Portfolio Accounting
Portfolio Accounting is a way of keeping track of investments and financial assets for individuals or companies. It involves recording and analyzing all money movements, trades, and changes in value of investments like stocks, bonds, and other financial products. Think of it like advanced bookkeeping specifically for investment portfolios. When someone mentions Portfolio Accounting in their resume, they're talking about their experience with tracking investment performance, calculating returns, and making sure all financial records are accurate and up to date. Some people might also call this "Investment Accounting" or "Fund Accounting."
Examples in Resumes
Managed daily Portfolio Accounting operations for $500M in client assets
Implemented new Investment Accounting system to improve reporting accuracy
Supervised team of 5 analysts performing Fund Accounting and performance reporting
Typical job title: "Portfolio Accountants"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Portfolio Accountants
Professional Organizations
Job Boards
Professional Networks
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How would you handle a large-scale portfolio reconciliation issue?
Expected Answer: Should explain their approach to identifying discrepancies, coordinating with custodians and brokers, implementing solutions, and preventing future issues. Should mention team leadership and stakeholder communication.
Q: What process would you implement to ensure accurate corporate action processing?
Expected Answer: Should discuss creating systematic workflows, verification procedures, team training, and quality control measures to handle stock splits, dividends, and other corporate events accurately.
Mid Level Questions
Q: How do you ensure accuracy in daily NAV calculations?
Expected Answer: Should explain the process of verifying pricing data, checking corporate actions, confirming trade settlements, and reviewing expense calculations before finalizing the NAV.
Q: Explain how you handle month-end reporting deadlines?
Expected Answer: Should describe prioritizing tasks, coordinating with team members, checking data accuracy, and ensuring all reports are delivered on time while maintaining quality.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What is the importance of trade settlement reconciliation?
Expected Answer: Should explain basic concepts of matching trades between systems, ensuring cash positions are accurate, and identifying any discrepancies that need resolution.
Q: How do you verify the accuracy of dividend payments?
Expected Answer: Should demonstrate understanding of checking announcement details, confirming payment amounts, and ensuring proper recording in the accounting system.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic portfolio reconciliation
- Trade settlement processing
- Simple performance calculations
- Data entry and verification
Mid (2-5 years)
- Complex reconciliations
- Corporate actions processing
- Client reporting
- Team coordination
Senior (5+ years)
- Process improvement
- Team management
- System implementations
- Client relationship management
Red Flags to Watch For
- No knowledge of basic accounting principles
- Lack of attention to detail
- No experience with financial software systems
- Poor understanding of investment products
- Unable to explain reconciliation processes
Related Terms
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