Local portfolio tracking

How to Track Multiple Brokerage Accounts without an Online Aggregator

Keep accounts in separate portfolio tabs with a paid StockTracker license, or merge holdings into a combined planning file, without creating an online portfolio account.

People often end up with more than one investment account: a workplace account, an individual brokerage account, an IRA, or an account at a second provider. An online aggregator can be convenient, but it also introduces another account, another connection, and another place where portfolio information is handled.

A local-first workflow takes a different approach. Export current positions from each account, import them into a desktop tracker, and decide whether you want separate views or one combined planning portfolio.

Local does not mean automatic. You are responsible for exporting current positions and updating the files after trades. The benefit is control over the portfolio files and no requirement to upload them to a StockTracker account.

Choose separate files or one combined view

Separate portfolio files

Use one file for each brokerage account when you want to see account-level values, cost basis, and projected income independently. This can make reconciliation easier and keeps the source of each holding obvious.

A paid StockTracker license lets you keep multiple portfolios open in separate tabs. Free mode supports one tab at a time; opening another portfolio replaces the current one after asking you to save changes.

A combined planning portfolio

Use one portfolio when your main question is how all of your accounts contribute to total household income. You can import one account, then merge additional positions or add them manually. Keep your original exports as source records so you can compare the combined file with the accounts later.

Opening several tabs does not combine their totals or income charts. Each tab remains a separate portfolio. To review a combined income estimate, merge the holdings into a separate planning portfolio and check the result against the source accounts.

Work with portfolio tabs

  1. With a paid license, choose File > Open Positions or press Ctrl+O to open each saved portfolio in its own tab. Opening the same file again selects its existing tab.
  2. For a new account, choose File > New Portfolio Tab, import or add its positions, and save it with a recognizable file name.
  3. Select a tab to review that portfolio's holdings and totals. Save, import, export, editing, and F5 quote refresh apply to the selected tab; each tab keeps its own selection and sorting.
  4. Drag a tab header onto the left or right half of another tab to place it before or after that tab.
  5. Save each portfolio before exiting. With a paid license, saved portfolio tabs reopen in their saved order at the next launch. Unsaved portfolios are not recovered.

Use a tab's × button to close it. StockTracker asks you to save unsaved changes when closing tabs or exiting. Charts stay attached to the portfolio from which they were opened and close with that tab.

Free mode supports one portfolio tab and up to five positions. Opening another file replaces the current portfolio after asking you to save changes; creating additional tabs requires a license.

Use the import format that matches the account

StockTracker supports a dedicated Charles Schwab Positions CSV, plus general mapped position files in CSV and Excel .xlsx format. For a general spreadsheet, include recognizable columns such as symbol and shares, then review the detected mappings during import.

Use a positions or holdings export rather than a transaction history, statement, or tax document. Those files answer different questions and may not contain the current position structure needed for a portfolio import.

Review duplicates before merging

If the same symbol appears in more than one account, decide what you want the combined view to represent. Merging can be useful for total household income, but review share quantities and cost basis so the result matches your intended view.

After a merge, compare the total shares for important positions with the source exports. If the same holding appears in two accounts, the combined total should reflect both accounts without accidentally importing one file twice.

Keep the local files current

A local tracker does not automatically know when you buy or sell shares. Export or update the relevant portfolio after trades, then review share count, cost basis, dividend information, and payment timing. Save a backup before replacing a file through a new import.

StockTracker with Sample Brokerage and Sample IRA tabs, showing the selected portfolio's holdings, totals, and projected dividend income
Separate portfolio tabs keep each account's holdings and income totals independent. Multiple tabs require a paid license; sample data shown. View full size.

What stays local—and what still uses the internet?

StockTracker portfolio files are stored locally on your computer, and no StockTracker account is required. You choose where to save the files and how to back them up.

Internet access is still needed for supported market-data quote refreshes and update checks or downloads. Provider credentials, when required, are stored on the device and are not written into portfolio files.

A practical multi-account routine

  1. Export current positions from each brokerage account.
  2. Keep the original exports in a dated local folder.
  3. Update separate portfolio files or merge into a combined planning file.
  4. Review duplicates, share quantities, and cost basis.
  5. Complete dividend amounts and payment schedules.
  6. Refresh quotes and review each portfolio's income calendar, or the combined calendar if you maintain a merged planning file.

Keep your portfolios together on your desktop

Try StockTracker free with one portfolio tab and up to five positions. Upgrade for $20 once to unlock multiple portfolio tabs and unlimited positions.

Try StockTracker free Upgrade for multiple portfolios and unlimited positions

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