price.date, transaction.post_date and neutral time

[Mark Haanen]

Wm via gnucash-devel schreef op 13-02-18 om 17:10:
> On 13/02/2018 09:12, Alen Siljak wrote:
>
>
>> - we enter the investments we own, i.e. Stocks Fund, Bonds Fund, 
>> Direct Bond, favorite company ABC stock, etc.
>> - we link the investments (by symbol) to the allocation classes above.
>>    Stocks Fund => stocks
>>    Bonds Fund => bonds
>>    Direct Bond => bonds
>>    ABC => stocks
>> - we get the latest prices
>
> That's looking self referential to me as your plan allows for a 1.75% 
> government bond to be called a stock and a stock to be called a bond.
>
> all a bit pointless.
>
>> All that computer software needs to do (and, deep into 21st century 
>> this is the least I'd expect my personal finance app to do) is to 
>> calculate the current value of the holdings, therefore asset classes, 
>> and say:
>> "you have 50K in investments, out of which 30% is in stocks and 70% 
>> in bonds, while your allocation is 10%/90%".
>
> Isn't that just back referencing ?
>
> I own a dog, I check my dog ownership and find I own a dog.
>
> Neither I or the dog should be surprised. 

Not really, because the value of the portfolio assets (and therefore the 
value of the different asset classes) change over time.

Say my target asset allocation is 10%/90% (as above) and that is the 
ratio in which I divide the amount I use buying my assets (say $100).
However, I don't own $90 of stocks, but rather 2 stock units priced at 
$45. The same for my bond assets (e.g. half a bond currently priced at $20).

Over time the prices of the underlying assets in my portfolio change.
For instance, during recession and with quantitative easing in place, 
bond prices climbed while equity prices dropped.
So now my 2 stock units are only worth $60 total, while my bond category 
assets climbed to $30.
All that Alen is saying that he wants a report which compares my target 
ratio of 10/90 with my current value ratio of 33/67, as this may lead to 
a rebalancing of the portfolio.

-- Mark