diff --git a/piker/accounting/_pos.py b/piker/accounting/_pos.py
index 65eb67a8..fbb6997f 100644
--- a/piker/accounting/_pos.py
+++ b/piker/accounting/_pos.py
@@ -22,18 +22,17 @@ that doesn't try to cuk most humans who prefer to not lose their moneys..
 
 '''
 from __future__ import annotations
-# from bisect import insort
 from contextlib import contextmanager as cm
 from decimal import Decimal
 from pprint import pformat
 from pathlib import Path
+from types import ModuleType
 from typing import (
     Any,
     Iterator,
     Generator
 )
 
-import polars as pl
 import pendulum
 from pendulum import (
     datetime,
@@ -43,7 +42,6 @@ import tomlkit
 
 from ._ledger import (
     Transaction,
-    open_trade_ledger,
     TransactionLedger,
 )
 from ._mktinfo import (
@@ -60,6 +58,7 @@ from ..clearing._messages import (
     BrokerdPosition,
 )
 from ..data.types import Struct
+from ..data._symcache import SymbologyCache
 from ..log import get_logger
 
 log = get_logger(__name__)
@@ -105,19 +104,12 @@ class Position(Struct):
 
     split_ratio: int | None = None
 
-    # ordered record of known constituent trade messages
-    _clears: list[
-        dict[str, Any],  # transaction history summaries
-    ] = []
-
-    # _events: pl.DataFrame | None = None
+    # TODO: use a `pl.DataFrame` intead?
     _events: dict[str, Transaction | dict] = {}
 
-    # first_clear_dt: datetime | None = None
-
     @property
     def expiry(self) -> datetime | None:
-        exp: str = self.mkt.expiry
+        exp: str = self.mkt.expiry.lower()
         match exp:
             # empty str, 'perp' (contract) or simply a null
             # signifies instrument with NO expiry.
@@ -188,7 +180,7 @@ class Position(Struct):
 
         '''
         # scan for the last "net zero" position by iterating
-        # transactions until the next net-zero accum_size, rinse,
+        # transactions until the next net-zero cumsize, rinse,
         # repeat.
         cumsize: float = 0
         clears_since_zero: list[dict] = []
@@ -223,6 +215,7 @@ class Position(Struct):
         '''
         mkt: MktPair = self.mkt
         assert isinstance(mkt, MktPair)
+
         # TODO: we need to figure out how to have one top level
         # listing venue here even when the backend isn't providing
         # it via the trades ledger..
@@ -239,16 +232,19 @@ class Position(Struct):
 
         asdict: dict[str, Any] = {
             'bs_mktid': self.bs_mktid,
-            'expiry': self.expiry or '',
+            # 'expiry': self.expiry or '',
             'asset_type': asset_type,
             'price_tick': mkt.price_tick,
             'size_tick': mkt.size_tick,
         }
-
         if exp := self.expiry:
             asdict['expiry'] = exp
 
         clears_since_zero: list[dict] = self.minimized_clears()
+
+        # setup a "multi-line array of inline tables" which we call
+        # the "clears table", contained by each position entry in
+        # an "account file".
         clears_table: tomlkit.Array = tomlkit.array()
         clears_table.multiline(
             multiline=True,
@@ -267,69 +263,21 @@ class Position(Struct):
             for k in ['price', 'size', 'cost']:
                 inline_table[k] = entry[k]
 
-            # serialize datetime to parsable `str`
-            inline_table['dt'] = entry['dt']#.isoformat('T')
-            # assert 'Datetime' not in inline_table['dt']
+            # NOTE: we don't actually need to serialize datetime to parsable `str`
+            # since `tomlkit` supports a native `DateTime` but
+            # seems like we're not doing it entirely in clearing
+            # tables yet?
+            inline_table['dt'] = entry['dt']  # .isoformat('T')
 
             tid: str = entry['tid']
             inline_table['tid'] = tid
             clears_table.append(inline_table)
-            # if val < 0:
-            #     breakpoint()
 
