Restoring missing (deleted) shares

Question

I mistakenly deleted shares from quite a few different securities held in a single brokerage from 2015.  Over the years, additional shares have been bought and sold and some sold completely, so the number of shares has evolved over time.  Of course, now my brokerage download is missing the value of all these shares.  What is the best method of correcting this mistake?  Printing current portfolio values of my brokerage account, comparing to my Quicken portfolio and adding the correct number of missing shares?  Or should I go back several years and compare the two?  How do I determine the cost basis?  Thanks.

John_in_NC · Accepted Answer

Usually, if you download from a broker, they will present the correct amount of currently held shares. Any difference between what your transactions show and what they report will be entered as a balancing adjusting "Placeholder' transx at the beginning of the account. This transaction (light gray) will add or remove shares so that the current shares held are correct. You can add the missing cost basis in the placeholder. Are you not seeing this?

If you are detail oriented, then, yes, you would review old transactions and manually enter in anything that is missing. That way you will have no placeholders as all your transactions complete the details. No adjustments or placeholders necessary.