Holdings Cost Basis Doesn't Add Up

Paddy

I edited cost basis of some stocks in my register but when I click holdings, it shows the old cost basis and does not reflect my changes.

What is the issue?

Tom Young

How did you "edit" cost basis?  Assuming that all the "origination" entries for the stocks (Buys, ReinvDivs, etc.) are correct, I take it that you're doing this because your cost basis doesn't match the brokers?  That is, the lots selected in Quicken for sales of the securities doesn't match the lots sold by the broker?

If you want basis to line up lot-by-lot to the broker's records you need to Remove individual lots and then Add lots back with the matching basis.

NotACPA

Further note that, unless you specify to the broker the EXACT lots to sell before the sale takes place, the brokerage will almost certainly use FIFO.

If you didn't also use FIFO, your basis displayed will differ from what the brokerage shows.

Paddy

I had to start> @Tom Young said:
> How did you "edit" cost basis?  Assuming that all the "origination" entries for the stocks (Buys, ReinvDivs, etc.) are correct, I take it that you're doing this because your cost basis doesn't match the brokers?  That is, the lots selected in Quicken for sales of the securities doesn't match the lots sold by the broker?If you want basis to line up lot-by-lot to the broker's records you need to Remove individual lots and then Add lots back with the matching basis.

The cost basis is correct in the register. It's when I click holdings that it shows the wrong total cost basis.

q_lurker

@Paddy You didn't answer the question.  

What transactions did you enter to change the cost basis?  

We can't identify "the issue" unless we know what you did.

Paddy

They were placeholders because my broker does not have the quicken data past a few months so placeholders are created. I entered everything into the placeholders and then went back and edit them but they show up as different.

q_lurker

So I abhor placeholders, never accept them, and delete them if they do appear.  To make things 'right', I enter an Add Shares with the proper number of shares, cost basis, and acquisition date.  That 'should be' what 'entering everything into the placeholders' does, but I would not trust it to be complete.  It appears (from my chair) that might be your issue.