         # assert not events
         asdict['clears'] = clears_table
 
         return fqme, asdict
 
-    # def ensure_state(self) -> None:
-    #     '''
-    #     Audit either the `.cumsize` and `.ppu` local instance vars against
-    #     the clears table calculations and return the calc-ed values if
-    #     they differ and log warnings to console.
-
-    #     '''
-    #     # clears: list[dict] = self._clears
-
-    #     # self.first_clear_dt = min(clears, key=lambda e: e['dt'])['dt']
-    #     last_clear: dict = clears[-1]
-    #     csize: float = self.calc_size()
-    #     accum: float = last_clear['accum_size']
-
-    #     if not self.expired():
-    #         if (
-    #             csize != accum
-    #             and csize != round(accum * (self.split_ratio or 1))
-    #         ):
-    #             raise ValueError(f'Size mismatch: {csize}')
-    #     else:
-    #         assert csize == 0, 'Contract is expired but non-zero size?'
-
-    #     if self.cumsize != csize:
-    #         log.warning(
-    #             'Position state mismatch:\n'
-    #             f'{self.cumsize} => {csize}'
-    #         )
-    #         self.cumsize = csize
-
-    #     cppu: float = self.calc_ppu()
-    #     ppu: float = last_clear['ppu']
-    #     if (
-    #         cppu != ppu
-    #         and self.split_ratio is not None
-
-    #         # handle any split info entered (for now) manually by user
-    #         and cppu != (ppu / self.split_ratio)
-    #     ):
-    #         raise ValueError(f'PPU mismatch: {cppu}')
-
-    #     if self.ppu != cppu:
-    #         log.warning(
-    #             'Position state mismatch:\n'
-    #             f'{self.ppu} => {cppu}'
-    #         )
-    #         self.ppu = cppu
-
     def update_from_msg(
         self,
         msg: BrokerdPosition,
@@ -337,12 +285,13 @@ class Position(Struct):
     ) -> None:
 
         mkt: MktPair = self.mkt
-        # we summarize the pos with a single summary transaction
-        # (for now) until we either pass THIS type as msg directly
-        # from emsd or come up with a better way?
+
+        # NOTE WARNING XXX: we summarize the pos with a single
+        # summary transaction (for now) until we either pass THIS
+        # type as msg directly from emsd or come up with a better
+        # way?
         t = Transaction(
-            fqme=mkt.bs_mktid,
-            sym=mkt,
+            fqme=mkt.fqme,
             bs_mktid=mkt.bs_mktid,
             tid='unknown',
             size=msg['size'],
@@ -357,15 +306,16 @@ class Position(Struct):
     @property
     def dsize(self) -> float:
         '''
-        The "dollar" size of the pp, normally in trading (fiat) unit
-        terms.
+        The "dollar" size of the pp, normally in source asset
+        (fiat) units.
 
         '''
         return self.ppu * self.size
 
     def expired(self) -> bool:
         '''
-        Predicate which checks if the contract/instrument is past its expiry.
+        Predicate which checks if the contract/instrument is past
+        its expiry.
 
         '''
         return bool(self.expiry) and self.expiry < now()
@@ -388,36 +338,23 @@ class Position(Struct):
             log.warning(f'{t} is already added?!')
             return added
 
-        # clear: dict[str, float | str | int] = {
-        #     'tid': t.tid,
-        #     'cost': t.cost,
-        #     'price': t.price,
-        #     'size': t.size,
-        #     'dt': t.dt
-        # }
-        self._events[tid] = t
-        return True
+        # TODO: apparently this IS possible with a dict but not
+        # common and probably not that beneficial unless we're also
+        # going to do cum-calcs on each insert?
+        # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/38079171/python-insert-new-element-into-sorted-list-of-dictionaries
+        # from bisect import insort
         # insort(
         #     self._clears,
         #     clear,
         #     key=lambda entry: entry['dt']
         # )
+        self._events[tid] = t
+        return True
 
-        # TODO: compute these incrementally instead
-        # of re-looping through each time resulting in O(n**2)
-        # behaviour..?
-
-        # NOTE: we compute these **after** adding the entry in order to
-        # make the recurrence relation math work inside
-        # ``.calc_size()``.
-        # self.size = clear['accum_size'] = self.calc_size()
-        # self.ppu = clear['ppu'] = self.calc_ppu()
-        # self.size: float = self.calc_size()
-        # self.ppu: float = self.calc_ppu()
-
-        # assert len(self._events) == len(self._clears)
-        # return clear
-
+    # TODO: compute these incrementally instead
+    # of re-looping through each time resulting in O(n**2)
+    # behaviour..? Can we have some kinda clears len to cached
+    # output subsys?
     def calc_ppu(self) -> float:
         return ppu(self.iter_by_type('clear'))
 
@@ -487,20 +424,50 @@ class Position(Struct):
 
 
 class Account(Struct):
+    '''
+    The real-time (double-entry accounting) state of
+    a given **asset ownership tracking system**, normally offered
+    or measured from some brokerage, CEX or (implied virtual)
+    summary crypto$ "wallets" aggregated and tracked over some set
+    of DEX-es.
 
