Tracking Cash in Portfolio Slicer

Overview

Portfolio Slicer can be used in two modes:

  • Track Cash
  • Do Not Track Cash

For most new users, the simpler option is to start with Do Not Track Cash and switch to cash tracking later if needed.

The cash setting is controlled through the Config table.

The TrackCash Setting

The TrackCash value is stored in the workbook Config table.

TrackCash setting in Config table

Use:

  • Yes to track cash balances
  • No to ignore cash balances in Portfolio Slicer reports

When to Start Without Cash Tracking

Starting without cash tracking is often easier because it reduces the number of transactions you need to enter.

This approach is useful when you want to:

  • get Portfolio Slicer working quickly
  • focus first on holdings and performance
  • avoid entering every deposit and withdrawal immediately

The tradeoff is that some portfolio and return calculations will not reflect idle cash balances.

How Track Cash Mode Works

When cash tracking is enabled, Portfolio Slicer uses a special symbol:

  • * Cash

Cash is tracked in the currency of the account, and Portfolio Slicer calculates the cash balance from the transaction history in that account.

In practical terms, each transaction changes the running cash balance according to its transaction type.

Important Concept

If you record purchases while tracking cash, you usually also need to record the cash that funded those purchases.

For example, before recording a buy transaction in an empty account, you would normally record a deposit. Otherwise the account may show a negative cash balance.

Common transaction types used for cash tracking include:

  • Deposit
  • Withdraw
  • Int

For these cash-specific transactions, the symbol should be * Cash.

Practical Example

A simple sequence in a cash-tracked account might look like this:

  1. Deposit cash into the account using symbol * Cash
  2. Buy shares of a symbol using that account
  3. receive Div or Int later if applicable
  4. Withdraw cash if money leaves the account

If you skip the deposit step and only enter the buy, the holdings may look right but the account cash balance may become negative.

How Do Not Track Cash Mode Works

When cash tracking is disabled, Portfolio Slicer assumes account cash balances are effectively zero for reporting purposes.

This means:

  • deposit transactions are not treated as meaningful cash balances in reports
  • dividends can still contribute to income calculations
  • uninvested cash is not represented the way it would be in full cash-tracking mode

This mode is simpler, but it gives a less complete picture of total portfolio value when idle cash matters.

Which Mode Should You Use?

Use Do Not Track Cash if:

  • you are just getting started
  • you want fewer transactions to maintain
  • you care more about invested positions than full account cash behavior

Use Track Cash if:

  • you want your reports to align more closely with actual account balances
  • you want a fuller picture of invested and uninvested capital
  • you are willing to enter deposits, withdrawals, interest, and other cash activity carefully

Practical Recommendation

A good progression is:

  1. start without cash tracking
  2. learn the transaction model
  3. confirm reports behave as expected
  4. enable cash tracking later if you want more complete reporting