ArthSaarthi - Comprehensive User Guide
Your Personal Investment Portfolio Manager
ArthSaarthi is a powerful web-based application designed to help you track, manage, and analyze your investment portfolios across multiple asset classes including stocks, mutual funds, bonds, fixed deposits, recurring deposits, PPF, and RSU/ESPP awards.
Table of Contents
- Getting Started
- Desktop Mode vs Server Mode
- First-Time Setup
- Dashboard Overview
- Top Movers
- Managing Portfolios
- Portfolio Analytics
- Benchmark Comparison
- Adding Transactions
- Tax Lot Selection
- Corporate Actions
- Dividends & Income
- Stock Splits & Bonus Shares
- Viewing Transaction History
- Import Data
- Supported Formats (v1.1)
- Goals
- Watchlists
- Profile & Settings
- Backup & Restore
- Admin Features
- Themes & Privacy
Getting Started
First-Time Setup
The first time you access the application, you will be greeted with a setup screen.
You must complete this form to create the first administrator account. This is the only time you will see this screen. After this account is created, all new users must be added by an administrator.
Login
Access ArthSaarthi by navigating to the application URL. You'll be greeted with the login page where you can enter your credentials.
To log in: 1. Enter your Email address 2. Enter your Password 3. Click the Login button
[!TIP] Server Mode Users: If you don't have an account, contact your system administrator to create one for you. Desktop Mode Users: You are the administrator of your local instance.
Desktop Mode vs Server Mode
ArthSaarthi supports two deployment modes:
| Mode | Use Case | Database | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Personal use, single user | SQLite (local, encrypted) | All features except User Management |
| Server | Self-hosted, multiple users | PostgreSQL | Full features including User Management |
[!NOTE] In Desktop Mode, your data is stored locally on your machine and encrypted. User Management is disabled since you're the only user.
Dashboard Overview
After logging in, you'll be taken to the Dashboard - your central hub for portfolio insights.
Key Dashboard Components
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Total Value | The combined current value of all your investments |
| Unrealized P/L | Profit or loss on holdings you still own |
| Realized P/L | Profit or loss from investments you've sold |
| Portfolio History | Interactive chart showing value changes over time (7D, 30D, 1Y, All) |
| Asset Allocation | Pie chart showing distribution across different stocks/assets |
| Top Movers | Your best and worst performing assets today |
Top Movers
The Top Movers section highlights assets driving your portfolio's daily performance: - Top Gainers: Assets with the highest positive change today - Top Losers: Assets with the largest decline today
This helps you quickly identify what's moving your portfolio without checking each holding individually.
Managing Portfolios
Viewing Your Portfolios
Navigate to Portfolios from the sidebar to see all your investment portfolios.
Each portfolio card shows: - Portfolio name - Delete button to remove the portfolio
Creating a New Portfolio
Click the Create New Portfolio button to add a new portfolio.
Steps: 1. Enter a Portfolio Name (e.g., "Retirement Fund", "Children's Education") 2. Click Create Portfolio
Deleting a Portfolio
To delete a portfolio: 1. Navigate to Portfolios page 2. Click the Delete button on the portfolio card 3. Confirm the deletion when prompted
[!CAUTION] Deleting a portfolio permanently removes all holdings and transactions within it. This action cannot be undone.
Portfolio Detail View
Click on any portfolio to see its detailed holdings and performance.
The portfolio detail view shows: - Summary cards (Invested, Current Value, Unrealized P/L, Realized P/L) - Holdings breakdown by asset type (Stocks, Mutual Funds, etc.) - Individual holding details with quantity, average price, and returns
Holding Transaction History
Click on any holding to drill down into its complete transaction history.
This view displays: - List of active BUY transactions (Tax Lots) constituting the current holding - Note: For a complete history including closed SELL transactions, refer to the Transactions page. - Date, quantity, price per unit, and total value - CAGR and XIRR (Current & Historical) calculations - Edit and delete options for each transaction
Portfolio Analytics
Comprehensive analytics for your investments are displayed at the top of the portfolio detail page, above the holdings list.