-    brokername: str
+    Both market-mapped and ledger-system-native (aka inter-account
+    "transfers") transactions are accounted and they pertain to
+    (implied) PnL relatve to any other accountable asset.
+
+    More specifically in piker terms, an account tracks all of:
+
+    - the *balances* of all assets currently available for use either
+      in (future) market or (inter-account/wallet) transfer
+      transactions.
+    - a transaction *ledger* from a given brokerd backend whic
+      is a recording of all (know) such transactions from the past.
+    - a set of financial *positions* as measured from the current
+      ledger state.
+
+    See the semantic origins from double-bookeeping:
+    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-entry_bookkeeping
+
+    '''
+    mod: ModuleType
     acctid: str
     pps: dict[str, Position]
+
     conf_path: Path
     conf: dict | None = {}
 
     # TODO: track a table of asset balances as `.balances:
     # dict[Asset, float]`?
 
-    def update_from_trans(
+    @property
+    def brokername(self) -> str:
+        return self.mod.name
+
+    def update_from_ledger(
         self,
-        trans: dict[str, Transaction],
+        ledger: TransactionLedger,
         cost_scalar: float = 2,
+        symcache: SymbologyCache | None = None,
 
     ) -> dict[str, Position]:
         '''
@@ -509,24 +476,36 @@ class Account(Struct):
         accumulative size for each entry.
 
         '''
+        if (
+            not isinstance(ledger, TransactionLedger)
+            and symcache is None
+        ):
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                'No ledger provided!\n'
+                'We can not determine the `MktPair`s without a symcache..\n'
+                'Please provide `symcache: SymbologyCache` when '
+                'processing NEW positions!'
+            )
+
         pps = self.pps
         updated: dict[str, Position] = {}
 
         # lifo update all pps from records, ensuring
         # we compute the PPU and size sorted in time!
-        for t in sorted(
-            trans.values(),
-            key=lambda t: t.dt,
-            # reverse=True,
-        ):
-            fqme: str = t.fqme
-            bs_mktid: str = t.bs_mktid
+        for tid, txn in ledger.iter_txns():
+        # for t in sorted(
+        #     trans.values(),
+        #     key=lambda t: t.dt,
+        # ):
+            fqme: str = txn.fqme
+            bs_mktid: str = txn.bs_mktid
 
             # template the mkt-info presuming a legacy market ticks
             # if no info exists in the transactions..
-            mkt: MktPair = t.sys
+            mkt: MktPair = ledger._symcache.mktmaps[fqme]
 
             if not (pos := pps.get(bs_mktid)):
+
                 # if no existing pos, allocate fresh one.
                 pos = pps[bs_mktid] = Position(
                     mkt=mkt,
@@ -541,33 +520,16 @@ class Account(Struct):
                 if len(pos.mkt.fqme) < len(fqme):
                     pos.mkt = mkt
 
-            # clears: list[dict] = pos._clears
-            # if clears:
-            #     # first_clear_dt = pos.first_clear_dt
-
-            #     # don't do updates for ledger records we already have
-            #     # included in the current pps state.
-            #     if (
-            #         t.tid in clears
-            #         # or (
-            #         #     first_clear_dt
-            #         #     and t.dt < first_clear_dt
-            #         # )
-            #     ):
-            #         # NOTE: likely you'll see repeats of the same
-            #         # ``Transaction`` passed in here if/when you are restarting
-            #         # a ``brokerd.ib`` where the API will re-report trades from
-            #         # the current session, so we need to make sure we don't
-            #         # "double count" these in pp calculations.
-            #         continue
-
-            # update clearing table
-            pos.add_clear(t)
-            updated[t.bs_mktid] = pos
-
-        # re-calc ppu and accumulative sizing.
-        # for bs_mktid, pos in updated.items():
-        #     pos.ensure_state()
+            # update clearing table!
+            # NOTE: likely you'll see repeats of the same
+            # ``Transaction`` passed in here if/when you are restarting
+            # a ``brokerd.ib`` where the API will re-report trades from
+            # the current session, so we need to make sure we don't
+            # "double count" these in pp calculations;
+            # `Position.add_clear()` stores txs in a `dict[tid,
+            # tx]` which should always ensure this is true B)
+            pos.add_clear(txn)
+            updated[txn.bs_mktid] = pos
 
