty good recordkeeping and is easy to use. Lots of quick research options.

 

[LOL!]

MSN/Investor has the same portfolio tracker that is used MS Money. And it's free. Be sure to install the deluxe version.
http://moneycentral.msn.com/stock_portfolio

 

[MooreBonds]

I think in yahoo, you can put in how many shares of each you have, but I get paranoid about them knowing what I have and might market to me, lol.

I leave out the # of shares as well, although my primary concern is people looking over my shoulder and seeing my portfolio data, etc. (I work in construction, and there's nothing like the envy that builds up when a union construction worker catches a glimpse of what you have saved up, even though they make damn good money and could accumulate more than I have if they wanted to)...although, I do enter the average cost, so I can scroll down my various portfolios and see how each is doing.

I've also taken an (absurd, ridiculously large) amount of time to copy every preferred stock from quantumonline.com into an excel spreadsheet, then copy and paste the symbols into Yahoo. Then, I simply copy and paste the Yahoo spreadsheet into my massively large preferred stock excel sheet, and let the calculations autocalculate the yield to maturity and yield to call (both pre- and post-tax) to screen for new preferreds to buy when I scare up some cash.

The only thing is, it required two adjustments:
1) Yahoo! portfolios have a max of 200 stock symbols

2) Yahoo!'s preferred symbols are _p with the class after the p. Quantum Online has symbols with - and the class after the -. It took a simple "search and replace" to change the - to a _p, but it took a few seconds to double check everything. Also, some of the symbols have changed, so a few iterations were required to change them to their pink sheet symbols, etc.

But, all-in-all, I've been very pleased with Yahoo!.

 

[maddythebeagle]

there's nothing like the envy that builds up when a union construction worker catches a glimpse of what you have saved up, even though they make damn good money and could accumulate more than I have if they wanted to)...

- isnt the story of most people, though That is why it is best to tell people you are poor and under a lot of consumer debt.

 

[HFWR]

I use a combination of my 401k and self-directed providers websites, Yahoo, credit union, Vanguard, and spreadsheets. Easier then it sounds...

 

[bondi688]

I tried out the new one that came online in September last year in USA Today. It is free and to me it is among the very best. (Better than Yahoo from what I can remember.) You can actually import all your holdings directly from different brokers and follow everything in one portfolio, but I did not want to do that because I do not want any security breach, and I entered each position manually. But the tool is great.

Track your stocks and funds in real time, free

 

[audreyh1]

I do most of my tracking on my own computer with Quicken and spreadsheets. Everything is downloaded and updated from the Internet.

But I do maintain a "replica" on Morningstar that I update once a year. I use this mainly to review/monitor the mutual funds I own and their intersection and "X-ray" the M* portfolio analysis tool.

 

[timeasterday]

Those things never work for me. Some of my 401k funds have different unit values than what the ticker shows in Yahoo or Morningstar. Those are the John Hancock funds.

 

[Midpack]

I rely on my own spreadsheets first, and my Vanguard info. The only online site I've entered my info and basis in is the Bloomberg iPad app for a quick reference, though my shares are off by a substantial fixed factor (if someone taps into it, no worries).

 

[marko]

Morningstar! Free with TR Price, but I'd pay the $180 annual for it if I had to. Indispensible.

I do back it up with an Excel sheet (I'm assuming everyone knows about the one button data update!).

 

[W2R]

I rely on my own spreadsheets first, and my Vanguard info.

+1 It's quick and easy to copy a small handful of daily fund share prices into my spreadsheet, and then I'm done. I don't need or use an online portfolio tracker.

 

[frayne]

Morningstar, I track my own portfolio plus add a few other fantasy portfolios just to remind me how lousy I am at picking individual stocks.

 

[marko]

+1 It's quick and easy to copy a small handful of daily fund share prices into my spreadsheet, and then I'm done. I don't need or use an online portfolio tracker.

You don't need to copy them. If you set up your MS Excel sheet, you can update with the push of a button (or have it do so hourly/minute automatically).

Quicker and easier.

