Thrift Savings Plan Portfolio Not Updating

Hackstar18
Hackstar18 Member ✭✭
So I noticed on the available account types that the Thrift Savings Plan finally became available to link and auto-download portfolio data for (yay!). Everything linked together correctly as far as setting up and authenticating, but when I go to refresh my accounts for the first time to download my portfolio data, nothing is actually pulling into Quicken so it reflects a $0 portfolio with no holdings. I've also tried deleting the account
«1

Answers

  • Hackstar18
    Hackstar18 Member ✭✭
    accidentally posted this before I was finished....but I've also tried deleting the account and relinking/reupdating but no change. Are there still bugs being worked out with this connection or is there something else in the background that could be affecting this?
  • Quicken Jared
    Quicken Jared Alumni ✭✭✭✭
    So I noticed on the available account types that the Thrift Savings Plan finally became available to link and auto-download portfolio data for (yay!). Everything linked together correctly as far as setting up and authenticating, but when I go to refresh my accounts for the first time to download my portfolio data, nothing is actually pulling into Quicken so it reflects a $0 portfolio with no holdings. I've also tried deleting the account
    Hello Hackstar18,

    Thank you for getting in contact with us at the Quicken Community regarding this issue. I know that these kinds of downloading troubles can be stressful, and . My first question is: what institution are you investing with? Does this appear to be affecting multiple different investments?

    Thanks,

    Quicken Jared 
  • Hackstar18
    Hackstar18 Member ✭✭
    The institution name is the Thrift Savings Plan (the US government’s retirement plan) which from everything I had seen had never been able to setup and auto-download transaction until now. I have it added under the ‘401K’ type just so that it shows under the retirement category (since I didn’t know what else to type it as) but the initial setup went fine - my account info is recognized, it sets up using Direct Connection automatically and recognizes I have a Civilian portfolio as opposed to Military, it asks for and passes 2 factor authentication and it shows up in my listing from there. But, it has yet to even once actually download my full portfolio holdings in to let me view them so it’s as if the account doesn’t exist.

    Since the Thrift Savings Plan has never been an available option in the past (something about them not wanting to share info with Intuit I’ve read?) that’s what made me surprised this is now an account you can actually put in, and why I wonder if this is still a communication issue between the two sides.
  • Frankx
    Frankx SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2021
    Hi @Hackstar18

    From time to time there have ben posts about the Federal TSP and connecting it in Quicken, all to no avail. 

    I also recently noticed that the Federal TSP now is listed on the Financial Institution directory for the first time, which was a real surprise. However, that listing indicates that the type of connection is "Express Web Connect" so if you have added it as a "Direct Connect" account, perhaps that could be the problem.

    Frankx

                            Quicken Home, Business & Rental Property - Windows 10-Home Version

                                             - - - - Quicken User since 1984 - - - 
      -  If you find this reply helpful, please click "Helpful" (below), so others will know! Thank you.  -

  • Hackstar18
    Hackstar18 Member ✭✭
    > @Frankx said:
    > Hi @Hackstar18
    >
    > From time to time there have ben posts about the Federal TSP and connecting it in Quicken, all to no avail. 
    >
    > I also recently noticed that the Federal TSP now is listed on the Financial Institution directory for the first time, which was a real surprise. However, that listing indicates that the type of connection is "Express Web Connect" so if you have added it as a "Direct Connect" account, perhaps that could be the problem.
    >
    > Frankx

    No such luck I'm afraid, though I was mistaken after I just went back in and looked - the connection type defaults to Quicken Connect but there's no available option to change to anything else when I go to Reset Connection or Change Connection Type. The account setup from there follows the same path as adding it as a new account: input login credentials, 2FA authentication, a message that 1 account was found (my Civilian account), and finally a message that financial institution only supports Simple Tracking of positions when syncing.
  • Quicken September
    Quicken September Alumni ✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2021
    Hello, @Hackstar18!

    Thank you for your updates! I do apologize for any confusion and hassle. There's one additional step I would like to take with you regarding this TSP issue and if this does not work, I am going to escalate this case internally so that we may take steps to move forward with resolving this issue for you and any other customers experiencing this same issue. 

    Could you please try to add your account in a Test File? You may do this by navigating to File > New > Start from Scratch > Don't Use Mobile & Web and adding the account there. If this does not work, please navigate back to your main file and send us logs so that we may use them for escalation purposes by selecting Help > Report a Problem. From here, please input a brief description of your issue and select Send to Quicken

    If the Test File does not work, please send these logs and once you have, let us know and we will open a case with our Escalations team so that they can begin working toward a resolution. Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation and have a wonderful rest of your day!

