Here’s how to track your investments so you always have financial peace of mind, no matter what else is going on.
It’s 2021 and we’re living uncertain financial times that depend on the way the pandemic is being managed, as well as how we take care of our finances. The financial markets are going through a recovery and transformative process, with retail investors opening a lot of online brokerages last year despite the decreases we saw in March.
The markets have always seen fluctuations. It’s part of the whole process of being an investor, going through hardship while you try to capitalize on your investments. To make money, it’s not enough to only choose the best ways to invest your capital and then hope for the best. Hope may be an important emotion for investors, but we have to keep in mind that being in control of our money is mandatory for a proactive attitude and for making the best financial decisions.
The first step for taking control of your portfolio is to choose a way to track your investments, whether you do this by yourself or with professional help. So let’s take a look at how you can track your investments and why this is such an important part of being an investor.
Why You Need to Track Your Investments
Since we live in a fast-paced world, it’s easy to lose track of a lot of things. The pandemic has shown us how easily this can happen and at what speed. While we might sometimes forget about important things, it’s mandatory to try as much as possible to be on top of our financial situation. And this includes investment tracking, so you can be proactive when it comes to your portfolio and the changes it goes through.
Imagine your investment portfolio is going through the ups and downs of living in the current age, just like yourself. If you track the way you respond to hard times, you will most likely find solutions for the problems you are dealing with. With this analogy in mind, tracking your investments brings on financial security and some peace of mind. Knowing how your portfolio is doing, you can sell or buy new investments by sticking to your financial goals.
How to Track Your Investments
Now that we’re on the same page regarding the importance of tracking investments, let’s see how you can do that by using different methods tailored to your needs and skills.
1. Online Trackers
Online trackers offer investment tracking of all your accounts and investments, as well as money management tools to help you along the way. These are some of the well-known online trackers that you can use.
Personal Capital
This tracker is best if you are a high-end investor since the minimum amount required to use it is $100,000. The management fees can range between 0.49% to 0.89% and you’ll also get access to important tools necessary for tracking your financial situation. The best financial tools you’ll get with Personal Capital are a retirement planner, true net worth tracking, and an investment checkup tool.
Mint.com
Another popular online tracker is Mint.com. No matter if you’re a beginner or a more experienced investor, this is a free tool and it makes tracking your investments easier. It also has a budgeting tool, financial goal tracking, and the possibility to monitor your credit scores. You can set alarms so the tracker will send you alerts by e-mail or SMS regarding late fees, rate changes, and bill reminders.
2. Custom spreadsheets
If you’d like a more traditional approach to investment tracking, with no account minimum, and to save money by using your tracking skills, you can make your custom spreadsheets for taking control of your investments. One way to do this is to use an Excel investment tracker that you can manage with updates from an online data source.
Another solution you have in regards to this tracking approach is Google Spreadsheets. This option is not as great as Excel, but you can use it and update your information only by logging into your Google account at any time. You also benefit from regular updates from public finance websites.
3. Investment tracking with a financial advisor
Online investment trackers and custom spreadsheets, both require a certain amount of attention and effort on your side. While online trackers can do a lot of work for you and in DIY spreadsheets you make things happen, there is another option available. Using the services of a financial advisor can prove beneficial for your financial well-being. It relieves you of the burden of keeping your accounts updated and tracking your investments.
With a strong financial knowledge and up-to-date with the latest fluctuation of the markets, a financial advisor may come with a bigger fee, but it’s worth considering it as an investment into a more secure financial future. Probably one of the biggest benefits of having a financial advisor tracking your finances is that money advice and guidance are always only a phone call away, thus helping you be in control of your portfolio while you win more time to do the things you love and enjoy.
No matter what way you choose to track your investments, it’s always a good idea to do everything you can to manage and build your portfolio. If you’re a stock market investor, here is what we think are the best free stock trading apps this year.
