A snapshot is a point-in-time record of a policy's key values: cash value, death benefit, and loan balance as of a specific date. Snapshots are how you keep Policy Stack's data current.
You record a new snapshot whenever you receive updated figures from your carrier — typically once a year from your annual statement, though you can record snapshots more frequently if your carrier provides interim statements.
Each snapshot stores:
- Effective date — the date the values are as-of
- Cash value — from the statement
- Death benefit — from the statement
- Loan balance — from the statement (if applicable)
- Source — Actual (from statement) or Planned (anticipated future value)
Policy Stack uses the most recent snapshot to calculate your current system position, LTV, Net Cash Value, and Available to borrow. Older snapshots are retained for historical tracking and trend visualization.
With automatic snapshot reconciliation enabled, the latest applicable snapshot anchors the Loan Balance on its date. Later recorded activity changes the current balance. Unexplained differences appear as Statement adjustment or Starting balance, not recorded loans or interest charges. Earlier real activity replaces neutral statement differences without counting twice. Where automatic snapshot reconciliation is disabled, the existing balance-first flow can classify material increases beyond expected interest as one canonical draw, nominal increases as capitalized interest, and decreases as repayments. Detected follow-ups reuse the snapshot movement rather than duplicating it. Historical draws can be entered with original and current-remaining amounts without changing the latest snapshot balance. See Snapshot Loan-Balance Review.