Investment Record-Keeping: Tips to Prevent Quicken^® from Making You Crazy

Contributed by Sheri Graves

You're the kind of person who prefers a hands-on approach to investments. You like to choose your own stocks, bonds and mutual funds. You like to do all of the record keeping yourself in the privacy of your own home.

For these reasons, you've chosen Intuit® Quicken as your investment software.

But, oops! You've discovered Quicken can make you crazy once your investments go beyond stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

Here are some tips to make your life easier:

• Derivatives – Any security that derives its value from some underlying security is called a derivative. An option to buy stock is known as a "call," whereas an option to sell stock is known as a "put," and both of these are derivatives. Using Quicken, treat the purchase and later sale the same as you would the purchase or sale of a stock, noting the loss or gain. If you hold the option until it expires, you must record a Final Sale transaction, with the sales price as zero.
• Exercising Puts and Calls – Under normal circumstances, you’d probably just sell the option back to the broker. However, if you end up exercising a "put" option, you must record the sale with a price of zero. To exercise a "call" option, you also record the price as zero.
• Precious Metals and Commodities – When dealing in precious metals, gold coins, agricultural items and other commodities, you first must determine the unit of measurement. For example, gold is measured by weight according to the "troy ounce." Agricultural commodities may be measured by the bushel or the ton. Each unit of measurement is akin to a share of stock. So, whether buying or selling, you must record the amount or volume of the sale by noting that it is, for example, 26 troy ounces of gold or 17 bushels of wheat (just as you would record the sale or purchase of 150 shares of stock).
• Selling Puts and Calls – All you need to remember is that you record the purchase or sale as a regular transaction, regardless of whether the person to whom you sell the "put" then exercises the "put."
• Zero Coupon Bonds – Most bonds pay periodic interest. However, zero coupon bonds pay all of the interest in a lump sum when the bond matures. To keep track of the accruing value of the zero coupon bond (for personal information and for reporting interest earned), you note the annual interest that appears on the statement from your broker. The key is to enter the return of capital as a negative value. So, if you accrue $50 in interest on a zero coupon bond, you need to record a return capital transaction of -$50. This is necessary to show the associated cash account’s correct cash balance and the bond's correct cost basis.

With so many people handling their own investments, Video Professor® offers everything from a Quicken tutorials to online investing training. If you're new to the concept of investing and home record keeping, you might want to brush up on your overall computer skills. Once again, computer-learning software is available. You may want to avail yourself of a free computer tutorial or a free Excel® lesson. Proficient on the computer already? Then take a look at the various Quicken products to choose the one best suited to your needs:

• Quicken Basic 2007 – This software allows you to download and track your checking, savings and credit card accounts, create and follow a budget, schedule and pay bills straight from Quicken, and handle a variety of other tasks.
• Quicken Deluxe 2007 – This software allows you to do everything Quicken Basic 2007 does and more. With this upgrade, you can set financial goals and monitor your progress with interactive charts, graphs and reports. You can download and track your 401(k), IRA and other investment account information and handle a variety of other tasks.
• Quicken Premiere 2007 – The upgrade of the upgrade, this software adds to the expense tracking and planning capabilities of Quicken Deluxe. Use this product to define your investment goals, conduct research and optimize your portfolio.
• Quicken Mac 2007 – This is the Mac® version of the popular PC software. It offers special Mac exclusives.
• Quicken Home Inventory Manager – Not designed for specifically for investments, this software helps you keep track of your possessions, receipts and photos. With this Quicken software, you can expedite insurance claims with documented evidence of everything you own. Additionally, estate planning is possible by designating a beneficiary for each item you own.
• Quicken Rental Property Manager 2.0 – For those who own and/or manage rental properties, this Quicken software allows you to see at a glance who has paid their rent and who has not. It keeps track of partial payments and late fees as well as organizing deductions by Schedule E categories, flagging expenses about which you are unsure. This software also allows you to store tenant contact information, lease terms, security deposits, payment histories and other data about your tenants.
  

Intuit and Quicken are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intuit, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Video Professor is a trademark of Video Professor, Inc., registered in the U.S. and/or other countries. Excel is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation, registered in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mac is a trademark of Apple Computers, Inc. registered in the U.S. and/or other countries.

About the Author:
Sheri Graves is an award-winning writer who freelances from her home in Santa Rosa, California.