Guides

Setting up the app, and plain-English explanations of the ideas behind its numbers. None of this is tax advice. It explains how the rules and calculations work, so you can have a better-informed conversation with a professional.

• How to get a free Alpha Vantage API keyCreate a free Alpha Vantage key in under two minutes and add it to Portfolio Tracker as a backup source for prices and price history.
• FIFO vs LIFO vs HIFO: how cost basis methods change your taxesWhen you sell part of a position, which shares did you sell? A worked example showing how FIFO, LIFO and HIFO produce very different gains from the same trade.
• How to get a free Finnhub API keyA two-minute walkthrough for creating a free Finnhub key and connecting it to Portfolio Tracker for live stock quotes.
• Importing your trades from Schwab, Fidelity or a CSV fileBring your transaction history into Portfolio Tracker in a few minutes — directly from a Schwab or Fidelity export, or from any source using the simple template.
• Time-weighted vs money-weighted return (TWR vs XIRR)Why your portfolio can show a gain and a loss for the same year — and which return to look at depending on the question you're asking.
• The wash sale rule, explained with an exampleSell at a loss and buy back within 30 days, and the loss can be disallowed. How the rule works, where it catches people out, and what Portfolio Tracker does and doesn't flag.