Below are the answers to some common questions customers have had. If you do not find the answer to your
question, click the contacts to contact someone that will answer your question.
General Questions
- What is the function of the icons located at the top of the screen?
- How do I change the default benchmark?
- Can I view my book by a Russell-defined sector scheme as opposed to the S&P/GICS setup?
- How do I change the Panel Display Selection (i.e. % Allocation)?
- Can you rank your portfolios’ securities in different ways?
- Can I modify the columns to view different data?
- Where do we get our information?
- How often are prices updated?
- Can you make a customizable report of an account or aggregate of accounts?
- Can you filter the constituents of an account or aggregate of accounts? What is the purpose of this?
- What is the purpose of the Total Position, Equities Only, and Funds Only tabs?
- Can I easily find out how much weight a stock holds and what portfolios it has a position in?
- How do I view details on a security that is listed in an account or index?
- How do I view details on securities that are not listed in an account/index?
- What do I do if the Bullrun site doesn't display correctly?
- How do you configure your display settings to view the Bullrun Platform correctly?
- How long must I be idle before I need to log-in again?
- What do you do if you get an error message?
- Why does a screen pop up indicating an "Application Error" has occurred? What do I do if I get this error?
- What do you do if you cannot view the graphs?
Summary Page
- How do I edit the Client Selected 10?
- Where do the top movers come from?
Market Indices
- How do I view information on a different index in Market Indices?
- Are the indices shown in real time?
- How do I find equities that fit certain criteria, and create a model portfolio from them?
Account Overview
- How do I view another client's account(s) without going back to the Summary Page?
- What is the easiest way to find clients or groups if I have a large number of them?
- What are the three icons next to every security in the Stock List?
Comparison
- How do I display the account(s) and benchmark that I would like to compare?
Performance
- How does Performance work?
- How do I determine which equities are causing my portfolios to under-perform?
- How do I change the benchmark index?
- What do the Cash and Fee options provide?
Attribution
- How does Attribution work?
- How do I determine which equities are causing my portfolios to under-perform?
- How do I change the benchmark?
- How does Percent Relative Return Contribution work?
Alternative Stocks
- What are the benefits of using the Alternative Stocks tab?
Client Admin
- What does the Client Admin tab do?
- How do I upload (model) portfolios manually?
- How do I find equities that fit certain criteria, and create a model portfolio from them?
- How do I determine the trading history of a particular equity within a portfolio?
General Questions
- What is the function of the icons located at the top of the screen?
 E-Mail Bullrun Support: a useful feature that enables you to send us any questions that you may have.
 Refresh: allows you to reset or update your screen.
 Preferences: allows you to change a variety of screen settings, such as the sector/industry classification scheme, the default index, etc.
 Help: brings you to an in-depth support section, which includes White Papers, FAQs, a Product Tour, the User Guide, a Survey, and Ask Bullrun (Bullrun Support).
 Logout: allows you to properly log out. If you do not use this button to logout, you will technically still be logged in for another 15 minutes and will not be able to access your account again throughout that time period. This is an added security feature used to prevent hacking. Using the logout button logs you out of the system completely so you can login at anytime after that.
- How do I change the default benchmark?
In the upper right corner of the screen, there are six gray icons; the one with the tools displayed fourth one from the left is the Preferences icon (a display of two tools). Select this icon and a pop-up box will display a list of your personal preferences. One of the preference options is "Default Index," which enables you to change your default benchmark. Using the drop-down menu, select the index you would prefer.
- Can I view my book by a Russell-defined sector scheme as opposed to the S&P/GICS setup?
In the upper right corner of the screen, there are six gray icons; the one with the tools displayed fourth one from the left is the Preferences icon (a display of two tools). Select this icon and a pop-up box will display a list of your personal preferences. The first section allows you to choose your sector/industry classification scheme, with a choice between the S&P/GICS or the Russell classifications schemes.
- How do I change the Panel Display Selection (i.e. % Allocation)?
