Import Options allow you to configure how portfolio data — security identifiers and shares/par values — can be automatically loaded into EstateVal from files produced by other software, allowing you to avoid having to manually key that information in. Once an import format is selected and configured, it can be executed by selecting either File → Import → To EstateVal… (to import directly into EstateVal) or File → Import → To Files… (to import into an EstateVal portfolio file; this option allows multiple files to be import into multiple portfolios at the same time).
Also note that security identifiers and shares/par values can be copy-and-pasted directly into EstateVal from Excel, without having to use an import. In Excel, simply highlight the identifiers and shares/par (in adjacent columns) and press Ctrl+C (or click Home → Copy) to copy them onto the clipboard. Then, select the EstateVal lot you’d like to begin inserting them into, and press Ctrl+V (or click Edit → Paste) to paste them. You can also select both entire columns in Excel by clicking on the header rows, before pressing Ctrl+C.
Additionally, TEdec, GEMS, and EstateWorks have integrated EVP Systems pricing directly into their software, so imports into EstateVal are no longer required. To use this feature of their software, please contact them and ask about “EVP Everywhere” to get started.
Not all of the fields below appear for every type of import. You will only need to configure those fields relevant to the type of import you select.
Type determines the type of import that the program will use. The following are supported:
- Cusip/Shares: Imports a simple list — one lot per line — of security identifiers, followed by a comma, followed by the number of shares/par.
- Custom (Fixed): Imports a list — one per line — of security identifier and shares/par, where each field has a fixed position and character length in the file.
- Custom (Field): Imports a list — one per line — of security identifiers are shares par, where each field is separated by a pre-defined character.
- FASTER V8: Imports portfolio data from the FASTER software package, version 8, from FASTER Systems.
- FASTER ASP: Imports portfolio data from FASTER Systems’ FASTER ASP software.
- SEI Assets: Import portfolio data from an SEI Assets file.
- SEI Holdings: Import portfolio data from an SEI Holdings file.
- SunGard: Import portfolio data from the SunGard financial system. SunGard is now owned by FIS.
- SunGard Global Plus: Import portfolio data from the SunGard Global Plus software. SunGard is now owed by FIS.
- TEdec: Imports portfolio data from TEdec fiduciary accounting software. TEdec can also retrieve EVP Systems evaluations from directly within their program, without imports or exports.
- Trust/Rite: Imports portfolio data from Trust/Rite software, now known as TrustPortal. TrustPortal is owned by Northern Trust and Fi-Tek.
- TrustWare 11/98a: Imports portfolio data from TrustWare 11. TrustWare was a product of SunGard, and is now owned by FIS.
- TrustWare 11/98b: Imports portfolio data from TrustWare 11. TrustWare was a product of SunGard, and is now owned by FIS.
The program also supports imports from internal systems at the following banks and brokerages:
- Fidelity
- Key Trust
- M & I
- Northern Trust
- PNC
- U.S. Bank
- U.S. Trust
Extension sets the three-character file extension — like “CSV” or “TXT” or “DAT” — that the file to be imported uses.
Path sets the default location to select the import file from. Use the drop-down to select common locations, or the button with three dots next to it to select any folder on the computer.
Name defines the name of the custom imports that will be shown in the import dialog. If Type is either “Custom (Fixed)” or “Custom (Field)”, you can give the import a name, to clarify where the file being imported should come from.
Header Line defines how the first line of the import file will be treated: “None” if there is no header line and the file is all data fields; “Skip” if the first line should be skipped over; “Date & Name” if the first line includes the evaluation date for the portfolio and the decedent name; “File & Name” if it shows the filename of the portfolio and the name of the decedent; and “Date, File & Name” if that data is included.
Identifier Column defines the character position of the start of the security identifier. If the identifier is the first field on each line, then this should be set to “1”. If there’s, say, an eight-character date as the first field, and then the security identifiers, this value would be “9,” because the identifier starts on the ninth character of each line.
Identifier Length should be set to the number of characters that make up the security identifier. If the security identifier can be up to eight characters — the length of a CUSIP without the check digit — then this field would be “8”. Trailing spaces are stripped off automatically.
Shares Column defines the character position of the start of the shares/par value.
Shares Length should be set to the number of characters that make up the shares/par value.
Field Delimiter defines the character that separates the fields for field-based imports. It can be set to “Comma”, “Tab”, “Space”, or “Comma or Space”, with the last value allowing either character to delimit fields.
Identifier Field sets the field — as determined by the Field Delimiter — used as the security identifier. If the identifier is the first field, this value should be set to “1”. If each line of the file has a name, and then a comment, and then the security identifier (each separated by the Field Delimiter character), this value would be set to “3”.
Shares Field defines the field used for the shares/par value. If the shares/par value is in the second field of each line of the import, this value would be “2”.