Transferring Vanguard Single Mutual Fund To Brokerage Account

robert@
robert@ Member ✭✭✭
edited January 21 in Investing (Windows)

Hello:

This question was first raised in 2023 when Vanguard encouraged its customers to merge their single mutual fund accounts into one brokerage account. I would like to mirror Vanguard's handling of this merger in my Quicken accounts, some of which are 10-20 years old, while preserving all of my historical data.

I am interested in other users' experience in dealing with this. Several solutions were mentioned in the past:

  1. clicking on the upper right hand gear in the specific register and selecting "move transactions". However, when trying to surgically select only those tranactions which occurred after the Vanguard merge, Quicken presents a warning that moving only some transactions may corrupt loss and gains for that specific security.
  2. Another alternative is to select "transfer shares" in the enter transaction window, pick the effective date of Vanguard's transfer, and move all shares in the account as of that date. If this also transfers all of the susbequent transactions related to those shares (dividends, distributions, etc.) This seems like the correct approach.
  3. Another users suggested changing the details of the mutual fund account by unselecting the "single fund" button in the account description. Howeevr, not only does this affect all transactions, but doesn't help when trying to move multiple single mutual fund accounts into one brokerage account.

Can anyone who has solved this issue please explain which solution they used, and whether it had any drawbacks? I want to preservethe accuracy of as much of my data as possible for reports, particularly with regard to basis, gains and losses.

I am also interested in understanding the difference between these tools and how they are used.

All advice welcome,

Best Answer

  • Jim_Harman
    Jim_Harman Quicken Windows Subscription SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    Answer ✓

    I would recommend that you use your alternative 2.

    This will enter one Removed transaction for each security currently held in the old account(s) and an Added transaction in the new account for each tax lot of each security. It preserves the cost basis and acquisition dates of the securities transferred. The original cash and security transactions will remain in the old accounts.

    1. Make sure the holdings in your old account(s) prior to the transfer are up to date and accurate. 
    2. Back up your data file in case something goes wrong.
    3. In the old account(s), click on the gear, pick Edit account details, and on the Online Services tab, click on Deactivate.
    4. If there are transactions in the old account(s) that remove the holdings for the transfer, delete them.
    5. Set up the new account in Quicken if you have not already. If there are already transactions that transfer the holdings into the account or transactions that duplicate ones that are already recorded in the old account, delete them.
    6. In the old account(s), click on Enter Transactions and pick Shares transferred between accounts.
    7. Select All securities and click on Enter/Done.
    8. If there is any cash in the old account(s), enter a Cash Transferred out of account to move it to the new account.

    When reporting on performance over a period that includes the transfer, include both the old and new accounts in the analysis.

    QWin Premier subscription

Answers

  • Jim_Harman
    Jim_Harman Quicken Windows Subscription SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    Answer ✓

    I would recommend that you use your alternative 2.

    This will enter one Removed transaction for each security currently held in the old account(s) and an Added transaction in the new account for each tax lot of each security. It preserves the cost basis and acquisition dates of the securities transferred. The original cash and security transactions will remain in the old accounts.

    1. Make sure the holdings in your old account(s) prior to the transfer are up to date and accurate. 
    2. Back up your data file in case something goes wrong.
    3. In the old account(s), click on the gear, pick Edit account details, and on the Online Services tab, click on Deactivate.
    4. If there are transactions in the old account(s) that remove the holdings for the transfer, delete them.
    5. Set up the new account in Quicken if you have not already. If there are already transactions that transfer the holdings into the account or transactions that duplicate ones that are already recorded in the old account, delete them.
    6. In the old account(s), click on Enter Transactions and pick Shares transferred between accounts.
    7. Select All securities and click on Enter/Done.
    8. If there is any cash in the old account(s), enter a Cash Transferred out of account to move it to the new account.

    When reporting on performance over a period that includes the transfer, include both the old and new accounts in the analysis.

    QWin Premier subscription
  • Boatnmaniac
    Boatnmaniac Quicken Windows Subscription SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭

    I, too, recommend using option 2. It is the only one listed which is logical and it appears to align well with how Quicken is designed to function.

    It should update all of the related linked transactions from the single fund account to the new brokerage account. At least it has always updated all the links correctly for me whenever I move transactions from one account to another. But I would suggest being cautious and backup your file before proceeding. Then transfer one account and check to make sure that everything transferred properly. If so, backup the file, again, and then transfer another account and check to make sure it transferred properly. Repeat this process until all accounts have been successfully transferred. (As a side note: You might want to give each backup file a unique name….could use the same name but with a different digit at the end of each one to distinguish them from one another. Then if you find a problem later it gives you the option of restoring just the last affected file instead of having to go all the way back to the beginning.)

    Quicken Classic Premier (US) Subscription: R61.16 on Windows 11 Home

  • markus1957
    markus1957 Quicken Windows Subscription SuperUser, Windows Beta Beta
    edited January 21

    You likely have this issue now given the age of the holdings that there are non-covered shares in each of the SMF accounts. Vanguard maintains a separate cost basis for the non-covered and covered groupings. Whereas in the original account history, if you eventually disposed of the non-covered grouping, your cost basis would align between Quicken and Vanguard, that will not happen with the Remove/Add process unless you do a Remove/Add for each grouping under unique dates for each group.