Vanguard account number doesn't match Quicken one-step update

md.

I have had several accounts at Vanguard that have had automatic downloads set up for years. Since at least the beginning of April, my IRA brokerage account has not been downloading transactions. After running a one-step update, it will list the time/date of the last update, but won't download anything. I decided that I would remote the online settings from that account and add it again. What I'm seeing when I try to reconnect is that the only unaccounted for account at Vanguard shows up as XX6192 in the reconnect dialog. That doesn't match any accounts that I have at Vanguard. The IRA account that I'm trying to relink ends in 2334.

If I download either a CSV or Quicken file from Vanguard's Download Center, I can see within the data that it's downloading information related to my *2334 account, not x6192. In fact, x6192 doesn't appear anywhere in my account.

My other Vanguard accounts show up as Direct Connect downloads in Quicken.

Is this issue common? What can I do to fix this?

Thanks!

Quicken Anja

Hello @md.,

We appreciate you bringing this to our attention

To better assist you, could you please provide the following details?

• Where is your Quicken data file stored? Is it on your local hard drive (C: Drive) or a cloud-based/external drive (e.g.: OneDrive, DropBox, USB, etc.)?
• Have you attempted any troubleshooting steps so far? If so, what were they?
• Are you using a VPN while updating your accounts? If so, does disabling it make any difference?
• Do you have any antivirus or malware protection software running that may be interfering with Quicken? If so, have you tried temporarily disabling it to see if the issue persists?
• When did this issue first start occurring?
• Were there any significant changes to your system or software before the issue began (updates, new installations, etc.)?

Your answers will help us diagnose the issue more effectively.

Looking forward to your response!

sbutler

For what it's worth, I am having the same issue. The account numbers that show when I try to reestablish direct connect don't match the actual numbers of my Vanguard accounts.

Jim_Harman

I have had several accounts at Vanguard that have had automatic downloads set up for years. Since at least the beginning of April, my IRA brokerage account has not been downloading transactions. After running a one-step update, it will list the time/date of the last update, but won't download anything.

The account numbers that show when I try to reestablish direct connect don't match the actual numbers of my Vanguard accounts.

@md. and @sbutler This is an indication that you need to use old Vanguard account numbers when relinking. Please follow the instructions below, paying special attention to Step 4.

Some of these steps may not be necessary in every case, but I want to cover as many bases as possible.

1. Back up your data file in case something goes wrong.
2. Go to Edit > Preferences > Investments and make sure the "Default to Simple investing for new accounts" box is not checked.
3. Go to Edit > Preferences > Downloaded transactions and un-check the "Automatically add to investment transaction lists" box if it is not already un-checked. This will give you a chance to review any new transactions to make sure there are no duplicates and the transactions are going to the correct accounts.
4. Go to each problem account, click on the gear at the top right and select Edit account details. Make a note of the account name and the Vanguard account number.
   For accounts that have been connected since before 2009, when Vanguard converted to their current brokerage platform, you may need to use old account numbers that begin with 2 digits and a V rather than the current 8 digit numbers when re-linking the accounts. If you downloaded transactions using Web Connect (QFX) during the outage, your account numbers may have been changed to the new numbers. If in doubt, open a backup from before the outage, record the correct account numbers, and then return to your working file. You are only using the backup to see what account numbers Quicken was using for Direct Connect before the outage. 
5. Now for each problem account, click on the gear at the top right, select Edit account details, and then the Online Services tab. If it says the account is set up for transaction download, click on Deactivate. Do not click on “Set up now” after deactivating, you must go through the following steps.
6. Go to the General tab and now you should be able to select Complete mode. Select that.
7. At the top of the Accounts bar, usually on the left side of your screen, where all of your accounts are listed, click on the plus sign. This should open the Add account window. Don't worry, you will not be adding any accounts, you will be linking your current Vanguard accounts in Quicken to the corresponding online accounts.
8. Enter Vanguard and you should see the Vanguard logo on the right. Below the logo, click on Advanced options. Read the permission screen about Quicken and Intuit and click on Continue.
9. Under How should Quicken connect, select Direct Connect. Click on Next.
10. Provide your Vanguard username and password, and check the Save to Password Vault if that is how you normally operate. Click on Next.
11. You will see a list of all your Vanguard accounts. Any accounts that are already connected will be marked Don't add to Quicken. Accounts that you can connect will have entry boxes. For your existing problem accounts DO NOT SELECT THE DEFAULT OF ADD TO QUICKEN. Instead, select Link to existing account and select the Quicken account to use. Do not guess here. If you don't know which account to select or there are Vanguard accounts that you don't want to track, select Don't add to Quicken and only do the accounts you are sure of. You can pick up at step 7 later and reconnect any other accounts later if necessary.
12. Click on Cancel if you are confused at this point and your accounts will not be re-linked. If you are satisfied, click on Done and your accounts should be set.
13. Check to make sure any downloaded transactions are going to the correct accounts.

