What is the cost basis for your stocks and ETFs?
Your stock or ETF’s cost basis is the purchase price, including reinvested dividends or reinvested capital gains distributions, plus additional costs such as commission or other fees you paid to complete the transaction. The information is typically found on a trade confirmation sent to you immediately after you buy a stock or ETF. However, gathering old trade confirmations is time consuming and may be near impossible to locate depending on when you completed the purchase of a stock or ETF.
Instead, the firm that holds your stocks or ETFs retains the cost basis for you. Below we’ll show you how you can locate that information so we can provide you with a review of how you could use Frec’s platform with your current investments.
Why does Frec need your stock or ETF cost basis for a portfolio analysis?
We compare the price you bought specific stocks and ETFs with its current value to determine how much in capital gains or losses you would incur if the position is sold out. We then work with you on what indices you’d like to invest into and how you want to use your current investments to either seed the index, diversify concentrated positions, move out of highly appreciated positions, or other situations specific to your investment situation and goals.
How can you find your stock or ETF's cost basis?
If you transfer assets into Frec from a different brokerage firm, we should receive your stock or ETF cost basis automatically. Keep in mind your external brokerage firm may charge you a fee to transfer assets into Frec. If you’d prefer not to transfer your assets, you can download your cost basis from your current brokerage firm and provide us with the downloaded document.
Below are instructions on how to download cost basis from a few different brokerage firms. If you have any issues finding a stock or etf’s cost basis for your particular account, you can always reach out to us by emailing help@frec.com. These instructions are subject to change.
Fidelity
- Log in to your Fidelity account.
- On the left hand side, click on the specific account you wish to locate cost basis information for.
- Select “Positions” on the top row.
- Click the download button in the top right corner.
Charles Schwab
- Log in to your Schwab account.
- On the left hand side, click on the specific account you wish to locate cost basis information for.
- Select “Positions” on the top row.
- Click the export button in the top right corner.
Vanguard
- Log in to your Vanguard account.
- Click on “My Accounts”.
- Under “Gains and Losses” select “cost basis”.
- Click the download button in the top right corner.
ETrade
- Log into ETrade.
- Click on your account.
- Go to “Positions”.
- Click the download in the top right corner.
Wealthfront
- Log into Wealthfront.
- You will start on the account overview page, select the account you wish to download cost basis for.
- Navigate to “Investing” and then “Investment Details”.
- Click the “download” button in the top right corner.
Betterment
- Log into Betterment.
- Select the account you want to download the cost basis for.
- Click on “Portfolio” on the top.
- Click the “download” button in the top right corner.
Morgan Stanley
- Log into Morgan Stanley.
- Select “Accounts” on the top menu and click on your account.
- Click on “Unrealized Gains and Losses”.
- Click “download” in the top right corner.
Merrill Edge
- Log into Merrill Edge.
- Select your account on the top drop down menu.
- Click on “Positions” or “Holdings”, it may vary based on your setup.
- Click the “download” button in the top right corner.
UBS
- Log into UBS.
- Find your account by clicking on “portfolio”.
- Click on “Holdings” to view all holdings with cost basis.
- Click the “download” button in the top right corner.
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