Today, we’re going take another step on your way to become a TradeStops “Power User.” We’ve already seen how to set up a portfolio and how to work with the positions in your portfolio. Now, let’s explore more advanced position monitoring techniques. The process of portfolio monitor management is easy, but it will provide you with a wealth of knowledge.
Accessing your Positions
To see the positions in your portfolio, click on the Portfolios tab. Then, click on the portfolio you would like to view.
Remember to check your sync date for your synchronized portfolios. You want that date to be today or yesterday’s date. If it is not, click the circular arrows. That will update your portfolio.
Position Views
After you click on a portfolio, you are brought to the Positions & Alerts page. The information that is displayed for you is called a View. These Views can be customized to your liking to include a diverse amount of data.
On the right side of the page, click the Pencil icon. This lets you edit the current view. You could also click Add View to create a brand-new view. Just follow the prompts once the new view page opens.
You can also read all about editing and creating views in this article.
Creating your own custom views is incredibly helpful. You have more control. You can tell, at a glance, how well your positions are performing based on your parameters.
You can also have more than one custom view. This way, you can better organize the data that you want to see. It doesn’t all have to be in one place. It can be simple and to the point. To switch between views, just click on the view title.
The active view is colored in blue. If you have more than 3 views, use the little downward pointing triangle to access your other views.
Fill in Missing Data
Sometimes, your entry date or entry price might not get pulled in from your broker. This can happen especially when you have held the position for a long time. There is an easy way to fill this data. It’s the bulk edit feature.
Using Bulk Edit is easy.
- Go to the Positions & Alerts tab
- Click the white boxes to the left of your positions that are missing data
- At the bottom of the page, click Bulk Edit
Clicking on Bulk Edit will produce a menu pop up. From there, you can enter the missing information. You can also add any tags or notes about your position.
Why should I enter the dates and prices though?
Our alerts are based off your entry point and your entry price. For our alerts to be the most accurate, we need this data. Otherwise, you could get stopped out too early or too late.
If you don’t know your entry date and entry price, that’s okay. You can always contact your broker. They would be happy to provide you with the information.
How to Search for a Position
You might not remember if one of your stocks has an entry date or not. Rather than scrolling through all your positions, you can simply look it up.
On the right side of the page, above the views, there is a search box. Simply start typing in the ticker symbol that you are searching for.
Then, TradeStops will automatically show you that position.
You can then edit that single position. If the position looks okay to you, just click on the small X in the search box. This will make the rest of your positions appear. If you don’t see the X for some reason, just refresh your Internet browser. This will make the list appear again.
You can even use this search box to look up how long a stock has been in its current SSI state. Simply type in D+, W+, M+, or Y+. TradeStops will then show you the stocks that correspond to that time.
If you ever think that a stock might have been in its current SSI status for too long, you can contact our Customer Success Team. They will be happy to investigate any positions you have questions about. They can be reached at 866-385-2076 from 9:00am – 5:00pm Eastern. Just please keep in mind that they cannot give financial advice.
Printing and Exporting Data
Let’s say that you want to print or export the positions that have been in a current SSI status for a certain amount of time. This is easy to do.
After running your search, simply click on the printer or export icon. The icon is in the upper right hand corner above the views section.
You can then print your data or work with it in a spreadsheet program.
Printing your data is a great way of taking a snapshot of how your positions are doing at a certain point in time. You can always print the data later to compare how they are performing, say, in a week.
Exporting data will allow you to work with a spreadsheet program. In that program, you can make calculations as to whether you want to stay with the position or not.
Advanced Position Monitoring
We covered a lot today. It might take a little time to get used to these techniques, but we have confidence in you. With a little practice, these tools will help you reach new levels of confident investing. You will be a TradeStops Power User with powerful investments backing you up.
To your continued success,
Customer Success Team