By clicking on the "% Allocation" link in the upper-left corner of the screen, you will be able to choose from a variety of statistical, price change, and fundamental factors to replace % Allocation with.
- Can you rank your portfolios’ securities in different ways?
Yes. If you want to rank the securities using a different price change or fundamental factor, then click on the “Rank” link. This will provide you with a list of ranking options to choose from. Simply clicking on the price change or fundamental factor you prefer will rank the securities by that factor.
- Can I modify the columns to view different data?
By clicking on the "Column Management" link, you will find that you can change the three grayed columns located at the far right in the stock lists. You can choose any three values that you would like to see in the stock lists from an extensive list of pricing metrics and fundamentals. If you wish to permanently change the columns, click on the preferences icon on the top of the screen, and in the "Default Custom Column Views" section, use the arrows to add and/or remove columns according to your preferences.
- Where do we get our information?
Reuters provides us with pricing data, while company information and fundamentals are provided by WorldScope and IBES. FAME provides us with price and stock availability data.
- How often are prices updated?
Prices are updated every 2 minutes, but have a 15 – 20 minute delay.
- Can you make a customizable report of an account or aggregate of accounts?
Yes, you can make a report of an account or aggregate of accounts. Keep in mind that these reports are not designed for external use. These reports are formatted for internal use only. The report is there to show you, the financial professional, the information you have requested.
To create a customized report, click on the Report link on any tab except for the Summary Page and Client Admin. Next, using the arrow keys on the center of the page displayed, add or remove the data items you want to be calculated in your report. The items listed in the box on the right are those that will appear in your report. Next, select "Create Report," and you may then choose to open or save the report. Finally, your customized report will appear in an Excel spreadsheet. The second sheet of the spreadsheet displays all of the data items you have selected.
- Can you filter the constituents of an account or aggregate of accounts? What is the purpose of this?
Clicking on the "Filter" link allows you to screen out stocks, according to your specifications. To filter your account(s), click on the Filter link on any tab except for the Summary Page and Client Admin. Then, add up to five price change and/or fundamental factors you wish to filter your account(s) with. Select a minimum and/or maximum value for each of the factors you selected, and click on "Submit". The stocks that fulfill the criteria you entered will then be displayed.
- What is the purpose of the Total Position, Equities Only, and Funds Only tabs?
The Total Position tab allows you to view both the equities and funds in your selected portfolio(s). The Equities Only tab gives you the ability to see only the equities, and not mutual funds. The Funds Only tab displays only the mutual funds.
- Can I easily find out how much weight a stock holds and what portfolios it has a position in?
Yes. You can click on any ticker symbol link, on any screen in the Bullrun Edge system, and in the Stock Details window, click on the Weights tab. This will display that particular stock’s weights in indices and client portfolios. To find this information for a different stock, simply change the ticker and click "Go" on the Stock Details window. When the information for the new security is displayed, again, click on the Weights tab.
A shortcut to this method is to click the gray "Wt" icon next to the ticker of a portfolio’s or index’s constituents. This will immediately display the Weights tab of the Stock Details window.
- How do I view details on a security that is listed in an account or index?
By clicking on a security's ticker symbol, you will be brought to a Stock Details window that provides you with an abundance of information on the security and the company, including stock details, weights, fundamentals, and research on the company.
- How do I view details on securities that are not listed in an account/index?
The Quick Quote feature, which is located in the Account Overview, Comparison, Performance, Attribution, and Alternative Stocks tabs in the bottom left section, allows you to search for the stock by ticker, company name, QSIP code, ISIN, or stock list. By entering one of those options and clicking "Go", a search will provide you with the stock or stocks with that relevant listing. Click on the "click for details" link to open up the Stock Details window to view in-depth information on that security.
- What do I do if the Bullrun site doesn't display correctly?
If you are having problems viewing the Bullrun site, please check your web browser settings. Enabling a pop-up blocker will prevent you from viewing the application. Another problem that may prevent you from viewing the application would be that your firm is blocking it from opening through a firewall. If you previously logged out incorrectly, then you will have to wait 15 - 20 minutes before you will be able to log in again, for security reasons. If another user is currently accessing the account, then you will not be able to view that account until they have properly logged out of the system.
