Why the platform dashboard is not enough
Exchange dashboards show unrealised profit and loss on each position, which is useful but incomplete. They rarely net out funding payments already paid, rarely show your return in local currency, and almost never compare your performance against a benchmark.
Without that context you can have a green portfolio that is actually underperforming a simple index fund, or a position that looks flat while quietly paying away a percent a month in carrying costs.
Track three currencies at once
If you live outside the dollar zone, your real return depends on three conversions: your local currency into stablecoin, stablecoin into the stock exposure, and the eventual path back. Each step carries cost, and the exchange rate itself moves your result.
A practical approach is to record every deposit with its exchange rate, then value positions weekly using that same rate. You then know precisely how much of your result came from the stocks and how much from currency movement.
Record funding and fees as real money
Funding payments on perpetual-style stock products accrue silently. Over a year they can rival or exceed the market return itself, so they belong in your tracking sheet as a line item, not as an afterthought.
A simple weekly log works: deposits, withdrawals, fees paid, funding paid, and closing value. After a month you will see clearly which positions are actually earning their keep and whether holding duration is your friend or your enemy.
The article onhidden costs of buying US stocks onlinelists every component to include.
Measure yourself against a benchmark
Pick one benchmark that matches your holdings. If you own mostly megacap technology, the Nasdaq 100 is the honest comparison.
If you hold a spread of sectors, use the S&P 500. Record your percentage return and theirs for the same period.
You can pull live prices for every ticker you hold from theUS stock quotes board, and check whether company news supports your thesis in theSEC filings feed. If you consistently trail the index by more than the cost you pay, the problem is likely position selection rather than bad luck.
A weekly routine that takes ten minutes
Once a week, update four numbers: total contributions, current value in your local currency, cumulative fees and funding paid, and your cumulative return versus the benchmark. Write a single sentence about why each position still exists.
That last sentence is the valuable part. It forces you to separate thesis from hope, and it gives you a written record to review next quarter when the narrative has changed.
Our guide to thefive mistakes beginners makecovers the behavioural traps this routine helps you avoid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which benchmark should I use if I hold five single stocks
Whichever index your holdings most resemble in sector weighting. A mixed portfolio is usually closest to the S&P 500; a technology-heavy one belongs next to the Nasdaq 100.
How often should I check my portfolio
Weekly is plenty for most long-term investors. More frequent checking correlates with worse decisions rather than better ones.
Do I need special software
No. A spreadsheet with contributions, value, fees and benchmark return captures everything that matters and takes ten minutes a week.
