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Start with the question you want answered
Account value answers “what is it worth?”; investment performance asks “what did my investments earn?” They are not the same when you've contributed or withdrawn money.
1. Check the period and the accounts
Open the Portfolio history or performance view. Confirm the account, reporting period, currency and whether recent pricing/history updates have completed. Older imported portfolios may have incomplete historical snapshots.
2. Understand a deposit example
Suppose an investment account is worth $10,000 at the start of a month. You deposit $2,000, and it ends at $12,250. The dollar value grew by $2,250, but only $250 is the difference left after the deposit. Even that simple net-flow figure is not an exact time-weighted or money-weighted return calculation.
3. Identify why a chart changed
- Look for deposits, withdrawals and transfers.
- Check any new or removed holdings and share quantity changes.
- Review price timestamps and currency movements.
- Compare historical account cash with the broker, if available.
- If a connection or import has gaps, don't treat a straight line as confirmed zero return.
4. Check what the metric includes
A simple change in market value may include cash flows, currency translation and missing activity. Interpret the chart label and available methodology before describing a percentage as an investment return.
5. Compare with official records
Use dated statements or trade confirmations when correcting holdings. Keep a backup before bulk re-importing history, and avoid mixing statement-date prices with today's cash values.
See check a mismatched value and FX conversion effects.
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