Schwab time delay when downloading transactions vs actual recent activity

Ps56k2

Just noticing the new delay when downloading transaction from Schwab.

It would appear, now with the EWC+ protocol and multiple players in the download path, that there is now a built-in delay as to when the transactions are avail for download to Quicken vs when they have recently happened at the Schwab brokerage.

Today - made a confirmed trade - received the email - at around 12:30 -
and have yet to receive the transaction as I download every so often this afternoon...

12:30 trade
01:00 - no
02:00 - no
02:45 - no

Chris_QPW

Nobody guaranteed real-time downloading transactions not even if you're using direct connect.

Ps56k2

yeah - but it would be nice to get a handle on the ballpark delay...

Of course it now depends upon how often the servers poll the brokerage -
or is it goiing to be end of day like mutual funds.

The trade did arrive around 5:00 - but not sure really when ... sometime between 2:45 --> 5:00

SO - Will run a test in the morning and check during rhe day .

Just so we have an idea....

retird

Didn't use to be this way... further being degraded.  Quicken slow to boot, OSU slow to download, issues not fixed and etc. ,... Will it get fixed before my subscription expires in 414 days???? 

Chris_QPW

Ps56k2 said:

yeah - but it would be nice to get a handle on the ballpark delay...

The biggest problem with Express Web Connect in my opinion is the lack of visibility into how the process really works.

When using USAA that is using Direct Connect and I see that they don't post transactions for the day until after the close of business I know that it is USAA that has decided that is when they are going to give that data to the OFX servers that Quicken accesses.

When you bring Express Web Connect into the picture all we have official is a completely out of date statement that it works where Intuit servers poll once a day to get the data and then hold for Quicken to pick it up.

Clearly that isn't how it works today.  With some financial institutions Express Web Connect is basically real-time.  Others there can be up to a day's delay and even not posting any transactions on weekends and holidays.  So, clearly it isn't "Express Web Connect is slow because there are more parties involved" as far as "getting the transactions".  I'm sure it is "slower", but let's face it in this day and age, going through 3 or 4 servers isn't more than milliseconds when they are properly scaled to the load.

And here is an ironic thing, the more "real-time" the transactions the more likely the download will be slower.  And the reverse is true, the less "real-time" the more likely the download will be faster.

To see this let's go back to the out-of-date description of Express Web Connect.  The original idea was that Intuit servers would run at night, pick up the transactions, and store them on their server for Quicken to pick up.  If this was really the case then the "time to log in and request the transactions from the financial institution" shouldn't "happen" when you do One Step Update, it would have been done at night, and Intuit's servers should be giving you the transaction it has already stored.

Now even though we know that Intuit servers are polling for data at night at least for some financial institutions, the "speed up" is clearly not happening.  Express Web Connect is logging into the financial institution at the time you run One Step Update.  We see that in the "delays", we see that in the MFA requests and such.

So, if Express Web Connect is "interactively" logging into the financial institution, then it is back to the same situation as with Direct Connect. If you aren't getting real-time transactions, it is because the financial institution has decided to do that.

retird

I question that the financial institution are at fault for the lagging at Quicken startup.  Tell my why the financial institution or Intuit servers are at fault when I boot up Quicken (start Quicken) and it takes a long time before the quicken screen appears and even longer before it populates the menu and etc. and even longer before my file is loaded and visible on the Quicken screen.  Does this in both WIN 10 and WIN 11.  This started about 3 to  4 months ago best I can tell.  Was doing this even before the Schwab mess started Nov. 16, 2021... The startup process of Quicken  and accessing my Quicken file has nothing to do with the financial institutions.  And it is not my computers in case you want to go down that rabbit hole. Does this even when turning off my anti-virus software so don't go down that rabbit hole. All other software packages load really fast as always.  This includes packages such as MS Office Professional 2019 programs, Intuit TurboTax Premier, and others. Both computers have super fast SSD drives. Only lagging software here is Quicken Premier. Nope, it has nothing to do with my Internet provider or my network either. I pay extra for super fast internet speed (180.0 Mbps) and have tools to analyze and monitor my network health. Both wireless connected computers are within 15 feet of the latest triple band technology router with strong signal strength at each computer. 

So why does Quicken lag?

 

Steven Green

I was told by Quicken Support that this new system aggregates all the previous day's activities at around midnight, so the information is available only after that is done. BUT that you can get pre-aggregation results using the Online Center. In my case, the OSU never works and I can only get my Schwab brokerage transactions using the Online Center. Quicken Premier; Windows 10.

Ps56k2

Just did another Schwab test this morning....

9:15 - Entered a transaction, it was just moving cash between accounts, but still...
9:45 - did a Quicken OSU - and the transaction was there

Chris_QPW

@retird I was talking about the time One Step Update takes, not the start up of Quicken, that is a completely different subject.

Steven Green said:

I was told by Quicken Support that this new system aggregates all the previous day's activities at around midnight, so the information is available only after that is done. BUT that you can get pre-aggregation results using the Online Center. In my case, the OSU never works and I can only get my Schwab brokerage transactions using the Online Center. Quicken Premier; Windows 10.

That is the same tired line that they have been giving from the day they credited Express Web Connect.
It is certainly true for some financial institutions, but it doesn’t describe the “whole system”.

As I said I have had financial institutions download transactions basically real-time using Express Web Connect.
And some that you can only get yesterday’s transactions.
What’s more for some financial institutions you are doing MFA, and some even require it on every single download.  Quicken Inc and Intuit servers don’t handle the financial institution’s MFA, that has to be handled by the financial institution (it passes through the Intuit server, but it doesn’t “authorize” it).

So, as I said Express Web Connect can be anything from real-time to days of delays as far as when you will get your transactions.  Over time you learn what the case is for any given financial institution.

As for how long it takes for One Step Update.  Because you have Quicken Inc, Intuit, and the financial institution’s servers involved, any one of them can be the cause of a slow down.  And it can even be “between” them.  As in one server sends a request and for some reason it gets missed.  Then the first server waits for a timeout and resends the message, and this time it goes through.

retird

Can Quicken not bypass Intuit and do it themself.  Seems Intuit did it themself when they owned Quicken. Or is it too costly?

Chris_QPW

retird said:

Can Quicken not bypass Intuit and do it themself.  Seems Intuit did it themself when they owned Quicken. Or is it too costly?

Quicken Inc is too small of a company to aggregate 15,000+ financial institutions.
That was one of the main reasons that Intuit kept doing the service and Quicken Inc pays them for it.
The other reason is Intuit still needs the service for QuickBooks, so they were going to keep doing it anyways.

For Intuit is was a win, win situation.  They got rid of the low income, high complaint product called Quicken, and gets to charge Quicken Inc for the service.

For Quicken Inc it meant that they didn’t have to do any major work on Quicken to change to a different aggregator.

What gripes me is that our government hasn’t insisted on the financial institutions adopting a standard protocol like they have in the EU.  And given that all of our financial institutions will never agree to any standard.  Not only are we stuck with the inferior choice of “aggregation”, even in that there will never be a “the standard” on how it will be done at a given financial institution.