Frequently Asked Questions
What is my LPL statement showing me overall?
Your LPL statement is a snapshot of your financial life — it shows what you own, what
changed, and why.
Every statement includes:
- Your total account value
- Recent activity (deposits, withdrawals, trades)
- Investment performance
- Asset allocation (how your money is invested)
The first page always highlights the most important information first, followed by details
that explain the changes.
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What does the “Change in Value” timeline mean?
This line shows how your account value changed over time:
- Beginning of the year
- Last statement
- Current statement
It helps you quickly see whether changes came from:
- Market performance
- Contributions
- Withdrawals
How to guide-to-your-statements
Think of this as your financial heartbeat monitor — it shows direction, not just a
number.
What is the Portfolio or Account Summary?
This section explains why your value changed.
It breaks the change into:
- Starting value
- Money added (inflows)
- Money removed (outflows)
- Market growth or decline
- Ending value
How to guide-to-your-statements
This is the most important section to understand performance vs. cash movement.
What does Asset Allocation tell me?
Asset allocation shows how your money is invested across categories like:
- Stocks (equities)
- Bonds (fixed income)
- Cash
- Alternatives
LPL uses “look-through” analysis — it looks inside mutual funds and ETFs to show what
you actually own underneath them.
How to guide-to-your-statements
This answers:
“Is my money positioned the way my plan says it should be?”
Why doesn’t my asset allocation match my holdings page exactly?
Because:
- Allocation shows economic exposure
- Holdings show individual securities
For example, a mutual fund may appear as one holding but actually contains hundreds
of stocks and bonds.
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What is the Gain/Loss Summary?
This shows investment performance (not cash movement).
It separates:
- Realized gains/losses → investments sold
- Unrealized gains/losses → investments still owned
How to guide-to-your-statements
Important:
Performance ≠ account growth
Growth also includes deposits and withdrawals.
What is Cost Basis vs Purchase Cost?
Cost Basis
Total money invested including reinvested dividends
Purchase Cost
Only what you personally paid into the investment
Because of reinvested income, performance numbers may differ depending on which
one is used.
How to guide-to-your-statements
What does “Cash and Cash Equivalents” mean?
This is your available cash — money ready for:
- Withdrawals
- Transfers
- New investments
It may differ from the allocation chart because funds sometimes hold internal cash
positions.
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What is Activity Summary vs Activity Details?
Activity Summary
Quick overview of money moving in and out
Activity Details
Line-by-line transaction history
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What is Cash Sweep Activity?
Cash sweep shows automatic movements between:
- Investment account
- Interest-bearing cash position
This is normal — it’s how idle cash earns interest.
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Why do I get multiple statements?
You may receive:
- Monthly statements (if balance exists)
- Quarterly summary statements
- Year-end statement
All monthly statements are also available online in Account View.
How to guide-to-your-statements
When should I contact my advisor?
Contact us if you notice:
- Unknown transactions
- Large unexpected withdrawals
- Changes that don’t match our plan
- Life changes affecting your goals
Your advisor’s contact info is always on page one.