Are you a financially savvy when it comes to numbers but sometimes disorganized when it comes to keeping track of all of your stocks and investments? Are you looking for a more streamlined way to do business and to manage all of your assets? Do you need an online solution that is secure and protects your personal information? AOL’s DailyFinance Portfolio might be of help. This guide will take you through what you can expect with AOL’s online finance platform so you can decide if it is an option you would like to explore.
Manual vs. Synched Portfolios
The AOL DailyFinance Portfolio offers two options for managing a stock portfolio — the manual and the synched version. The manual portfolio requires that you update your stock asset information manually, including the stock title, the cost of the stocks, the number of shares, etc. The synched version is connected to your brokerage firm and updates in real time.
Accessing Your AOL DailyFinance Portfolio
When committing to any online platform, users want to know how easy the tool is to use. The AOL DailyFinance Portfolio is easy to use once a little input work is done. As the Manual vs. Synched section alludes to, it’s going to be much easier to manage your account if you synch it to your brokerage firm. The AOL DailyFinance Portfolio also is easy to access. Simply visit www.dailyfinance.com, where you will log in using your personal id and password. From there, hover your mouse over the “Invest” menu, and then click on “Portfolios.” You’ll have instant access to all of your portfolios from this online platform.
Stock Splitting Updates
One hiccup in the AOL DailyFinance Portfolio is that regardless of whether you have a manual or a synched portfolio, the platform will not update if your stock splits. This is something the platform needs to address, as it’s confusing to the user who may assume the synched account would just take care of stock-splitting. But you will have to update the portfolio manually if your stock splits.
Real-Time Tickers
The AOL DailyFinance Portfolio gives you the option of adding a real-time ticker to your screen so that when you are logged in you can see how the stock market is doing and how your investments are shoring up for the day. This is a nice feature that is helpful to the user who is constantly watching the ups and downs of the market and looking for the right time to sell.
S&P Comparison
Another helpful feature in the AOL DailyFinance Portfolio is that you can see how your stocks are holding up against the S&P 500. Simply click on the “Charts” tab, and the S&P 500 chart will display for you to view.
Gains/Loss Questions
Another hiccup in the AOL DailyFinance Portfolio is that it does not calculate gains and losses. The portfolio contains symbols for many different currencies, and AOL has not built in a tool for calculating overall gains and losses. So, you will see “N/A” for the “Valued” category and the “Gain/Loss” category. You’ll have to make those calculations on your own or use another tool to get the overall gain/loss for the day.
Getting a Digital or Paper Copy
Finally, if you need a paper or digital copy of your portfolios, you can download and print them directly from your AOL DailyFinance Portfolio. This is helpful if you need to show your portfolio to your broker or your personal finance advisor and you don’t want to log into your personal page. It’s just one more feature that makes the AOL DailyFinance Portfolio easy to use and helpful to the user.