If you have attempted to update while the accounts were in Simple mode, you may see Added or Removed transactions during that time. You will need to delete these. If there are problems, restore the backup file you saved and you will be back to where you started.

sbutler

Thanks, I tried this but it ended up with Simple download anyway. A message within Quicken says Vanguard only does Express Web Connect and won't download transactions. Can this be true? I was able to download transactions for years and years.

Jim_Harman

@sbutler Did you follow ALL the steps I listed above, in order, and without skipping any?

What happened in Steps 8 and 9? Did you select Advanced options and Direct Connect, or did it not give you that choice?

If not or you aren't sure, try it again and let us know if that fixes it for you. It looks like a lot of work, but actually it only takes a few minutes.

sbutler

Thanks again. I repeated the steps and it's no longer kicking me over to simple download. I might not have selected the Advanced options the first time. I'll need to wait until tonight or tomorrow to see if it's picking up recent transactions. (And it made a mess of the values for TIPS, but I suspect that's Vanguard's fault for the way they display the values.)

sbutler

It seems the actual transactions from the accounts that I reconnected are not being downloaded. Very frustrating.

Jim_Harman

Are you looking for transactions for the time your account was in Simple mode? Those will probably not be sent, but transactions going forested should be sent.

Good luck!

sbutler

Thanks. Just fyi, when I deactivated the connection when it was in simple mode, and changed it to complete, entries showed up that adjusted balances, not fully accurately in the case of TIPS (they are complicated) but not actual transactions. I hope the transactions will show up in the future. I'm temped to delete the accounts and start over again, since I don't really need the historical data beyond 18 months. But I'll wait to see how this turns out before pulling the trigger. Again, many thanks.

Jim_Harman

If you did a One Step Update or updated transactions while the account was in Simple mode, it only downloads summary information for that time period, not the original transactions.

I am not sure Vanguard downloads the correct transactions for TIPS even in Complete mode, but that is a different issue.

Christopher Phelps

I have the same problem as others here. I did all that you advise, but it turns out to have just been another way to do what I was already doing. Where I get stopped is at point 11, and probably others will too. I have three accounts at Vanguard that are successfully linked, but two others that are not now. Those two are IRAs that do date back to pre-2009, as was mentioned. When Quicken states "we found the following accounts," the IRA numbers Quicken indicates do not match the account numbers for the IRAs at Vanguard. Therefore I have no idea which one of the two Quicken-suggested numbers links to which of our two IRAs. That's where you counsel not to link to an existing account - but what, then, are we supposed to do, if we can't match the Quicken-indicated number to our existing accounts?

I must say, this is a disaster for Quicken to have done this to some of their long-term users.

Jim_Harman

@Christopher Phelps Did you follow the instructions in Step 4, which says that for pre-2009 accounts you must open a backup from before the problems began to see what account numbers Quicken was originally using to connect to Vanguard? Those are the account numbers you need to use to relink.

To see the correct account numbers to link to, go to each problem account in the backup, click on the gear at the top right and select Edit account Details. The account numbers will most likely begin with 2 digits and a letter, like 40V. Once you have recorded the account numbers, return to your working file and continue with Step 5.

Please let us know if that works for you and I will attempt to clarify the instructions.