Advanced Analytics & Diversification
Advanced Analytics includes: - XIRR: Extended Internal Rate of Return - measures actual annualized returns - Sharpe Ratio: Risk-adjusted return metric. Note: Calculated only for market-traded assets (Stocks, MFs) to accurately measure volatility risk; excludes fixed-income assets like FDs/PPF.
Diversification Analysis shows your portfolio distribution across: - Asset Class - Geography - Market Cap (Large/Mid/Small) - Sector - Industry - Investment Style
Investment Style Classification
Understand whether your portfolio leans toward Growth or Value investing:
| Style | Characteristics | Typical Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | High growth potential, reinvested earnings | High P/E, High P/B |
| Value | Undervalued, dividend-paying | Low P/E, Low P/B |
| Blend | Mix of both styles | Moderate ratios |
The Investment Style gauge analyzes your holdings based on: - P/E Ratio: Price-to-Earnings ratio classification - P/B Ratio: Price-to-Book ratio classification
[!NOTE] Investment style is calculated for equity holdings only. Mutual funds, FDs, and other assets are excluded from this analysis.
Benchmark Comparison
Compare your portfolio's performance against market benchmarks like Nifty 50: - Your Portfolio XIRR: Your actual returns - Benchmark XIRR: What you'd have earned in the benchmark - Alpha (Excess Return): The difference - positive means you outperformed!
Adding Transactions
Stock Transactions
Click Add Transaction button in your portfolio and select Stock as the asset type.
Required fields: - Asset Type: Stock - Transaction Type: Buy, Sell, or Corporate Action - Stock Symbol: Search by Ticker (e.g., RELIANCE) or Company Name (e.g., Reliance Industries) - Quantity: Number of shares - Price per Unit: Purchase/sale price - Transaction Date: Date of transaction - Broker Fee (Optional): Brokerage charges
Selling with Tax Lot Selection
When selling shares, ArthSaarthi lets you choose which specific lots to sell from — crucial for tax optimization.
Tax Lot Methods:
| Method | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| FIFO | First In, First Out - sells oldest shares first | Default method, simple |
| LIFO | Last In, First Out - sells newest shares first | Minimizing short-term gains |
| Specific Lot | Manually select which lots to sell | Maximum tax control |
To use Specific Lot selection: 1. When adding a SELL transaction, select Specific Lot as the method 2. View available lots with their purchase date, quantity, and cost basis 3. Select the lots you want to sell from 4. The system calculates capital gains based on your selection
[!IMPORTANT] Indian Tax Compliance Notice: For standard Demat holdings (Stocks, Mutual Funds), Indian tax laws generally mandate the FIFO (First-In, First-Out) method for Capital Gains calculation. You cannot arbitrarily choose tax lots for these assets to lower tax liability.
Tax Lot Selection in ArthSaarthi is primarily intended for: 1. ESPP & RSU Sales: Where specific shares are vested and sold, often with different cost bases (FMV vs Purchase Price). 2. Physical Shares / Private Equity: Assets not held in a standard demat account. 3. Non-Indian Jurisdictions: For users subject to tax laws where Specific Identification is permitted.
Mutual Fund Transactions
For mutual fund investments, select Mutual Fund as the asset type.
Required fields: - Mutual Fund Name: Search and select the fund - Transaction Type: Buy, Sell, Corporate Action, or DRIP (Dividend Reinvestment) - Units: Number of units - NAV: Net Asset Value per unit - Transaction Date: Date of transaction
[!NOTE] DRIP (Dividend Reinvestment Plan): Use this option when dividends are automatically reinvested into additional units. Enter the dividend amount as the reinvestment value.
Bond Transactions
Track your bond investments by selecting Bond as the asset type.
[!WARNING] Verify Data Accuracy: The system attempts to pre-fill Coupon Rate, Face Value, and Maturity Date, but reliable public data for bonds is limited. You must review these fields manually. If they are missing or incorrect, please update them to ensure accurate calculations.
Fixed Deposit
Record your fixed deposits with maturity tracking.
Key fields: - Principal Amount: Invested amount - Interest Rate: Annual interest rate - Start Date and Maturity Date - Bank/Institution Name - Compounding Frequency: e.g., Quarterly, Annually - Payout Frequency: e.g., On Maturity, Monthly
Recurring Deposit
Track your recurring deposits with monthly contribution tracking.
