Before you start
Use Real Assets > Precious Metals when the metal position should be visible in your normal portfolio views. This is appropriate for bullion, coins or allocated metals where the existence and high-level value can appear in Assets, Net Worth, Capital Review and shared views. If the existence, custody route, storage location or recovery instructions should stay private, use Held Away > Private Metals instead.
Detailed steps
Open Assets > Real Assets and check existing rows
Start in Assets and open Real Assets. Check whether the same bullion, coin collection or allocated metal position is already listed. If it exists, open details and update value instead of creating a duplicate. Use this visible Real Assets route only when the holding can appear in normal portfolio screens.
Open Add assets and choose Real Assets
In an empty portfolio, use Add assets. In a populated portfolio, use Add Capital Item. Both open the same modal. Choose Real Assets because this is the visible area for property, vehicles, precious metals and collectibles. Confirm the active portfolio in the top bar before continuing.
Choose Precious Metals and review the empty form
Choose Precious Metals. Use this for visible gold, silver, platinum, palladium, bullion, coins or allocated metal positions. The empty form asks for Name, Source / note, Current value, Currency and Amount invested. Do not choose this route for private emergency metal holdings whose location or recovery route should stay encrypted; use Held Away > Private Metals for that.
Enter the visible metal record
Use a specific but safe name, such as 10 Vienna Philharmonic gold coins or allocated gold account. Use Source / note for the valuation source, not storage location. Current value should be the latest credible value. Currency should match the source. Amount invested is optional and should be the purchase cost or cost basis when known.
Save and verify the Real Assets row
After saving, check the Real Assets row. Confirm the asset name, source, subtype, invested amount, owned value, liquidity and gain/loss. If the row surprises you, open details immediately. Do not adjust the number just to make gain/loss look cleaner.
Open details and review the Precious Metal tab
Open More details and start with the Precious Metal tab. Confirm the saved name, source and value. This tab tells you what another person will see first when they open the metal record from Assets.
Open Value and check valuation method, date and liquidity
Open Value. Check owned value, ownership, gross value, amount invested, liquidity, valuation date and valuation method. A metal value may be based on spot price, dealer quote, appraisal, statement value or owner estimate. The method should describe the evidence honestly.
Use Notes only for non-sensitive context
Ordinary Notes can hold non-sensitive context such as certificate reference, dealer contact category, appraisal reminders or review notes. Do not enter exact storage location, safe codes, vault credentials, seed phrases, recovery instructions or private custody routes here. Use Held Away and Private Vault when those details should be protected.
Field guide
The visible label for the metals position.
Use enough detail to identify the holding without exposing private storage.The source behind the valuation.
Use invoice, dealer quote, appraisal, statement or owner estimate; do not put custody access here.The value counted in Assets and Net Worth.
Use the latest credible source value, not original purchase cost.The currency of the value you entered.
Keep the source currency unless the source already reports a converted value.The purchase cost or cost basis when known.
Leave blank when unknown instead of inventing a tidy gain/loss.How quickly the metal can realistically become cash.
Precious metals may be monthly or locked depending on custody, dealer access and settlement.The date the current value represents.
Refresh it when spot price, dealer quote, statement or appraisal changes materially.How the value was supported.
Use a truthful label such as manual entry, dealer quote, appraisal, statement value or owner estimate.Visible non-sensitive context.
Keep storage and recovery details out of ordinary notes.The protected route for private metals.
Use it when existence, location or access instructions should stay encrypted.Decision rules
What it adds
- Makes physical metals visible in allocation and liquidity review.
- Keeps custody instructions private.
What it does not do
- Spot price does not equal immediate resale proceeds.
- The app does not verify physical existence.
Common mistakes
What to check
- Use consistent units and purity assumptions.
- Do not include sensitive storage details in ordinary notes.
Using Real Assets when the holding should be private Held Away.
Entering exact vault, safe or custody location in visible fields.
Using purchase cost as current value.
Using spot price without considering dealer spread, premiums, taxes, fees or settlement timing.
Treating an owner estimate as a verified appraisal.
Mixing different metals, purities or custody locations into one row when they should be reviewed separately.
Creating a duplicate row instead of updating an existing metals position.
Leaving valuation date and method vague even though the value changes with market prices.
After you save
- Check the Real Assets row.
- Open Value and confirm current value, amount invested, valuation date, method and liquidity.
- Move the holding to Held Away if custody, existence or recovery details need protection.
- Keep invoices, statements or appraisals available in Documents when the position is material.
- Refresh the value when metal prices, dealer quote, statement or appraisal changes materially.
- Use ordinary Notes only for non-sensitive context.