How to track all-time portfolio performance?

[danstelter]

Hi -

So how do you track your portfolio's all-time performance vs. Mr. Market? I've been trying to find a way to do this, and I can't find a good one. I've got many transactions from multiple accounts (401k, IRAs etc...), so consolidating them into one place...that's hard.

I currently do this through a spreadsheet. However, to my horror, when I examined the "Adjusted Close" prices from Yahoo finance, I've found those have changed in the last 1-2 years since I've started doing this. I thought that would be an absolute, unchanging, reference point.

How do you do this? Do you use a painfully slow spreadsheet? Got software that lets you do the same?

Very curious,

Dan

[disneysteve]

Interesting question. I have absolutely no idea. As you say, there are so many data points that I think it would be a monumental task. We've had accounts that we no longer have, accounts that have merged with other companies, taxable accounts, retirement accounts, etc. And you would need to have a record of every single transaction you've ever made on every account you've ever had.

[colby99]

I use Quicken. In my case, I need to know my return on investment (ROI), for I don't put all of my funds at risk at any time. I do keep track of how much money I put in, and I do calculate my return on equity. Quicken helps.