    -Quicken September
  • Hackstar18
    Hackstar18 Member ✭✭
    > @Quicken September said:
    > Hello, @Hackstar18!
    >
    > Thank you for your updates! I do apologize for any confusion and hassle. There's one additional step I would like to take with you regarding this TSP issue and if this does not work, I am going to escalate this case internally so that we may take steps to move forward with resolving this issue for you and any other customers experiencing this same issue. 
    >
    > Could you please try to add your account in a Test File? You may do this by navigating to File > New > Start from Scratch > Don't Use Mobile & Web and adding the account there. If this does not work, please navigate back to your main file and send us logs so that we may use them for escalation purposes by selecting Help > Report a Problem. From here, please input a brief description of your issue and select Send to Quicken. 
    >
    > If the Test File does not work, please send these logs and once you have, let us know and we will open a case with our Escalations team so that they can begin working toward a resolution. Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation and have a wonderful rest of your day!
    >
    > -Quicken September

    No success here either, adding the account in the Test File as above follows the exact same path as I described earlier when it is added and as before no portfolio downloads and syncs. I've just sent everything through Report a Problem so hopefully this is a (relatively) quick problem that can be solved.
  • Quicken September
    Quicken September Alumni ✭✭✭✭
    Hello again, @Hackstar18

    Thank you for taking the time to reach back out with your response!

    Given this new information, I will now open up a case and begin our internal escalation process. I will reach back out with any updates or questions if we need any other information to proceed. Thank you for your patience and cooperation. If you have any further issues or questions, please let us know! Otherwise, I will update you with the status of your case as soon as I have something to report. 

    -Quicken September
  • Quicken September
    Quicken September Alumni ✭✭✭✭
    Good news, @Hackstar18!

    Thank you for your patience throughout this process! I do apologize for your trouble, however, our escalation has been processed and our Escalations team will review our case and begin working toward a resolution for this issue. Unfortunately, we do not have an ETA on when this issue will be resolved - however, a resolution is in progress. 

    Our Escalations team will reach out to you via your Quicken ID associated email to let you know when a resolution has been reached or if they require any additional information to continue - so keep an eye out for them and have a wonderful rest of your day! 

    If you have other questions or require any additional support, please reach back out as we are always happy to help! Thank you again! 

    -Quicken September
  • Frankx
    Frankx SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hi @Quicken September and @Hackstar18

    I hope that you will also inform us here as to the ultimate outcome.  I have to say that, given the extensive history between Quicken and the US Govt. TSP, I am not at all convinced that things have changed, but you never know.  So, please keep us informed.

    Thanks,

    Frankx 

                            Quicken Home, Business & Rental Property - Windows 10-Home Version

                                             - - - - Quicken User since 1984 - - - 
      -  If you find this reply helpful, please click "Helpful" (below), so others will know! Thank you.  -

  • Chris_QPW
    Chris_QPW Member ✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2021
    Frankx said:
    Hi @Quicken September and @Hackstar18

    I hope that you will also inform us here as to the ultimate outcome.  I have to say that, given the extensive history between Quicken and the US Govt. TSP, I am not at all convinced that things have changed, but you never know.  So, please keep us informed.

    Thanks,

    Frankx 

    I think this explains what is going on:


    Whereas the new connection method (Express Web Connect +) means problems for Quicken Windows users that are using Capital One or Schwab, it is in fact the "promise of the future" to be able to support all these "firms" that they couldn't before.

    EDIT the information above is from this announcement:
    https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7904319/quicken-for-mac-v6-5-released
    Signature:
    This is my website: http://www.quicknperlwiz.com/
  • garysmith87
    garysmith87 Member ✭✭✭✭
    Depends what your definition of "support" is.

    If you mean I get my portfolio value...sure, that's support, but big deal.

    I would think most Quicken users want more and expect more...like a transaction by transaction accounting.

    Otherwise, let's just throw in the towel completely and move everything to Simple Investing and call it a day.  

    Personally, I don't find adding 800 institutions that give me a balance only to really be progress. Which is where Quicken seems to be headed.
  • Chris_QPW
    Chris_QPW Member ✭✭✭✭
    @garysmith87 You can take a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

    They can put in place a system that allows the financial institution to support as little as a balance to a system that has full support, but they can't force them to all give it full support (they can't even force them to provide a balance).

    I can see why Quicken Inc is hopeful, but the history tells me that it is doomed to come up short and there isn't anything anyone can do about it as long as it isn't a mandate by the government like it is in the EU.

    The history (just look at Direct Connect/OFX) tells you that not all financial institutions will support it, what's more even if it does spread more than it did with Direct Connect/OFX I think the "balance" will in fact be what the majority support.  Just look at what you can get with any other financial institution's websites that have aggregation for investments, I haven't seen any that support transaction detail level for the investments.  They clearly feel that is all you need to see from other financial institutions. Or put another way, there isn't any way they are going to support a complicated system that has all the details.
    Signature:
    This is my website: http://www.quicknperlwiz.com/
  • garysmith87
    garysmith87 Member ✭✭✭✭
    I'm saying though...that giving us the "value" in an investment account doesn't meet most people's needs.

