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.).

You can change the currency later if you need to, but because currency affects how everything on the account is valued, changing it recalculates your P&L history. The platform shows a warning when you do this, so set it correctly now and you won't need to think about it again.

Starting Balance

Enter your account balance at the point you're beginning to track it.

This is your baseline for all future P&L calculations, so it's worth getting right. Enter the exact balance showing in your broker account at your chosen start point.

Why it matters:

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

• An incorrect starting balance will skew your metrics until it's corrected

You can edit the Starting Balance later (see "Changing It Later" below), so a mistake here is fixable, but it's cleanest to enter the right figure from the start.

Optional Fields

Account Number

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

Tags

Categorize the account by market (Forex, Futures, Crypto), strategy (Scalping, Swing, Position), or 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

• Verify the starting balance is correct

• Record any recent deposits or withdrawals

• Add notes about the account if helpful

Getting the Starting Balance Right

The starting balance is your "day zero" for tracking, so all performance calculations measure from this point.

If You've Already Had Activity

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

Option A: Start from today. Enter today's balance as the starting balance. P&L tracking begins now, and you won't have historical data before this point.

Option B: Backfill history. If you want historical tracking:

1. Find your earliest known balance

2. Use that as the starting balance

3. After creation, record past deposits and withdrawals

4. Update balance history with past snapshots

Changing It Later

Both the Starting Balance and the Currency can be edited after the account is created, from the account's detail drawer.

Keep one thing in mind: because both values are baselines the rest of your numbers are measured against, editing either one recalculates your P&L history for that account. The platform shows a warning before it does, so it's never a surprise.

This is exactly what you want if you set something incorrectly at creation, just open the account and fix it. It's not something to change casually once you've been tracking for a while, since it reshapes the account's historical P&L.

Multiple Accounts at Same Broker

You can have multiple accounts at the same broker (e.g. "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 it's truly unknown, use your best estimate, you can correct it later.

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, and the starting balance must be a positive number. Errors show below the relevant field.

Next: Recording Deposits and Withdrawals  →