Adding a New Private Account

When you have a trading account funded with your own capital, add it to the Private Accounts module to track balance, deposits, withdrawals, and true trading performance.

How to Add a Private Account

  1. Navigate to Private Accounts in the sidebar

  2. Click Add Account in the top right

  3. Fill in the required fields

  4. Click Create Account

Required Fields

Account Name

Give your account a recognizable name.

Good examples:

  • "IC Markets Live"

  • "Pepperstone Main"

  • "OANDA Swing Account"

  • "Personal Futures - NinjaTrader"

Tips:

  • Include the broker name

  • Add context if you have multiple accounts (Main, Swing, Scalping)

Broker

Select or enter your broker:

  • IC Markets

  • Pepperstone

  • OANDA

  • IG Markets

  • Interactive Brokers

  • (or add a custom broker)

Platform

Select your trading platform:

  • MT4

  • MT5

  • cTrader

  • NinjaTrader

  • TradingView

  • Other

Currency

Select the account's base currency (USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, etc.).

Important: Choose carefully—currency cannot be changed after creation.

Starting Balance

Enter your current account balance at the time you're adding it.

Critical: This is your baseline for all future P&L calculations. Enter the exact balance showing in your broker account right now.

Why it matters:

  • All future P&L is calculated relative to this starting point

  • An incorrect starting balance will skew all your metrics

  • This field cannot be changed after account creation

Optional Fields

Account Number

Your broker account number. Helpful for reference and matching records.

Tags

Categorize the account:

  • By market (Forex, Futures, Crypto)

  • By strategy (Scalping, Swing, Position)

  • By purpose (Main, Testing, Experimental)

Notes

Any additional information about the account.

Form Layout

The form organizes fields into sections:

Account Information:

  • Account Name (required)

  • Broker (required)

  • Platform (required)

Financial Details:

  • Currency (required)

  • Starting Balance (required)

Additional Details:

  • Account Number (optional)

  • Tags (optional)

  • Notes (optional)

After Creating the Account

Once created, the account will:

  1. Appear in the Private Accounts table with "Active" status

  2. Have one balance history entry (your starting balance)

  3. Show in your Dashboard module summary

  4. Be ready for deposit/withdrawal tracking

Immediate Next Steps

After adding the account:

  • Verify the starting balance is correct

  • Record any recent deposits or withdrawals

  • Add notes about the account if helpful

Important: Starting Balance

The starting balance deserves extra attention:

Getting It Right

Log into your broker and use the exact current balance. Don't estimate or round.

What It Represents

This is your "day zero" for tracking. All performance calculations assume this is where you started.

If You've Already Had Activity

If your account has existed for a while, you have options:

Option A: Start from today Enter today's balance as starting balance. P&L tracking begins now—you won't have historical data.

Option B: Backfill history If you want historical tracking:

  1. Find your earliest known balance

  2. Use that as starting balance

  3. After creation, record past deposits and withdrawals

  4. Update balance history with past snapshots

Why It Can't Be Changed

The starting balance is locked because changing it would invalidate all P&L calculations. If you realize it's wrong, you may need to delete and recreate the account.

Multiple Accounts at Same Broker

You can have multiple accounts at the same broker:

  • "IC Markets Live"

  • "IC Markets Demo"

  • "IC Markets Swing"

Each is tracked separately with its own balance and P&L.

Common Questions

Should I add demo accounts? You can, but there's limited value since demo money isn't real. Most users only track live accounts.

What if I don't know my starting balance? Check your broker statement or platform. If truly unknown, use your best estimate but know that P&L calculations will be approximate.

Can I add old accounts? Yes, even closed accounts can be added for historical record. Set status to "Closed" after creation.

What if I have many accounts? Add them one at a time. Use consistent naming and tagging to stay organized.

Validation

The form validates your entries:

  • Required fields must be filled

  • Starting balance must be a positive number

  • Errors show below the relevant field

If you can't submit, check for red error messages.

Next: Recording Deposits and Withdrawals  →