When you use Navexa, three terms come up again and again: portfolio, holding, and trade. Here’s what each means and how they work together.
Quick definitions
Portfolio = a tax entity’s overall investment account
Holding = each individual asset
Trade = every transaction that changes a holding
Portfolio = Tax Entity and Container
A portfolio in Navexa represents all investments for a single tax entity.
Create one portfolio for each entity. For example: Individual, SMSF, trust or company.
A portfolio can include many broker accounts, cash accounts and custom investments.
Each portfolio has its own performance, tax and reporting settings.
Think of a portfolio as the container that groups everything together for that tax entity, not as a single broker account.
Common examples
Personal Portfolio
Brokers: CommSec, Pearler
Assets: ASX shares, ETFs, cash account
SMSF Portfolio
Brokers: Selfwealth
Assets: ASX shares, managed funds, term deposits
Think of a portfolio as the “container” that groups everything together for that entity.
Holding = Asset
A holding is one asset inside a portfolio.
Shares and ETFs
Managed funds
Crypto
Property
Custom investments
Each holding is tracked separately for performance, income and tax.
A portfolio can contain many holdings, but each holding belongs to only one portfolio.
Trade = Transaction
Trades are the individual transactions that affect a holding.
Buys and sells
Dividends and distributions
Interest, deposits and withdrawals
Corporate actions such as splits or consolidations
Multiple trades make up the history of a holding, and all the holdings together make up the portfolio.
How they fit together (examples)
Example 1: Portfolio 1 – Personal (individual)
Tax entity: One individual.
Portfolio: “Portfolio 1 – Personal”
Inside this one portfolio:
Brokers and accounts
CommSec
Pearler
Superhero
Macquarie Cash Management Account
Example holdings and transactions
CBA on ASX via CommSec – Buy, Dividend, DRP, Sell
VAS on ASX via Pearler – Buy, Buy
TSLA on NASDAQ via Superhero – Buy, Sell
Macquarie Cash Management Account – Deposit, Interest, Withdrawal
All of these sit inside the same Personal portfolio because they belong to the same tax entity.
Example 2: Portfolio 2 – Joint
Tax entity: Joint account for two people.
Portfolio: “Portfolio 2 – Joint”
Inside this portfolio:
Brokers and accounts
CommSec
Joint Bank Cash Management Account
Example holdings and transactions
BHP on ASX via CommSec – Buy, Dividend
IVV (S&P 500 ETF) on ASX via CommSec – Buy, Buy
Joint cash account – Deposit, Interest, Withdrawal
These investments are kept separate from each person’s individual portfolio.
Example 3: Portfolio 3 – Family Trust
Tax entity: Green Family Trust.
Portfolio: “Portfolio 3 – Green Family Trust”
Inside this portfolio:
Brokers and accounts
Selfwealth
Bank Term Deposit Account
Example holdings and transactions
WOW on ASX via Selfwealth – Buy, Dividend
VGS on ASX via Selfwealth – Buy, Buy
12 month term deposit (custom holding) – Deposit, Interest
All investments owned by the family trust live in this one portfolio.
Example 4: Portfolio 4 – Company
Tax entity: Blue Pty Ltd.
Portfolio: “Portfolio 4 – Blue Pty Ltd”
Inside this portfolio:
Brokers and accounts
Interactive Brokers
Company operating bank account
Example holdings and transactions
AAPL on NASDAQ via Interactive Brokers – Buy, Dividend
QQQ on NASDAQ via Interactive Brokers – Buy
Company cash account – Deposit, Withdrawal, Fees
Company investments are not mixed with the directors’ personal portfolios.
Example 5: Portfolio 5 – SMSF
Tax entity: Green SMSF.
Portfolio: “Portfolio 5 – Green SMSF”
Inside this portfolio:
Brokers and accounts
SMSF share broker
SMSF bank account
Example holdings and transactions
VAS on ASX via SMSF broker – Buy, Dividend, DRP
IVV on ASX via SMSF broker – Buy, Buy
SMSF cash account – Contributions, Deposit, Interest
In every example, one portfolio represents one tax entity. Inside that portfolio you can have multiple brokers, holdings and cash or custom accounts.
In short:
Portfolio = the tax entity’s overall investment account.
Holding = each individual asset tracked.
Trade = every transaction that changes a holding.
This structure enables Navexa to crunch the numbers for performance and tax reporting accurately.
FAQs
How many portfolios should I create?
Create one portfolio for each tax entity. For example: one for your personal investing, one for your SMSF, one for a trust or company.
Should I create a portfolio for each broker?
Usually no. A portfolio can contain multiple broker accounts. Group all brokers belonging to the same tax entity into a single portfolio.
Can I have more than one broker in a portfolio?
Yes. For example, your Personal portfolio might include trades from CommSec, Pearler and Superhero, plus a cash account.
Can a holding appear in more than one portfolio?
No. Each holding belongs to a single portfolio. If you hold the same asset in two tax entities, create one holding in each relevant portfolio.
Can I move a holding to another portfolio later?
Yes. You can move a holding between portfolios if you set something up incorrectly. Moving a holding does not create or delete trades. It simply shifts the full trade history to the other portfolio. If that holding already exists in the receiving portfolio, the move will not go through.
Can I track cash, term deposits or other assets that are not shares?
Yes. You can add cash accounts and custom investments (for example term deposits or property) as holdings inside a portfolio.
Do portfolios affect tax reporting?
Yes. Tax reports are run per portfolio. This is why we recommend one portfolio per tax entity.