- How do you configure your display settings to view the Bullrun Platform correctly?
Option 1:- Go to the Start Menu and go to the Settings portion.
- Click on the Control Panel button.
- A new window will appear, and then click on the Display icon.
- Clicking on the Display icon will open another window with your display’s settings.
- Click on the Settings tab to show the screen size slide bar.
- Here you will be able to increase and/or decrease the size of the screen area.
- If the Bullrun Platform is too large, then decrease the size by sliding the bar to the right.
- If the Bullrun Platform is too small, then increase the size by sliding the bar to the left.
Option 2: - Minimize all windows to view the desktop background and right click on the screen.
- A list of options will appear, and then click on the Properties option.
- Clicking on the Properties link will open another window with your display’s settings.
- Click on the Settings tab to show the screen size slide bar.
- Here you will be able to increase and/or decrease the size of the screen area.
- If the Bullrun Platform is too large, then decrease the size by sliding the bar to the right.
- If the Bullrun Platform is too small, then increase the size by sliding the bar to the left.
- How long must I be idle before I need to log-in again?
You must be idle for 20 minutes before a time-out occurs. After 20 minutes, an application error will display when you try to use the Bullrun Platform. Clicking the refresh icon at the top of the screen will enable you to log-in and will continue your session.
- What do you do if you get an error message?
If you get an error, then logout of the system properly by using the Logout button, in order to login again. After logging out properly, you may proceed to log into the system and continue what you were doing.
- Why does a screen pop up indicating an "Application Error" has occurred? What do I do if I get this error?
On occasion the system will encounter an interruption, which forces the system to log you out. The problem is generally not a result of your computer, but rather due to communication over the internet, or a firewall enabled by the firm you are employed with. If you have received the window that displays an "Application Error", click on the refresh button at the top to login again. Whatever function you were trying to perform was not completed, as it was the result of the error. You have to go back repeat your last step.
- What do you do if you cannot view the graphs?
If you cannot view the graphs on the Bullrun Edge site, then your computer may not possess updated software. If you are using Microsoft Windows, then you can visit the Microsoft website to check the update section to see what your computer needs to use the site properly. Another possibility is that the computer is lacking a java plug-in, which allows the computer to view the graphs and other images. You may also want to ask your IT Department about how to fix this problem before going ahead and downloading any potentially dangerous files.
Summary Page
- How do I edit the Client Selected 10?
By clicking on the "Edit client group list" link, you will be brought to a list of clients or groups not listed in the Client Selected 10, and a list of those clients or groups that are listed. By using the two lists side by side with the familiar slide-across feature, you can move clients and groups around to customize your list.
- Where do the top movers come from?
The top movers are a result of Bullrun scanning the stocks in all accounts in an advisor’s total book for those with the most rapid market price changes over the prior trading day.
Market Indices
- How do I view information on a different index in Market Indices?
Under the Equity Markets list, the indices are all listed and each index name is a link. If you click on any of the indices, then the information pertaining to the index will be shown.
- Are the indices shown in real time?
No, but they are updated overnight and periodically during the trading day. Here again the online stock price services are the preferable tool for moment-to-moment observation of market fluctuations.
- How do I find equities that fit certain criteria, and create a model portfolio from them?
Select an index to begin limiting your search, such as the S&P 500 or Russell 1000. Next, using the Filter function, select some of your limiting criteria. Once you are satisfied with the criteria, and hence, the remaining constituents, you can see the data displayed in Microsoft Excel using the Report feature, which can in turn be used with slight modification, for uploading as a model portfolio.
Account Overview
- How do I view another client's account(s) without going back to the Summary Page?
By going to the left of the screen, you will notice there is a list of clients/groups and their accounts. Scrolling through this list, selecting the account(s) you want to view, and clicking "Update" allows you to find a client/group and their account(s) without going back to the Summary Page.
