Google Finance Duplicate Portfolio

Google Finance, while a useful tool for tracking investments, unfortunately doesn't offer a built-in feature to directly duplicate an existing portfolio. This can be frustrating for users who want to create variations of their portfolio for hypothetical scenarios, testing different investment strategies, or managing separate real-world accounts. The lack of a simple duplicate function forces users to manually recreate portfolios, which is time-consuming and prone to error. Imagine having a portfolio with dozens of assets; painstakingly entering each ticker symbol, purchase price, and quantity again for a slightly altered version is clearly inefficient. This process also increases the risk of mistyping information, leading to inaccurate tracking and analysis. Workarounds exist, but they're not ideal. One method involves exporting the portfolio data as a CSV file. While this provides a record of the holdings, the process of re-importing it into a new portfolio isn't seamless. You'll likely need to manipulate the data in a spreadsheet program like Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel to ensure it's in the correct format for Google Finance to recognize. This requires a degree of technical proficiency and can still be error-prone. Another potential workaround involves creating a template portfolio. This entails setting up a portfolio with placeholder names and allocations and then manually adjusting it for each new scenario. This approach can save some time compared to starting from scratch each time but still requires significant manual effort. The absence of a duplicate portfolio function impacts various users. Beginners might find it difficult to explore different investment strategies without fear of messing up their main portfolio. Experienced investors who manage multiple accounts (e.g., retirement, taxable, educational) would benefit greatly from quickly replicating and modifying their core strategy across these accounts. Financial advisors who use Google Finance to illustrate portfolio options to clients would also find a duplicate function invaluable for showcasing different allocation scenarios. Google Finance focuses primarily on providing market data and news, alongside basic portfolio tracking. While the portfolio tracking feature is helpful for individual investors, it lacks some of the more advanced functionality found in dedicated portfolio management software. Features like portfolio simulation, backtesting, and, of course, portfolio duplication, are often found in more specialized and paid-for platforms. The persistent demand for a duplicate portfolio feature within the Google Finance community suggests a clear need for this functionality. By implementing a simple "duplicate portfolio" button, Google could significantly enhance the user experience and provide a more powerful and versatile tool for managing and analyzing investments. Until then, users are left with manual workarounds that are less than optimal. The ease and speed of duplication would allow for more dynamic financial planning and a more accessible way to understand the potential impact of different investment decisions.