"Amount Invested" Calculation...Wrong?

crispybishop

Hey All,

In my Portfolio view, the "Amount Invested" column just doesn't add up. I'm aware of HOW it calculates its number, but I can't get it to match. Is this a known issue by chance?

crispybishop

Apologize, as a new user, I can't seem to post a screenshot. Here's a link that should work:
https://snipboard.io/KESygZ.jpg

The "Amount Invested" in the portfolio tab doesn't math-up with the actual transaction history. Am I missing something? How did they get $1,420.37 in "Amount Invested" when my INITIAL investment was $2000 as-is?...let alone the subsequent reinvestments?



[Edited to Include Image]

Rocket J Squirrel

Quicken is fussy about Amount Invested where reinvestments are involved.

If you record a reinvested dividend as two transactions, a Div and a Buy, Quicken will add the amount of the Buy to Amount Invested. Quicken thinks, "hey, it's a Buy, the user must have invested more money."

If you record a reinvested dividend as a single ReinvDiv transaction, Quicken will not increase Amount Invested. This is the right way to record a reinvestment.

The same holds true for reinvested capital gains.

crispybishop

That...sounds promising. So if a DIV pays on Monday and my account auto-reinvest on Tuesday, it would be wise to amend that dual transaction to just a single REINVEST transaction. That way Quicken knows it's a REINVEST & not a BOUGHT.

Rocket J Squirrel

Yes. My brokerages usually get this right and send a Reinv transaction, but sometimes they don't.

Fidelity is bad at this at quarter-end when a dividend, short-term gain distribution and long-term gain distribution are all reinvested. Fidelity sends 4 transactions for this, a Div, CGShort, CGLong, and Buy. When this happens, I edit the first 3 transactions to be reinvestments and delete the Buy.

Sherlock

If you haven't already, you may want to confirm you have chosen to Show the return calculations from: Earliest available date in the Portfolio View Options window: select Options > Portfolio preferences...

bobbakerarizona

I get this error, with the wrong 'amount invested', but just on ONE security.

I did try to 'set earliest date' idea, but that didn't change it. The buy/sells look correct.
Does anyone else have this problem?

Update: Found other posts that explain 'my' "amount invested" definition was different than the way Quicken defines it. (e.g. moved shares between accounts.) OK. I understand this now.