- What is the easiest way to find clients or groups if I have a large number of them?
The easiest way to find a client or group of clients is to perform a search by Last Name. In the Client Group box on the left side of many tabs, there is a Last Name search box. Enter the last name of the client in that box and click on the "Submit" button. Then, the client(s) with that last name will be displayed. You may also search using a variety of other client or group information by clicking on the "Advanced Search" link in the Client Groups section.
- What are the three icons next to every security in the Stock List?
The three icons display sector, country, and the 30-day price pattern that the security has followed, respectively.
Comparison
- How do I display the account(s) and benchmark that I would like to compare?
By clicking on the "Top" link in the Client Groups/Indices Section, you will be brought to a list of Groups/Accounts or Indices/Models, depending on the bullet selected. This allows you to choose what you would like to view on the top half of the screen. Do the same to change the bottom section by clicking on the "Bottom" link. The top and bottom sections of the screen will then display the account(s) and benchmark you chose.
Performance
- How does Performance work?
Performance is updated on a daily basis. The values are calculated at night and are updated for the following business day. The Bullrun® Performance module employs a true time-weighted rate of return (TWR) methodology to calculate portfolio returns and stock-level contributions. The performance analysis methodology is fully AIMR-PPS compliant. Portfolios are valued on a daily basis. Daily returns are calculated at the stock level and geometrically linked to arrive at total portfolio returns.
- How do I determine which equities are causing my portfolios to under-perform?
Select a time period by using the calendar function in the upper left. By scrolling down the list of constituents of the selected portfolio, you can see which holdings hurt (or helped) the portfolio’s performance, adjusted for its percent weight in the portfolio.
- How do I change the benchmark index?
The desired benchmark is selected by clicking the link of the current benchmark in the upper left corner of the screen. A pop-up box will be displayed, listing all available indices the advisor’s ID currently has permission to see. Simply click the desired benchmark in the pop-up box to replace your current benchmark.
- What do the Cash and Fee options provide?
If your firm would like to account for cash and the fees that are applied to an account when making trades, then this function will provide that ability in the Performance tab.
Attribution
- How does Attribution work?
For attribution purposes, Bullrun® utilizes the Modified Dietz Method for approximating a time-weighted rate of return over a single period. The Modified Dietz Method uses the beginning and ending asset values for the period and weights each inter-period cash flow by the amount of time it is invested.
Building upon the Modified Dietz return calculations, the Bullrun® Attribution module calculates the total relative return of a portfolio versus another portfolio or index. Regional and sector contributions to total relative return are shown in the default Portfolio Return Contributions screen display.
For further in-depth attribution analysis, Bullrun® Attribution calculates the relative return contributions by the active weighting of sectors or regions (while ignoring security selection effects), by active stock picking (while ignoring allocation effects), and by the interaction effect between active weighting and stock picking.
- How do I determine which equities are causing my portfolios to under-perform?
In the upper-left portion of the screen, select your time period. In the center blue and white portion of the screen, the constituents of your portfolio(s) will be displayed along with their relative return contribution. By scrolling down toward the bottom of the list, you can view which holdings are hurting your performance relative to the selected benchmark.
- How do I change the benchmark?
Click the red "Bottom" button on the left side above the book of clients. Next, click the "Indices/Models" circle directly under the "Bottom" button. Finally, select the desired benchmark index or composite from the displayed list.
- How does Percent Relative Return Contribution work?
Percent Relative Return Contribution is the function of the Attribution module that figures out the opportunity cost of owning versus not owning a security. With respect to your portfolio, the positive end of the values means that you were at an advantage by owning that stock, whereas the negative end means your portfolio was hurt by owning that stock. If you look at an index, it works in a similar fashion but the interpretation of the signs are important: The positive end means you were at an advantage by not owning that stock, whereas the negatives mean that you were hurt by not owning that stock that could have helped your portfolio.
Alternative Stocks
- What are the benefits of using the Alternative Stocks tab?