         # NOTE: deliver only the position entries that were
         # actually updated (modified the state) from the input
@@ -614,7 +576,7 @@ class Account(Struct):
 
         return open_pp_objs, closed_pp_objs
 
-    def to_toml(
+    def prep_toml(
         self,
         active: dict[str, Position] | None = None,
 
@@ -629,12 +591,12 @@ class Account(Struct):
 
         pos: Position
         for bs_mktid, pos in active.items():
-            # NOTE: we only store the minimal amount of clears that make up this
-            # position since the last net-zero state.
-            # pos.minimize_clears()
             # pos.ensure_state()
 
             # serialize to pre-toml form
+            # NOTE: we only store the minimal amount of clears that
+            # make up this position since the last net-zero state,
+            # see `Position.to_pretoml()` for details
             fqme, asdict = pos.to_pretoml()
 
             # clears: list[dict] = asdict['clears']
@@ -650,7 +612,8 @@ class Account(Struct):
 
     def write_config(self) -> None:
         '''
-        Write the current position table to the user's ``pps.toml``.
+        Write the current account state to the user's account TOML file, normally
+        something like ``pps.toml``.
 
         '''
         # TODO: show diff output?
@@ -658,7 +621,7 @@ class Account(Struct):
         # active, closed_pp_objs = table.dump_active()
 
         active, closed = self.dump_active()
-        pp_entries = self.to_toml(active=active)
+        pp_entries = self.prep_toml(active=active)
         if pp_entries:
             log.info(
                 f'Updating positions in ``{self.conf_path}``:\n'
@@ -705,24 +668,12 @@ class Account(Struct):
         # super weird --1 thing going on for cumsize!?1!
         # NOTE: the fix was to always float() the size value loaded
         # in open_pps() below!
-
-        # confclears = self.conf["tsla.nasdaq.ib"]['clears']
-        # firstcum = confclears[0]['cumsize']
-        # if firstcum:
-        #     breakpoint()
-
         config.write(
             config=self.conf,
             path=self.conf_path,
             fail_empty=False,
         )
 
-        # breakpoint()
-
-
-# TODO: move over all broker backend usage to new name..
-PpTable = Account
-
 
 def load_account(
     brokername: str,
@@ -784,12 +735,12 @@ def load_account(
 
 
 @cm
-def open_pps(
+def open_account(
     brokername: str,
     acctid: str,
     write_on_exit: bool = False,
 
-) -> Generator[PpTable, None, None]:
+) -> Generator[Account, None, None]:
     '''
     Read out broker-specific position entries from
     incremental update file: ``pps.toml``.
@@ -820,10 +771,12 @@ def open_pps(
     #   engine proc if we decide to always spawn it?),
     # - do diffs against updates from the ledger writer
     #   actor and the in-mem state here?
+    from ..brokers import get_brokermod
+    mod: ModuleType = get_brokermod(brokername)
 
-    pp_objs = {}
-    table = PpTable(
-        brokername,
+    pp_objs: dict[str, Position] = {}
+    table = Account(
+        mod,
         acctid,
         pp_objs,
         conf_path,
@@ -831,12 +784,10 @@ def open_pps(
     )
 
     # unmarshal/load ``pps.toml`` config entries into object form
-    # and update `PpTable` obj entries.
+    # and update `Account` obj entries.
     for fqme, entry in conf.items():
 
-        # atype = entry.get('asset_type', '<unknown>')
-
-        # unique broker market id
+        # unique broker-backend-system market id
         bs_mktid = str(
             entry.get('bsuid')
             or entry.get('bs_mktid')
@@ -860,7 +811,7 @@ def open_pps(
             fqme,
             price_tick=price_tick,
             size_tick=size_tick,
-            bs_mktid=bs_mktid
+            bs_mktid=bs_mktid,
         )
 
         # TODO: RE: general "events" instead of just "clears":
@@ -875,6 +826,7 @@ def open_pps(
         # for toml re-presentation) back into a master table.
         toml_clears_list: list[dict[str, Any]] = entry['clears']
         trans: list[Transaction] = []
+
         for clears_table in toml_clears_list:
             tid = clears_table['tid']
             dt: tomlkit.items.DateTime | str = clears_table['dt']
@@ -887,23 +839,18 @@ def open_pps(
             clears_table['dt'] = dt
             trans.append(Transaction(
                 fqme=bs_mktid,
-                sym=mkt,
+                # sym=mkt,
                 bs_mktid=bs_mktid,
                 tid=tid,
+                # XXX: not sure why sometimes these are loaded as
+                # `tomlkit.Integer` and are eventually written with
+                # an extra `-` in front like `--1`?
                 size=float(clears_table['size']),
                 price=float(clears_table['price']),
                 cost=clears_table['cost'],
                 dt=dt,
             ))
 
