How to Convert Brokerage Statement PDFs to Excel Using Investipal’s OCR Scanner

Published on
September 11, 2024
Contributors
Cameron Howe
CEO
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Working with PDFs can sometimes be a challenge, especially when you need to extract data into a more usable format like Excel. Manually copying data is not only time-consuming but also prone to errors. Fortunately, with the right tools, you can convert PDFs to Excel easily and accurately. That’s where Investipal’s OCR scanner comes in.

This guide will walk you through the process of converting PDFs to Excel using Investipal’s OCR technology. We’ll break it down step by step, showing you how this tool can save you time and make your workflows more efficient.

Why Convert PDFs to Excel?

As a financial advisor, you deal with PDFs daily. Whether it’s financial statements, reports, or other documents, PDFs are great for preserving formatting but less convenient when it comes to data extraction. Here’s why converting those PDFs to Excel can be a game-changer:

  • Get the Data You Need, Fast
    • Excel is a powerful tool for analyzing and manipulating data. By converting PDFs to Excel, you can quickly access the data, make adjustments, and integrate it into your existing spreadsheets. No more tedious copying and pasting—just clean, usable data.
  • Reduce Errors and Save Time
    • Manually entering data from PDFs can lead to mistakes, especially with large portfolios, complex tables or large datasets. Converting PDFs to Excel using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and then organizing and making sense of that data with AI eliminates this risk and speeds up the process.

How Investipal’s OCR Scanner Simplifies PDF to Excel Conversion

So, what makes Investipal’s OCR scanner stand out? It’s all about accuracy and ease of use. Here’s a quick breakdown of how it works:

What Is OCR and Why Is It Important?

OCR technology recognizes text within images or scanned documents, making it possible to extract data from PDFs and convert it into an editable format like Excel. Investipal’s OCR scanner takes this a step further by ensuring high accuracy, even with complex financial documents.

How is OCR used with AI?

Recognizing text with OCR is just the first step. For true time savings, the information needs to be organized and understood so that it can be structured and analyzed. This allows you to quickly make use of the data, whether it’s analyzing it within a system like Investipal or exporting to a CSV for analysis elsewhere. This is where AI comes in.

Why Use Investipal’s OCR Scanner?

With Investipal, you’re getting more than just basic OCR. This tool is built for efficiency:

  • Accurate Data Extraction: Capture every detail, from numbers to text, without losing formatting.
  • Time Savings: Spend less time on manual tasks and more on meaningful analysis.
  • Analysis: As a portfolio management system, Investipal can run an instant, comprehensive analysis on the client’s holdings and portfolio.
  • Seamless Integration and Export: The converted data fits right into your existing workflows, ready for further processing.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Convert PDFs to Excel with Investipal

  • Step 1: Upload Your PDF Document
    • Start by logging into Investipal and navigating to the OCR scanner tool. Upload the PDF brokerage statement you want to convert. Add multiple if needed.
A software that lets you upload a brokerage statement for automated data extraction
Uploading a brokerage statement PDF for automated data extractionr
  • Step 2: Let OCR and AI Do The Work
    • Once your document is uploaded, Investipal will analyze the document, organize all of the information for you and attempt to validate the data. Simply review to make sure that output is accurate. Feel free to manually add or remove tickers as needed.
Extracted data being validated by the software
  • Step 3: Analyze The Portfolio
    • Now, let the Investipal’s machine learning do its magic. Investipal’s technology will analyze the portfolio and provide a comprehensive overview of performance, risk concentration, calculate over 20 risk/return parameters like volatility and Sharpe Ratio, and allow you to compare it to your own models.
A graphical analysis of an investment portfolio
  • Step 4: Download and Review Your Excel File
    • After the conversion and analysis is complete, feel free to download the Excel file and review it. Investipal preserves the structure of the original document, so your data should be organized and ready to use. If needed, make any adjustments to formatting or calculations.
Downloading an investment portfolio's holdings to CSV file format

Tips for Optimizing Your PDF to Excel Conversion

For the best results when converting PDFs to Excel, here are a few tips:

  • Use High-Quality PDFs
    • The quality of your PDF affects the accuracy of the OCR process. Clear, high-resolution PDFs with well-structured text will produce the best results. Avoid scanned documents that are blurry or hard to read.
  • Double-Check Complex Tables
    • While Investipal handles most tables with ease, complex tables with lots of nested data might need a quick review. Ensure that everything transferred correctly into Excel and adjust formatting if needed.

Getting Started

Converting PDFs to Excel doesn’t have to be a chore. With Investipal’s OCR scanner, you can quickly and accurately extract data, allowing you to focus on analysis instead of manual data entry. Whether you’re handling financial reports, portfolio data, or any other document, Investipal’s tools make the process easy.

Ready to simplify your workflows? Book a demo today and see how OCR technology can save you time and effort.

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