What if the investment performance report shows too high a return?

If the Investment Performance report shows an unrealistically high return, it’s often due to how Quicken handles partial-year investments. You can adjust the report settings to get a more accurate result.

Use a date range of 365 days or more

When the report covers less than a full year, Quicken extrapolates the return to a full 12-month period. For example:

• A 10% return over 6 months appears as 20% annualized.

This assumption only holds if the investment continues performing the same way, which may not be realistic.

Understand when extrapolation works

Quicken's extrapolation works best for:

• Income-oriented investments, such as:

  • Bonds

  • High-dividend stocks
    These investments generate regular income that tends to be stable over time.

Extrapolation is less accurate for:

• Growth-oriented investments, where:

  • Early gains may not repeat

  • Returns can vary widely

For growth investments, use a custom date range that reflects the calendar year rather than year-to-date for better results.

How price assumptions affect performance

When the report covers exactly one year:

• Quicken assumes the year-end value equals the current market price.

• No additional appreciation or loss is projected.

• The performance shown is based on actual data—not extrapolated or prorated.

This provides the most accurate view of your current investment performance.