Use investment accounts to track stocks, mutual funds, bonds, or other securities. You can keep track of information for every single investment transaction, or simply record the number of shares you own.

The easiest way to set up your investment accounts is to use online updates from your brokerage or investment company. Your brokerage can automatically provide information about all of your accounts, so you don't have to set up each account individually.

If you prefer to enter the information yourself or if your brokerage doesn't provide online updates, you can create an account for each statement (Bank or brokerage records of transactions processed in your accounts. Statements can be on paper, or they can be downloaded or imported from your bank's Web site. ) you receive.

Money uses the following types of investment accounts:

• Retirement. Use retirement accounts to track IRAs, 401(k) accounts, or other tax-deferred retirement accounts.
• Employee Stock Option. Use this kind of account to track stock options granted by your employer. (Don't use it to track stock options you purchase on your own.)
• Watch. Use a watch account to track the value of securities that you don't own-for example, stocks or mutual funds that you follow just for fun.
• Investment. Use this for other types of investment accounts, such as non-retirement accounts or education IRAs.