What is the Watch list?

You don't have to own the security to get prices for it (assuming Quicken's quote server can get the quotes).

Where possible and meaningful.

Investing Center > Portfolio tab

See above.

Plus, for securities you own, you will have actual activity that will broaden the information available.

Thank you John. I am sorry to bother you with what may seem basic questions but you will see why I ask.

I went to Investing Center > Portfolio tab, as you suggested.

What I see there are several groups under the name column.

At the top is a group labeled "Watch list" that contains a half dozen securities. (They are the same ones that I found had Watch List selected in the Investing > Security List screen).

After that group come the Indexes group (Dow Jones, etc.).

Then, grouped by investment account, are all my other securities.

Here is why I am confused: except for the "Name" column and the "Quote/Price" column, all the other columns are empty (blank) for the "Watch list securities" and the "Indexes"! Whereas, when I get to the securities that are listed below the watch list (not part of the Watch list), all the columns are fully populated with data.

That is why I was wondering what selecting "Watch List" does and 'where' does it download its data from. When I download, I download my transactions from my brokers, but do not connect to Quicken or upload my info to Quicken for privacy reasons.

In the 'One step download' screen, I have the "Quotes: Download quotes, asset classes, headlines and alerts" box unselected. Is that where the watch list info would come from? Where does it get that info from? Quicken?

Since I seem to be getting all the columns' data populated (except for the Watch list group), does that mean my broker's info is adequate and I gain nothing further by listing any securities on the watch list or selecting "Quotes" in my downloads?

I hope I am clear.

Thanks

Jeff

"Jeff" wrote in news:MpAtg.19059$f76.8571@dukeread06:

Yes.

Yes.

Yes. Why do you care? I can not think of a single reason to have a security in your Watch List if you own that security. Nor a single reason to care if you do.

The purpose of a "watch list" ( which is not a concept limited to Quicken) is to track the prices of securities you do not own. It may be possible to track other information about those securities, but such information must be limited by the fact that you don't have the same information about those securities that you do about securities that you own.

I suggest that you accept the definition that Quicken applies to "watch list" securities: the Watch List is designed for securities you do not own. If you happen to own the same securities that are also in your Watch List, that should be immaterial.

Thanks. That makes it clear.

Jeff

A minor point -- years ago when I added the indices (Dow, NASDAQ, Russell) to our portfolio, qkn (don't remember the version) automatically added them to the Watch List. Don't know if that still happens or not; it was a simple step to remove them from the Watch List so they were not duplicated in the portfolio view.

Same thing here, except it occurred sporadically, so that few were added to the watch list and other were not.

Thanks.

Jeff