Stock Option Accounts

An option has no value until it is exercised.

An option's value is the net profit (market value - excercise cost) at current market. My option account in quicken adds that value to my net worth, and shows it as the value of the account. Does quicken know the current market value of the securities?

Beyong that - I have no idea what to say - I set mine up years ago and it just works.

Hi there, and thanks for the information.

I have to say - I see this functionality different than say a regular brokerage account. In a regular brokerage account - the current stock value is used in the net worth calculation - so why wouldn't that same approach be taken in including the option value in contributing to net worth?

Thanks again for the input.

Generally, Quicken gets Net Worth right.

But you must insure that the Net Worth value you are viewing includes all the Accounts and Securities that you consider to be part of your Net Worth.

Almost every Quicken Net Worth presentation allows you to select (customize) the Accounts that are used to produce the net worth amount.

You have not provided a single clue as to what Net Worth presentation you are talking about ... much less what you have attempted to do to get your net worth displayed correctly.

Hi John,

Thanks for the resp>> Hi there, and thanks for the information.

If you're not seeing the account listed at all in the "Account Bar", check to be sure the account is not hidden (Account List).

If you see the account in the Account Bar, but it's amount is greyed out and isn't included in the Net Worth total at the bottom of the bar, check to be sure you haven't told Quicken not to include it in totals (Account List).

If the account appears in the Account Bar with a zero value and you have some other display or report that shows the account with a non-zero value, make sure you are looking at comparable dates for the two amounts.

If, for example, you look at the Transaction List for the account and it shows a value for some date in the future, but your Account Bar is set to show "current value", then you can see two different amounts. Check your Quicken price history (Security Detail View) and note what the current price/share is and whether you have any future dated prices.

I should have added that if you do not own any shares of the security ... yet; that will also cause it to have a zero current value.

In this option account, what EXACTLY do you hold? The option contract(s) only? Or additional securities?

Also, what EXACTLY is showing on your Net Worth report? Is the account showing at all? How have you determined that the amount is incorrect?

If it IS showing, what amounts are there? The current value of the options contract(s) is what I'd expect (plus any additional securities).

I would NOT expect the value of the stock that's represented by the options to show (which would be one interpretation of what you're saying you expect) ... unless you actually own the stock also.

db

John,

Thanks for the >> If you're not seeing the account listed at all in the "Account

Thanks John for the information.

I have found that in fact the options are in the net worth report (red face). The value just doesn't show up in the account - I suspect because of what you have mentioned - I don't really own the shares yet.

Thanks aga>> If you're not seeing the account listed at all in the "Account

Try right-clicking in the Account Bar and see which balances you are displaying. If you are currently displaying "current balances", try changing to "ending balances".

Hi John,

YES - the current balance reflects the value of the options. this is great - I can have my cake and eat it too. Current balance with the option value - and ending balance without.

Thanks aga>> Thanks John for the information.