Reactivating On-Line Services with Vanguard Account fails

Fred Coale

Problem: All updates worked fine on Friday 3/28. Problem started after I removed update services from one account (of 6) and tried to re-link it to a new account. The relinking failed with "Error. Not your fault" message. OSU now results in error code OL-294-A, with this connection log:

20250331 05:31:58: QFN: Beginning send to https://services.quicken.com/ofx-secure-plus/15103
20250331 05:34:59: ***QFN kQFFinished: returns 67305976
20250331 05:34:59: Your Internet connection or the server has timed out. Try again now, or wait and try later.

Other notes: Only the one new Vanguard account under my user ID is failing. If I deactivate services for that one account, the other five work fine.

Quicken Kristina

Hello @Fred Coale,

Thank you for letting us know you're encountering this issue. When did you first notice this issue? It sounds like everything was working on the 28th, so when did the issue start?

There is currently a known issue connecting with Vanguard, however, the error you are encountering is different, and likely is not related to the known issue.

If you haven't already done so, please follow these troubleshooting steps from this article on OL-294 errors:

Verify your password

With the convenience of the Password Vault in Quicken comes the opportunity to forget to change your password in Quicken when it has been changed at the financial institution. To update your password in Quicken:

1. Choose Tools menu > One Step Update.
2. Uncheck all options except for the financial institution that is reporting the error.
3. Click the key icon to the right of the financial institution name.
4. Enter your password.
5. Click Update Now.

Refresh your online account information

1. From your account register, select the Actions gear icon at the very top of your register (Ctrl + Shift + N).
2. Select Update Now.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update.
4. Repeat these steps for each financial institution experiencing this error.

When I checked the logs you sent, I also noticed the sync log shows you've been getting a QCS-400-8 error since March 11th.

Do you typically leave your Quicken program open all the time, or do you close it when you're done using it? Per this article on QCS-0400-8 errors, please try closing your Quicken program, waiting for a few minutes, then re-opening the program. If the QCS error is impacting your connection with Vanguard, that may resolve the issue.

Please let me know how it goes!

Fred Coale

The problem started on 3/30 after I deactivated on-line services from an old account and tried to reactivate services with a new account.

Using the "Set up now…" function, I entered my USERID and PW, the program found the accounts at Vanguard, and correctly presented just one as available to link to this new Quicken account. (The other 5 were already connected and it correctly prompted "do not add"). Proceeded with linking the new account, but that's where it timed out and gave the "Error, not your fault" message. From that point forward, OSU stalls on that particular account with the OL-294-A.

Just now (3/31) I restarted my PC, deactivated the problem account, and started over. This is where it gets interesting…

While activating my account, I entered my USERID as all upper-case. The program found the correct Vanguard account and linked it, but not as Complete tracking — it linked it as Simple (which is not what I want and Preferences isn't set to default to Simple). When I tried to change it back to Complete, the option is grayed out saying Vanguard only supports Webconnect. I know that's not right, so I deactivated the service, then manually changed it back to Complete tracking.

For a test, I tried activating services again, but this time I entered my USERID as lower case (same PW). The result was it found all 6 accounts, but didn't recognize that 5 of them were already connected. I said to not link those 5 and just link the new one. But again, it linked as Simple, not Complete.

Very puzzling why upper vs. lower case USERID would yield different results. It's as though Quicken is using a different path (or different server) to find the Vanguard accounts and determine which, if any, to add or link to.

Other notes: I don't leave Quicken open and I've had successful OSU's since March 11, so the QCS-400-8 errors are not likely impacting the Vanguard connection.

Fred Coale

SOLVED: The root cause of the problem is in Quicken. Quicken established a connection method (EWC) that does not support the investment tracking method specified in the investment account. The investment tracking method was then changed, without warning, to a different method.

When activating an account, if you select Vanguard from the list of "popular institutions", the method of connection will be Web Connect, which can only support Simple investment tracking.

Do not use this default if you need direct connect, as is the case for Complete investment tracking:

1. For Direct Connect, search for Vanguard, click on Vanguard, then select Advanced Options.

2. From the Advanced Options screen, select Direct Connect.

jackhake

I'm seeing this issue as well. Vanguard wasn't working, then it was, now its not.

Quicken Kristina

Thank you for the follow-up @Fred Coale,

I'm glad to hear you found a solution, and thank you for sharing that solution!

If you need assistance with anything else, or if the problem returns, please feel free to reach out!