Can't set up Quicken for Mac account for Vanguard Roth 403(b)

michaelweinberg

I have used Quicken for Mac for decades. Though my school district job, I just opened a Roth 403(b) in which the money is invested through Vanguard. This is my only account at Vanguard, and I can see and access it just fine when I go to the Vanguard website. When I try to set up the 403(b) as an account in Quicken, I get a message in Quicken that says "You have no more accounts at Vanguard to activate." It then says "It looks like you've already set up all of your accounts at Vanguard for the username you provided." However, when I look at my list of accounts in Quicken, there are no Vanguard accounts. Can anyone advise me as to how to get this Roth 403(b) set up in Quicken for Mac?

Ps56k2

I can't remember - is there anything on the Vanguard website
where you have to Enable or Authorize 3rd party software access ... like Quicken ?

michaelweinberg

@Ps56k2 I wasn't able to find anything like that on the Vanguard site. By the way, Quicken support says my problem is a Vanguard issue, and Vanguard support says it's a Quicken issue. I'd appreciate any other suggestions anyone may have about how to resolve my issue. I think it may relate specifically to 403(b) accounts.

Ps56k2

We have normal and IRA accounts at Vanguard - but our 403b is with Fidelity and they have a totally different access portal.

Can you log into the Vanguard website and see your 403b account ? Is the URL the normal Vanguard website ?

Looks like a "different" website portal for employee retirement plans

https://retirementplans.vanguard.com

michaelweinberg

I am able to access the Vanguard website and see my 403b, but I'll need to check later today (when I'm back at the computer I use for that access) to see if it's a different website. I just have it bookmarked, so I've not paid attention to the actual address. I'll get back to you on that. It may be similar to Fidelity, which I can see and access through my regular Fidelity login at the Fidelity website, but which is actually administered by NetBenefits.

Ps56k2

Just saw another Vanguard 401k comment that said … if you customize your Vanguard Home Screen you may not get the account downloaded. Since you only have 1 account, doubt that is the issue. 

michaelweinberg

@Ps56k2 Correct. I have not customized the home screen.

patsmac

I just tried to set up a Vanguard 401k. I noticed when I chose Vanguard in the account set up menu, Quicken displayed a different web address than I was using to access via safari. Could this mean Quicken needs to add more Vanguard accounts to its selection menu?

jacobs

Quicken typically uses a different address to connect to a back-end server of a financial institution. It is not logging into the same place we do as consumers. 

michaelweinberg

@Ps56k2 and @jacobs

This may not be relevant given the prior comment, but here's what I do to access my 403(b) through Vanguard.

First I go to vanguard.com which automatically changes to https://investor.vanguard.com/corporate-portal/

Then I click on retirement plan participants which takes me to https://ownyourfuture.vanguard.com/login where I login.

Once I am logged in the site is https://personal.vanguard.com/us/MyHome

If I click on account details it takes me to https://www.vanguard403bservices.com/Participant/Dashboard

If I click on the investing overview instead it takes me to https://investor.vanguard.com/how-to-invest-on-your-own

jacobs

As I noted above, what we do as consumers to navigate the Vanguard website has not bearing on how Quicken connects to Vanguard. Quickness's is talking to a server configured to provide data to third-party applications.

I'm sorry I don't know whether Quicken needs to be doing something different for 403(b) accounts versus other Vanguard accounts; it's quite possible. I also don't know if Vanguard actually have the server infrastructure set up for Quicken to connect for 403(b) accounts. 

michaelweinberg

Thank you both. With help from Quicken technical support, I tried setting up an entirely new Quicken file with this 403(b) as my only account. We tried setting it up as a 403(b), which failed, and then as a 401(k), which also failed, and then as a brokerage account, which failed, too. It looks like Quicken, which I know works well with Vanguard brokerage and 401(k) accounts, simply does not work with Vanguard 403(b) accounts. I have no idea why. I'll just have to enter all of my 403(b) transactions manually. This is frustrating, but is manageable. If anyone has any other ideas for me, I'd be grateful to hear them. And, if I find a path to success here, I'll provide an update.