Don't wait until markets tumble to track your investments

Global sharemarkets have fallen 5% in the past month. But when markets tank we notice a surge in new clients at Sharesight. Based on the analytics behind what drives people to sign up, investors rush to pinpoint their investment positions. They find what they need from the share registries and then sign up with us to import trading histories from their brokers. While it's encouraging that people are taking steps to become informed investors, it also tells us that many of them don't know where they stand.

So many investors don't know when they bought shares, how many they own, or at what price they acquired them. That's fine during rising markets, but if you're in negative territory you need to get a handle on what your losses look like. (And while we hate falling markets just as much as you -- if we're not on the hunt for value picks - they do expose some of the reasons behind our fantastic growth.)

The first ever Sharesight client signed up in late 2007, with early adopters coming on board version 1.0 in 2008, right into the teeth of the GFC. Launching a portfolio tracking application during a global economic meltdown may have sounded bananas to some, but it suited us just fine. Providing an alternative to expensive platforms or wraps while giving investors control of their portfolios is what we're all about. And while Sharesight is superb at tracking your ongoing performance for performance and tax purposes, you could argue that there's just as much value in going back in time to work out where you stand today.

Ultimately, Sharesight provides the peace of mind of knowing that your investment data resides in one place, while providing powerful performance and tax reports at the ready. Markets will inevitably fluctuate, but having a clear view of your investment position helps to mitigate your worries, while proving the crucial data you need to make key buy/sell decisions.

FURTHER READING

• Interpreting portfolio performance
• How your broker’s performance numbers mislead you
• A broken chain of investment providers: why investors pay the price