The Security Editor is used to create and edit commodities that are used by mutual fund and stock type accounts. It also shows the details of National Currencies that are used by GnuCash.
To show the details for National Currencies click the Show National Currencies check-box at the bottom of the screen.
Each entry in the editor shows the details used by the security/currency:
Type: Indicates for stocks the exchange on which a stock is traded. For mutual funds use the FUND type. If your commodity is not of one of these types, you can create a new type by typing it in the box. For national currencies the type is ISO4217. ISO-4217 is an international standard which defines unique three-letter symbols for each currency. National currencies are not user editable.
Symbol: Indicates the symbol or abbreviation for the commodity. This is usually the ticker symbol (for stocks) or other unique abbreviation for the commodity. If the commodity is traded on any public exchange, it is important to use the same identifier used on that exchange. For national currencies the symbol is the ISO-4217 currency code.
Name: The full name of the commodity is a recognizable name such as "US Dollars" or "IBM Common Stock".
Code: This is any numeric or alphanumeric code that is used to identify the commodity. The CUSIP code is a unique identifying numeric string that is associated with every stock, bond or mutual fund, and most kinds of traded options, futures and commodities. This code is not required.
Fraction: This is the smallest traded unit of the commodity, expressed as a fraction of a single nominal unit. This unit is used by GnuCash accounts as the default fraction for trades in the commodity.
To add a new commodity (stock, or mutual fund), click on Add, and enter the details of the commodity into the New Security dialog box. To edit an existing commodity, select the commodity from the Commodities list, click the Edit button, and edit the Edit Security dialog box. To remove a commodity, select the commodity and click the Remove button.
The fields in the New/Edit Security screens are the same as defined for the Security Editor Security Editor. Below these fields are the options for Online Quotes.
To support on-line quotations for a particular stock or mutual fund account, you must first enable on-line price quoting and select a price source in the Security Editor. Online currency quotes require only that the check-box for Online quotes and the timezone be selected, and that the “Get Quotes” box be checked in the Security Editor.
Detailed instructions are in the section on Creating New Accounts. Steps to enable On-line price updating