Key fields: - Institution Name: Bank or post office - Monthly Installment: Amount deposited each month - Interest Rate: Annual interest rate - Tenure: Number of months - Start Date: When the RD began - Compounding Frequency: e.g., Quarterly
PPF Account
Manage your Public Provident Fund investments with automatic interest calculation.
First-time setup: 1. Select PPF Account as asset type 2. Enter institution name and account number 3. Set the account opening date 4. Add your first contribution amount and date 5. Click Save — this creates both the PPF asset and first transaction
Adding subsequent contributions: - When you select PPF Account again, the system detects your existing account - The form only asks for contribution amount and date - New contributions are automatically linked to your existing PPF
PPF Passbook View: - Click on your PPF holding to see a passbook-style statement - View all contributions and system-calculated interest credits - Interest is calculated using official government rates for each financial year
[!NOTE] PPF interest rates are managed by administrators and updated quarterly based on government announcements.
RSU/ESPP Awards
For employees with stock compensation, track RSU and ESPP awards.
How to navigate: 1. Go to your Portfolio detail page 2. Click the dropdown icon next to the Add Transaction button 3. Select Add ESPP/RSU Award
RSU Vest Form
Key fields: - Stock Symbol: Your company's stock - Vest Date: When shares were delivered - Quantity: Number of shares vested - Fair Market Value (FMV): Stock price at vesting - Sell to Cover (Optional): Shares sold to pay withholding taxes
ESPP Purchase Form
Key fields: - Stock Symbol: Your company's stock - Purchase Date: Date of ESPP purchase - Quantity: Number of shares purchased - Purchase Price: Discounted price you paid - Fair Market Value (FMV): Market price at purchase (used for tax basis)
[!TIP] The "Sell to Cover" option (RSU only) automatically records shares sold to pay withholding taxes — a common RSU vesting scenario.
Editing & Deleting Transactions
To edit a transaction: 1. Click on the transaction in the holding drill-down or Transactions page 2. Modify any field (quantity, price, date, fees) 3. Click Save — all metrics recalculate automatically
To delete a transaction: 1. Click the Delete button on the transaction 2. Confirm the deletion 3. Portfolio values update accordingly
[!WARNING] Deleting transactions cannot be undone. Consider editing instead if you need to correct an error.
Corporate Actions
Record corporate actions that affect your holdings via Additional Actions menu:
Mergers & Amalgamations: - Record when two companies merge (e.g., HDFC Bank merger) - Enter the conversion ratio - System adjusts holdings while preserving cost basis
Demergers & Spin-offs: - Record when a company splits (e.g., Reliance-Jio Financial) - Specify demerger ratio and cost allocation - Creates new holding with proportional cost basis
Ticker Renames: - Record when a stock symbol changes (e.g., VEDL → VEDANTA) - Historical transactions remain linked correctly
Dividends & Income
Recording Dividends: - Automatic: Import your broker's dividend statement (e.g., Zerodha, ICICI) to bulk add all dividend income. - Manual: Use "Add Transaction" → Dividend type to record individual payouts.
[!NOTE] When adding manually, enter the Total Amount received (e.g., ₹500), NOT the amount per share.
Tracking: - View total dividend income in Advanced Analytics - Check asset drill-down to see dividends received per holding
Stock Splits & Bonus Shares
Stock Split: - Use Corporate Actions → Stock Split - Enter the Split Ratio (e.g., 5:1 for 5 new shares for every 1 held) - The system increases your quantity and reduces buy price proportionally
Bonus Shares: - Use Corporate Actions → Bonus Issue - Enter Ratio (e.g., 1:1 for 1 bonus share for every 1 held) - This increases your total quantity; cost basis per share decreases accordingly
Viewing Transaction History
Navigate to Transactions from the sidebar to see all transactions across portfolios.
Features: - Filter by date range, asset type, or transaction type - Quick edit or delete transactions - Export transaction data
Import Data
Bulk import your transaction history from CSV files or brokerage statements.
