In the R blotter package, are matured instruments removed from positions?

Question

Suppose I have a blotter portfolio of instruments that mature at some date.

Will the getPos function recognize that my position in these instruments changes after this date?

In other words, is getPos smart enough to simulate instruments that mature?

Answer 1

First, FinancialInstrument is extensible by design. Adding an expiration or maturity date is as simple as passing those attributes when you create your instruments.

Josh is correct that you need to create transactions. If you're holding the portfolio, your broker will hopefully receive cash and deposit it in your account. In blotter, that would be a closing of the bond position for par, presumably. Of course, there are many kinds of bonds, and they do not always mature at par, so doing this automatically isn't really possible.

We would certainly welcome collaboration from someone with a real bond portfolio to extend the utilities and helper functions available in blotter.

Answer 2

No, blotter portfolios will not be automatically updated when an instrument matures, expires, etc. It's the user's responsibility to provide all necessary transactions to "close" a position.