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E*Trade QFX File Quicken error for Bank Account Transactions Workaround

rjllora1

I frequently use the E*Trade Bank Account Activity Download feature (QFX file format a.k.a. Quicken Web Connect) to import and reconcile my latest bank transactions in Quicken (Windows and MAC versions). This feature stopped working sometime after October 8, 2026 and now Quicken reports an error message when the file attempts to import. A research in Quicken help points to an E*Trade file capability issue. After waiting several days for E*Trade to resolve I compared a working file downloaded prior to the issue with a defective file and discovered two data fields that normally had entries were blank in the defective file. The two lines missing data were:

and

Based on the working file example, when I added the <ACCTTYPE> data (e.g. CHECKING) and the <BALAMT> data (e.g. I used the Website's account balance in a numeric format ####.##) the file imported and I was able to reconcile as before. I reported this to E*Trade Customer Service and they have opened a case to research.

Hope this helps any others who may be experiencing this same issue with E*Trade Bank Account QFX file downloads failing to import to Quicken.

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Comments

James J

I run One-step update a once or twice a week. I don't remember exactly the last time I ran it, probably about 7 days ago. My Quicken file includes two E*Trade checking accounts, an E*Trade savings account, and two E*Trade brokerage accounts.

Today when I ran One-step, I got no errors from E*Trade but it clearly did not update. All other accounts updated as expected.

SlaughterhouseV

Yep, One-Step update of ETRADE bank data appears to be silently failing since 10/8, which I suspect is ultimately impacting more folks than QFX.

I tried the QFX pathway today to try to update, and when that failed with an obscure error (OL-221-A) I found my way here, thank you for posting!

While the root issue may be with ETRADE data, there are multiple things that Quicken could be doing better here:

Don't silently fail at One-Step update
Harden QFX import (the two missing values are not showstoppers to ingesting the transaction data)
Present an actually useful error message if the QFX file cannot be imported

Chris_QPW

Note that the follow/data is quite different between QFX and One Step Update.

Since it is E*Trade that generates the QFX file the most direct path for that one is to notify them.

As for the error OL-221-A, literally means "syntax error". The "syntax error" can be the fact that there is a mistake like given above with missing/wrong fields or a lot of times it means that the financial ID in the QFX file is invalid. But yes, it would be nice if they would give the fields they are having problems with or such as a message instead of this kind of thing that requires someone that knows what this code means and then has to narrow it down.

The flow for One Step Update and QFX used to be "similar" in that the QFX file is literally what a Direct Connect request for transactions would get from the financial institution, just in file form instead of a data stream. But I believe E*Trade like a few financial institutions have now changed from Direct Connect to Express Web Connect +.

Direct Connect:

Quicken (the program) → financial institutions OFX server (OFX protocol)

Express Web Connect +:

Quicken (the program) → Quicken servers → Intuit servers (FDX protocol) → financial institutions

And in some cases where the financial institution supports both Web Connect/QFX and Express Web Connect they don't send the same unique Ids and you can get duplicate transactions if you try to get transactions from both.