How do I manage securities?
Quicken prompts you to create a new security whenever you enter a transaction or download a transaction that contains a security not already included in your Security List. You can also manually add securities to the Quicken Security List (for example, to track securities you don't own in a Watch List).
From the Security List window you can also hide, edit or delete securities.
To open the Securities list, choose Investing tab > Tools > Security List.
To set up a new security
- Click New Security to add a new security.
- Use the Add Security to Quicken dialogs to fill in the requested information, you may not see all the fields listed below (this depends on the type of security you're adding, and on how much information Quicken can retrieve online based on the name or ticker symbol you enter).
Click a link below for more information.
- Ticker Symbol and Lookup
Enter a ticker symbol if you plan to update your portfolio prices online or import price data from an ASCII file.
Click Lookup if you would like Quicken to find the symbol for you (requires Internet access). (Optional)
- NameEnter the name of the security in the Name field.
- TypeSpecify a type of investment vehicle for this security. Quicken's standard security types are Stock; Mutual Fund; US Savings Bond; Bond; Emp. Stock Opt.; ESPP; CD; Market Index; and Other.
- CurrencyIn the Currency drop-down list, select a currency.
This option is only available when a security is unused. Once you have an existing security with shares added, you can only stay with the currency initially selected.
This option only appears if you've enabled multiple currency support.
- Asset class
In the Asset Class drop-down list, select an asset class. If this security contains a mixture of asset classes (as with a mutual fund), click the Mixture radio button, then specify the mixture in the Asset Class Mixture dialog. (Optional)
Click Download Asset Class Information to download the asset class of the security or fund (requires Internet access).
- Tax FreeClick Tax Free if this is a tax-free security. (Some municipal bonds and other securities are tax-free. Consult your tax advisor.)
- Use Average Cost
This option is available for mutual funds only. Select it if you want to use average cost to track the cost basis of the mutual fund.
- Back LoadIf this security is a mutual fund, check to see if it has a back load. If the answer is yes, enter the percentage on which the back load is based. This field is important if you want to accurately calculate capital gains. (Optional)
- Bond Type, Maturity Date, Call DateThese fields only appear if you set up this security in Quicken as a bond. Edit as necessary.
- Matched with Online Security
If Matched with Online Security is selected, you identified this security as being involved in a previous download of investment transactions. If you no longer want downloaded transactions having the same CUSIP number, ticker symbol, or name to affect this particular security (because you now want to do a short sale, exercise options, or some other action), clear Matched with Online Security.
To reestablish the connection, download transactions involving the security and select to match it again.
- Other infoClick Other Info to:
- Change or delete the estimated income for a security.
- Edit contact information connected with this security (for example, your broker's name and phone number).
- Add or change the security's associated investing goal.
- Enter a security rating for this investment.
- Add comments or additional information.
To edit an existing security
- Click the name of the security you want to edit.
- Click Edit Security Details.
- Use the dialog to edit the security information.
- When editing a security, you may not see all the fields listed below (this depends on the type of security you're editing).
Click a link below for more information.
To hide a security or view a hidden security
If you want to conceal a security from future use but keep the transactions that use the security, hide it. For record keeping and tax purposes, it's usually better to hide a security rather than deleting it from your file.
- Select the security you want to hide. To do so, click anywhere on the security line, but not on the security name.
- Select the Hide check box.
- To view the security again, click Show hidden securities.
Notes
You need to view hidden securities if you want to use them for certain operations, such as in reports and graphs. In general, the ability to include or exclude hidden securities locally (from within a feature) depends on whether Quicken provides the option to customize the feature. If you're using a feature that can't be customized, then you must go to the Security List and follow the steps above to include or exclude the hidden securities.
| Type of feature | Example of feature |
|---|---|
Features that can be locally customized using a dialog | Investing tab > Portfolio page Investing tab > Performance page Investing tab > Allocations page Investment reports |
Features that can't be locally customized (use global settings from the Security List for viewing hidden securities) | Investing tab > Tools button > Security List |
To reactivate a hidden security
If you've hidden a security but now want to track that security again (perhaps you sold it and then later purchased more shares) you can reactivate your already existing data for the security instead of starting over.
- If your hidden securities are not displayed in the Security List, click Show hidden securities.
- Select the security you want to reactivate. To do so, click anywhere on the security line, but not on the security name.
- Clear the Hide check box.
- The security is no longer hidden.
To delete a security
Before you can delete a security, you must find and delete all transactions that use it.
If you merely want to hide a security from any future use, you don't need to delete all the transactions that use it. For record keeping and tax purposes, it's usually best to hide a security instead of deleting it from your file.
- Select the security you want to delete. To do so, click anywhere on the security line, but not on the security name.
- Click the Report button to list all transactions that use the security.
- From the report, click Preferences and make sure QuickZoom to Investment Forms is not selected.
- From the report, double-click a transaction to go to the transaction list that holds it, and then delete the transaction.
- Repeat step 5 until you've deleted all transactions that use the security.
- After deleting all the transactions that use a security, you can delete the security by selecting it in the Security List and choosing Delete.
To track employee stock options
Information is available at Tracking employee stock options in Quicken.