Yesterday, I created a dividend through: Customs Assets → XO (=specific ticker) → Dividend tab → Add New Account-Wide Dividend. The dividend itself was registered successfully, but the amount does not reflect in my Cash Balance and Cash Transactions.
I did notice that some of my older Custom Assets dividends do show up in the Cash Transactions. These might have been entered through another page: Portfolio → Dividends → Add Collected Dividend. However, I don’t remember for sure.
Is there perhaps an intentional difference in how both entry methods for the same information work? I might be missing something here. Otherwise, I think it would be better if they work exactly the same.
First, let me share why there are two different ways to “override”. Basically, one overrides for everyone is StocksCafe while the other overrides only for the user. However, since Custom Assets is specific to individual user, then it does not really matter. (But since it is a feature that also applies for other exchanges like USX or SGX hence it exists in this form)
As for why the cash transaction and cash balance appears in one and not the other, I need to check. Will update again.
Both create cash transactions. However, it does not create the cash transaction immediately. It needs to wait for a specific background job to run for that to happen. This means for both methods, the cash transactions will only be create if the PayDate entered is in the future and when the PayDate arrives, the background job would then add the cash transactions.
This is the current status. Maybe can consider adding/implementing an option (for both methods) to trigger the background job when dividends with PayDate in the past is entered.
Thanks for your response. It was indeed a dividend with a PayDate in the past. I now know what happened and will correct the situation with a manual Cash Transaction.
As for the question in 3. , I have one thought. I believe that users generally learn about a Custom Assets dividend after it has been paid out, for example when they notice the cash balance in the broker platform has gone up or they get a statement emailed.
On the other hand, anticipating a dividend before the payout date, means that you have to actively follow the communications concerning your asset, for example press releases of listed companies and then go to StocksCafe when a dividend or other payout is announced. I think most users will not follow the communications of their listed companies or other custom assets that actively. But that could just be me.
Therefor, I would personally appreciate custom assets dividends, both future and past ones, being added to the cash balance. But I realize there may also be users who just want to enter dividends for the performance stats. So maybe a checkbox giving the user the option to alter the cash balance makes the most sense?