The Alternative Stocks tab provides you with securities that fit the specifications that you have set forth. This feature allows for the user to find strong replacement stocks for stocks in an account that may not be performing well.
Client Admin
- What does the Client Admin tab do?
The Client Admin tab allows for the user to upload portfolios to investments not yet in place. The user can track the positions that the portfolio includes and the buying and selling points too. This tab also allows the user to make groups of clients, such as a family or group of friends that would link their portfolios together. This is the managerial section of the program.
- How do I upload (model) portfolios manually?
To add or create a new account, or append or reset an existing account, select an existing client under "1. Select an existing client" by selecting from the drop-down box and clicking "Continue." You can narrow the clients contained in the drop-down box by clicking on the appropriate first letter of the client’s last name and selecting the client from the drop-down box.
To Add a New Account:
Item “2a. Enter account details for a new account” allows you to add a new portfolio. - Enter the "Portfolio ID" which can be a name, account number, or a combination of both.
- Select the "Account Type."
- Select “INSIDE” if you are the manager or have some other fiduciary duty of the account, or "OUTSIDE" if the account is held or managed at another institution.
- Select “Yes” for “Uses cash” if the account was established using cash and you want to track cash, or "No" if the portfolio does not use cash, then click "Continue."
- "Choose an upload method" allows the user to enter transactions manually or if you prefer, add the portfolio using an Excel spreadsheet.
- For "Quick Upload" enter ticker, quantity, price, and date (defaults to current date), and click "Upload."
- To add the portfolio via "Excel Upload," select the respective pre-existing Excel file from your computer by clicking "Browse" and selecting the respective portfolio, then click "Upload" (Refer to Excel Upload Format to see how to create a portfolio using Excel). The new portfolio will now be added.
To Append or Reset an Existing Account:
Item "2b. Or, select an existing account" gives you the option to add trades or to reset an existing portfolio. - Select the portfolio in the "Portfolio ID" drop-down box.
- Select "append to account" to add transactions to a portfolio or select “Or reset account” to delete an entire portfolio’s contents and replace it with new transactions and click "Continue."
- As with Item "2a" the "3. Choose an upload method" screen will appear.
- For "Quick Upload" enter ticker, quantity, price, and date (defaults to current date), and click "Upload."
- To add the portfolio via “Excel Upload,” select the respective pre-existing Excel file from your computer by clicking “Browse” and selecting the respective portfolio, then click "Upload" (Refer to Excel Upload Format to see how to create a portfolio using Excel).
- The new portfolio will now be added.
Excel File Format to Upload:
- Open a new Excel file.
- Enter “E” for equity/mutual fund transactions or "C" for cash transactions (valid in portfolios already established as "Uses Cash") in column A.
- Enter the ticker of the security in column B, the buy or sell price in column C, and the quantity traded (where sells are negative quantities) in column D.
- Enter the date of the transaction as MM/DD/YY in column E.
Note: For cash entries, enter the currency code, leave price blank, and enter the value as quantity. This should be the only data on the worksheet and the worksheet should be saved as the top worksheet with it tab located to the left of any other worksheet in the Excel file. There should be no column headings in the file as well.
- How do I find equities that fit certain criteria, and create a model portfolio from them?
In the Market Indices tab, select an index to begin limiting your universe, such as S&P 500 or Russell 1000. Next, using the Filter function, select some of your limiting criteria. Once you are satisfied with the criteria, and hence, the remaining constituents, you can see the data displayed in Microsoft Excel using the Report feature, which can in turn be used with slight modification, for uploading as a model portfolio.
- How do I determine the trading history of a particular equity within a portfolio?
Click on the Client List tab at the upper left. Here you will see a list of all clients. Select the client whose portfolio you would like to view. A list of all portfolios owned by that client will be displayed. Select the portfolio and finally the ticker of the position whose trading history you would like to view. At the bottom you will see a list of all buys, sells and dividends associated with that equity, along with relative price, quantity and date information.
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