Import Workflow
- Navigate to Import from the sidebar
- Select the Portfolio to import into
- Choose the Statement Type matching your file format
- Upload your file
- Click Upload and Preview
- Review parsed transactions:
- New Transactions: Ready to import
- Requiring Mapping: Need ticker mapping (see below)
- Duplicates: Already exist in portfolio
- Invalid: Errors preventing import
- Select transactions to import
- Click Commit Transactions
Mapping Unrecognized Tickers
When the system doesn't recognize a ticker from your file: 1. Click Map Ticker next to the transaction 2. Search for the correct asset (e.g., "Infosys" for "INFY-BE") 3. Select the match and click Create Alias 4. Future imports will use this mapping automatically
Supported Formats
| Category | Format | File Type |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Generic CSV | .csv |
| Stocks | Zerodha Contract Notes | .csv |
| Stocks | ICICI Direct Statements | .csv |
| Mutual Funds | MFCentral CAS | .xlsx |
| Mutual Funds | CAMS Statement | .xlsx |
| Mutual Funds | KFintech Statement | |
| Mutual Funds | Zerodha Coin | .xlsx |
| Mutual Funds | ICICI Securities MF | .xlsx |
| Dividends | Zerodha Dividend Statement | .xlsx |
| Dividends | ICICI DEMAT Dividend |
[!TIP] For Mutual Funds, download your Consolidated Account Statement (CAS) from MFCentral for the most complete data.
Goals
Set and track your financial goals in the Goals section.
Features: - Create goals with target amounts and dates - Link portfolios to specific goals - Track progress with visual indicators - Get insights on whether you're on track
Watchlists
Monitor stocks and funds you're interested in without adding them to your portfolio.
Features: - Create multiple watchlists - Add stocks/mutual funds to track - View real-time price updates - Quick add to portfolio when ready to invest
Profile & Settings
Manage your account settings from the Profile page.
Available settings: - Update profile information (name, email) - Change password - Configure notification preferences
Backup & Restore
Protect your financial data with backup and restore capabilities.
Creating a Backup: 1. Go to Profile page 2. Click Download Backup 3. Save the JSON file to a secure location
The backup includes: - All portfolios and holdings - Complete transaction history - Goals and watchlists - Asset aliases and mappings
Restoring from Backup: 1. Go to Profile page 2. Click Restore from Backup 3. Select your backup JSON file 4. Confirm the restoration
[!CAUTION] Restoring from backup replaces all current data. This cannot be undone. Always create a fresh backup before restoring.
Admin Features
Admin users have access to additional management features.
User Management
Create and manage user accounts from Admin > User Management.
Capabilities: - Create new user accounts - Assign roles (Admin, User) - Edit or delete existing users
Interest Rates
Configure system-wide interest rates for fixed deposits and other instruments.
System Maintenance
Perform system maintenance tasks including Asset Master synchronization.
Asset Master Sync (Asset Seeding): - Click Sync Assets to update the internal database of stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs - Downloads latest data from NSDL, BSE, NSE, and AMFI sources - Ensures newly listed securities are searchable in the application - Rate Limit: Can only be triggered once every 5 minutes
[!NOTE] Server Mode: Asset seeding runs automatically on every server launch/restart. Use Sync Assets to update without restarting. Desktop Mode: Asset seeding runs only once on first boot. After that, you must manually run Sync Assets to get the latest securities.
Themes & Privacy
Theme Toggle
Switch between Light, Auto, and Dark themes using the toggle in the sidebar.
| Light Theme | Dark Theme |
|---|---|
|
 |
Privacy Mode
Click the eye icon next to the page title to toggle privacy mode, which hides sensitive financial data.
[!TIP] Use privacy mode when viewing your portfolio in public spaces.
Quick Reference
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Esc |
Close modal dialogs |
Navigation Menu
| Menu Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Dashboard | Overview of all portfolios |
| Portfolios | Manage individual portfolios |
| Transactions | View all transactions |
| Import | Bulk import data |
| Watchlists | Track potential investments |
| Goals | Financial goal tracking |
Support
For questions or issues, please contact your system administrator.
ArthSaarthi - Empowering Your Investment Journey 🚀