-        # size = entry['size']
-
-        # # TODO: remove but, handle old field name for now
-        # ppu = entry.get(
-        #     'ppu',
-        #     entry.get('be_price', 0),
-        # )
-
         split_ratio = entry.get('split_ratio')
 
         # if a string-ified expiry field is loaded we try to parse
@@ -929,9 +876,6 @@ def open_pps(
         for t in trans:
             pp.add_clear(t)
 
-        # audit entries loaded from toml
-        # pp.ensure_state()
-
     try:
         yield table
     finally:
@@ -939,7 +883,21 @@ def open_pps(
             table.write_config()
 
 
-def load_pps_from_ledger(
+# TODO: drop the old name and THIS!
+@cm
+def open_pps(
+    *args,
+    **kwargs,
+) -> Generator[Account, None, None]:
+    log.warning(
+        '`open_pps()` is now deprecated!\n'
+        'Please use `with open_account() as cnt:`'
+    )
+    with open_account(*args, **kwargs) as acnt:
+        yield acnt
+
+
+def load_account_from_ledger(
 
     brokername: str,
     acctname: str,
@@ -947,10 +905,9 @@ def load_pps_from_ledger(
     # post normalization filter on ledger entries to be processed
     filter_by_ids: dict[str, list[str]] | None = None,
 
-) -> tuple[
-    pl.DataFrame,
-    PpTable,
-]:
+    ledger: TransactionLedger | None = None,
+
+) -> Account:
     '''
     Open a ledger file by broker name and account and read in and
     process any trade records into our normalized ``Transaction`` form
@@ -958,67 +915,12 @@ def load_pps_from_ledger(
     bs_mktid-mapped dict-sets of the transactions and pps.
 
     '''
-    ledger: TransactionLedger
-    table: PpTable
-    with (
-        open_trade_ledger(brokername, acctname) as ledger,
-        open_pps(brokername, acctname) as table,
-    ):
-        if not ledger:
-            # null case, no ledger file with content
-            return {}
+    acnt: Account
+    with open_pps(
+        brokername,
+        acctname,
+    ) as acnt:
+        if ledger is not None:
+            acnt.update_from_ledger(ledger)
 
-        from ..brokers import get_brokermod
-        mod = get_brokermod(brokername)
-        src_records: dict[str, Transaction] = mod.norm_trade_records(
-            ledger
-        )
-        table.update_from_trans(src_records)
-
-        fdf = df = pl.DataFrame(
-            list(rec.to_dict() for rec in src_records.values()),
-            # schema=[
-            #     ('tid', str),
-            #     ('fqme', str),
-            #     ('dt', str),
-            #     ('size', pl.Float64),
-            #     ('price', pl.Float64),
-            #     ('cost', pl.Float64),
-            #     ('expiry', str),
-            #     ('bs_mktid', str),
-            # ],
-        ).sort('dt').select([
-            pl.col('fqme'),
-            pl.col('dt').str.to_datetime(),
-            # pl.col('expiry').dt.datetime(),
-            pl.col('bs_mktid'),
-            pl.col('size'),
-            pl.col('price'),
-        ])
-        # ppt = df.groupby('fqme').agg([
-        #     # TODO: ppu and bep !!
-        #     pl.cumsum('size').alias('cumsum'),
-        # ])
-        acts = df.partition_by('fqme', as_dict=True)
-        # ppt: dict[str, pl.DataFrame] = {}
-        # for fqme, ppt in act.items():
-        #     ppt.with_columuns
-        #     # TODO: ppu and bep !!
-        #     pl.cumsum('size').alias('cumsum'),
-        # ])
-
-        # filter out to the columns matching values filter passed
-        # as input.
-        if filter_by_ids:
-            for col, vals in filter_by_ids.items():
-                str_vals = set(map(str, vals))
-                pred: pl.Expr = pl.col(col).eq(str_vals.pop())
-                for val in str_vals:
-                    pred |= pl.col(col).eq(val)
-
-            fdf = df.filter(pred)
-
-            bs_mktid: str = fdf[0]['bs_mktid']
-            # pos: Position = table.pps[bs_mktid]
-
-    return fdf, acts, table
+    return acnt