How to Track Mutual Funds in Stock Purchases
Despite its periodic wild swings, the stock market can still be an excellent place to invest. Many investors find that having at least some exposure to the stock market can boost their overall gains, but to get the most from your stocks and mutual funds, it is important to track your purchases--and your performance---carefully.
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Instructions
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Gather your brokerage statements, purchase and sale statements and other financial records before you begin. You will need this information to track your mutual funds and calculate your investment returns.
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Log on to your computer and open your spreadsheet program. Microsoft Excel will work well, but you can also use a free option such as Open Office or Google Docs to create your spreadsheet. Open a new spreadsheet and give it a descriptive name such as "Mutual Funds."
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Create columns for the information you will need. At a minimum, be sure to create a column showing the date of each purchase, the amount of each purchase and the number of shares purchased.
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Look at your brokerage statements and use that information to fill out your spreadsheet. Place each new purchase of mutual fund shares on a separate line to make it easier to track your performance and your purchases. Also add a line for each capital gain or dividend payment. Actual purchases and reinvested capital gains will be part of your cost basis for tax purposes.
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Create totals at the bottom of each column to add up the number of shares you have purchased and the total amount of money you have invested. Update your spreadsheet each time you make a new purchase or receive dividends.
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