zfin/docs/reference/config/accounts-srf.md
Emil Lerch 74fc219afd
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# `accounts.srf` reference
`accounts.srf` describes each account referenced by your portfolio:
its tax treatment, the institution it lives at, and a few flags that
tune analysis and reconciliation. It powers the **By Tax Type** and
**By Account** breakdowns in [`zfin analysis`](../cli/analysis.md), the
umbrella-exposure estimate, the audit staleness checks, and broker
reconciliation.
zfin loads `accounts.srf` from the same directory as the resolved
portfolio file. It is optional -- without it, accounts show up as
"Unknown" in the tax-type breakdown and everything else still works.
## File format
One record per account. The `account` name must match the
`account::` value used on your portfolio lots **exactly**.
```srf
#!srfv1
account::Pat 401k,tax_type::traditional,institution::fidelity,account_number::P401
account::Joint taxable,tax_type::taxable,institution::schwab,account_number::JT01
```
## Fields
| Field | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|------------------------|--------|----------|-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `account` | string | Yes | -- | Account name; must match `account::` on lots exactly. |
| `tax_type` | string | Yes | -- | `taxable`, `roth`, `traditional`, or `hsa`. |
| `institution` | string | No | -- | Broker key, e.g. `fidelity`, `schwab`, `vanguard`, `wells_fargo`. Used by [`zfin audit`](../cli/audit.md) to match export files. |
| `account_number` | string | No | -- | Account identifier used with `institution` for audit matching. Use a placeholder, not a full real number. |
| `update_cadence` | string | No | `weekly` | How often you refresh this account's manual data: `weekly`, `monthly`, `quarterly`, or `none`. Drives the audit staleness nag. |
| `cash_is_contribution` | bool | No | `false` | When `true`, raw cash-balance increases on this account count as real external contributions (see below). |
| `direct_indexing` | bool | No | `false` | Marks an account whose lots track a benchmark with tracking-error drift (loosens contribution/audit tolerances). |
| `shielded` | bool | No | (derived) | Umbrella-exposure override (see below). |
## Tax types
| Value | Display label |
|---------------|-----------------------|
| `taxable` | Taxable |
| `roth` | Roth (Post-Tax) |
| `traditional` | Traditional (Pre-Tax) |
| `hsa` | HSA (Triple Tax-Free) |
Any other value is shown as-is. Accounts missing from `accounts.srf`
appear as "Unknown".
## `update_cadence` and the audit nag
[`zfin audit`](../cli/audit.md) (run flagless) flags accounts you
haven't refreshed within their cadence window: `weekly` = 7 days,
`monthly` = 30, `quarterly` = 90, `none` = never nag. The default is
`weekly`, so every account reminds you until you silence it -- set
`update_cadence::none` for accounts that update themselves (a live
brokerage feed) or that you simply don't track closely.
## `cash_is_contribution`
Most cash-balance movement is internal noise -- interest postings,
dividend credits, CD coupons, settlement sweeps -- which would inflate
the [`zfin contributions`](../cli/contributions.md) attribution total
if counted as new money. So cash deltas are ignored by default. Set
`cash_is_contribution:bool:true` only on accounts whose cash movement
is dominated by external deposits (payroll ESPP accrual, direct 401k
cash contributions).
## `shielded` (umbrella exposure)
The umbrella-exposure estimate in [`zfin analysis`](../cli/analysis.md)
splits your liquid net worth into "shielded" (retirement accounts,
assumed judgment-protected) and "exposed" (taxable). The default proxy
is "anything not `taxable` is shielded." Override it when that's wrong:
- `shielded:bool:false` on a pre-tax account that is **not**
ERISA-protected (deferred-comp plans, non-qualified annuities), or on
IRAs in states with weak IRA protection.
- `shielded:bool:true` to mark a taxable account as shielded (rare;
e.g. some asset-protection trusts).
IRA protection varies by state and is not modeled automatically; set
this explicitly if it matters to you.
## Example (from `examples/pre-retirement-both`)
```srf
#!srfv1
account::Pat 401k,tax_type::traditional,institution::fidelity,account_number::P401
account::Pat Roth,tax_type::roth,institution::fidelity,account_number::PROTH
account::Sam 401k,tax_type::traditional,institution::vanguard,account_number::S401
account::Sam Roth,tax_type::roth,institution::vanguard,account_number::SROTH
account::Joint taxable,tax_type::taxable,institution::schwab,account_number::JT01
account::Family HSA,tax_type::hsa,institution::fidelity,account_number::HSA01
account::Kids 529,tax_type::taxable,institution::vanguard,account_number::C529
```
## See also
- [Map your accounts](../../guides/set-up-accounts.md) -- the walkthrough.
- [`zfin analysis`](../cli/analysis.md) -- tax-type and account breakdowns.
- [`zfin audit`](../cli/audit.md) -- staleness checks and broker reconciliation.
---
[Documentation home](../../README.md#reference)