 

[Katsmeow]

I just use the one at Vanguard. It allows me to add in what we have that isn't Vanguard.

 

[Midpack]

You don't need to copy them. If you set up your MS Excel sheet, you can update with the push of a button (or have it do so hourly/minute automatically).

Quicker and easier.

Are you talking about Excel web queries (Data > Import External Data > New Web Query) or something else? I've used Excel web queries, but if the web address or external source table changes in any way, the link is lost IME. So it works well for sites with static tables, but not for those that change at any frequency. I've set them up in the past and found certain sites led to broken links or worse (suddenly reading the wrong "cell" which you may/not recognize) far too often to "chase."

If you know something more bulletproof, I'd love to know about it...

 

[marko]

Are you talking about Excel web queries (Data > Import External Data > New Web Query) or something else? I've used Excel web queries, but if the web address or external source table changes in any way, the link is lost IME. So it works well for sites with static tables, but not for those that change at any frequency. I've set them up in the past and found certain sites led to broken links or worse (suddenly reading the wrong "cell" which you may/not recognize) far too often to "chase."

If you know something more bulletproof, I'd love to know about it...

Yes, I use the "import ext data from existing connections". Some sort of wizard takes you to MSN Money Central, you input your stock ticker(s) and/or indices. You can set it up to update every few minutes or when you hit the update button.

I've been using it for a few years (every day) and have had no problems with updates, frequency or links. I have about 20 or so stocks I track.

I input the ticker price and from there I can use that info anyway I want.
=C14 (stock price) X 1234 (shares) or whatever.

 

[aida2003]

Yes, I use the "import ext data from existing connections". Some sort of wizard takes you to MSN Money Central, you input your stock ticker(s) and/or indices. You can set it up to update every few minutes or when you hit the update button.

I've been using it for a few years (every day) and have had no problems with updates, frequency or links. I have about 20 or so stocks I track.

I input the ticker price and from there I can use that info anyway I want.
=C14 (stock price) X 1234 (shares) or whatever.

Can you elaborate more how you do it? I'd like instructions like for a rookie. I've experienced the same issues like Midpack, so I gave up and do it manually once or twice a year. I do a manual M* portfolio once a year, just to get AA.

 

[target2019]

Search for:

Gummy Yahoo Excel

You'll find a few spreadsheets already set up. And there are many others out there.

I've used Google spreadsheets for this purpose. I find it is easier to set up initially. But you'll get better performance if you use Excel. Also, more people have solved what you want to do. So it is relatively easy to find a free spreadsheet that already does what you need.

Found a link with several samples from Gummy.

http://amourtan.com/2011/06/downloading-stock-prices-into-excel-spreadsheet/

 

[RonBoyd]

"Personal Capital" Google search.

For instance: From InvestorJunkie.

As I’ve discussed in my Mint.com review, I think Mint is great for budgeting, but poor when used for investment planning. It appears Mint is targeting people just starting out with their finances (Generation Y and Z). As I mentioned, I wished for a web 2.0 app that focused more on investing: retirement, asset allocation, and taxes. I recently discovered Personal Capital, and it appears to have answered most of my wishes.

or: CashMoneyLife

My Verdict – Coolest Investment Tool on the Market

I’m a self-admitted financial geek. I read and write about personal finance on a daily basis, and I try out as many tools as I can. I my opinion, this is the biggest game changer in the financial industry since Mint.com launched. And that is high praise. As I mentioned earlier, this is a tool I am comfortable recommending to family and friends, and I think it can change how many people manage their investments. I’m all-in on Personal Capital.

 

[Free To Canoe]

I used Yahoo for a number of years for most of my financial info. A few years back their updates became unreliable. I was forced to switch to Google finance. Maybe it is time to go back to Yahoo or perhaps M*?

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I like the SMF (Stock Market Function) add-in for Excel available at

smf_addin : EXCEL Stock Market Functions Add-in

It might not be the easiest thing to install and implement, but if you have an aptitude for using the more complex Excel functions it can add quite a bit of functionality to your spreadsheets. Automatic price updates in addition to downloading a lot of other data on your investments.