    Quicken does this with their mobile app...at least when syncing with Quicken Mac.  I don't get any details whatsoever regarding any transactions on the mobile.  All I get is the actual account value and in some cases the individual total value per security.

    I can't even get the mobile app to show any "transfers".  The banking transactions show up as "[Account Not Synced]" if they come from an investment account.  When I contacted Quicken support they just tell me that investment accounts don't have a transaction level register in the mobile app, thus transfers in or out just won't be accounted for in the mobile app. 

    What I'm alluding to, however, is this just seems like a way for Quicken to transition to their Simple Investing approach and eventually down the road eliminate any share level transaction tracking for ALL their investment accounts.  After all, if I can't track actual investment transactions unless it's manually done, then why not just use the Simple Investing approach?  I have no problem manually adding transactions, but I'd guess that the majority of Quicken users want everything automagically done for them.  

    PS...and just a point of information...Mint has done this with many of my investment accounts now.  They've transitioned from the ability to download investment transactions in the past to just updating the account value where no transactions ever get downloaded.  And when asked, their answer seems to be "well, that's just how it is now". 

     
  • Frankx
    Frankx SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hi @Chris_QPW

    Okay, so now I am confused. 

    By "I think this explains what is going on:"   Are you saying that the the US Federal TSP plan is using this "new connection method" with respect to Quicken?  I do not see that reported by anyone above.
      
    Or are you speculating that it may be using the new connection method, and if so perhaps @Hackstar18 can confirm that for us by telling us whether that is true.  I don't think it is, especially since the FIDIR indicates that the connection method is "Express Web Connect" - which is not new and which supports downloading of all transactions and not just balances.

    If this is speculation I would be of the view that most Quicken users want to track more than just current account balances, otherwise they would drop their Quicken subscriptions in a second, and go on their merry way.

    Frankx

                            Quicken Home, Business & Rental Property - Windows 10-Home Version

                                             - - - - Quicken User since 1984 - - - 
      -  If you find this reply helpful, please click "Helpful" (below), so others will know! Thank you.  -

  • Quicken September
    Quicken September Alumni ✭✭✭✭
    Hello, @everybody!

    Thank you all for reaching out to the Community to add to this discussion, though I am sorry for any confusion. @Frankx - regarding your question about TSP:

    While I cannot say a lot of things for certain regarding this particular connection (as we are still waiting to hear back from @Hackstar18 and our Escalations team) I can say that in the past, Investing accounts were limited to Direct Connect - we have since opened that up to Quicken Connect/Express Web Connect. Given that TSP only allows for Quicken Connect/Express Web Connect, this would make it part of the "new connection method". However, as you mentioned, this method is not new to Quicken - only to Investment accounts.

    Some financial institutions have already switched their investment tracking over to this new Quicken Connect/Express Web Connect method such as Schwab and still have the capabilities to track transactions. The framework is certainly there, however, it will be up to each financial institution what information they actually allow to come over. I hope this helps clear things up a little bit.

    -Quicken September


  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    @garysmith87 Your posts above fault Quicken for having simple tracking for new institutions. But it's not Quicken's decision; it's the decision of each financial institution. Some don't want to expose transaction data to third party applications, and I'd guess many don't want to pay Intuit's fee for doing anything more. But Quicken isn't taking anything away or dumbing anything down; they will continue to download transaction data as long as the financial institutions agree to make it available to download. If downloads disappear in the future, it will be because financial institutions decide to block third-party apps like Quicken from logging in on behalf of users, either for security reasons or to drive users to their own website. 

    For someone who invests with Robinhood and uses Quicken, I think it's definitely better to be able to pull in an account balance for the purpose of seeing one's overall investment picture and overall net worth than to not be able to show Robinhood at all.
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • Hackstar18
    Hackstar18 Member ✭✭
    Alright where here's where I can update so far since this discussion is kind of losing sight of the original problem and going elsewhere

    @Quicken_September - no messages yet from the Escalation team, though I did get a prompt to update to version 6.5.1 which I did and then deleted and re-added the account for good measure afterwards. No change in the process, though this time I did get a window prompt while syncing that some investment accounts will update slower than others during syncing. I assume this is due to the new connection method, but either way still no portfolio data for the TSP.

    As far as the whole debate on how detailed the transactions should be for the new accounts that couldn't be synced before...for the TSP at least, I (and my assumption is most that are part of it) don't really need the detailed transaction level data and it is not as vital because at the end of the day, it's only made up of 5 core funds (that aren't all explicitly available outside of participants) and a whole slew of lifecycle funds which are really just a ratioed mix of the 5. The vast majority of people are probably not doing repetitive daytrading and transfers in and out of each fund every day in the TSP to maximize gains to where the individual transaction level data is needed. If someone really did want to do do all that, then every Google search I've seen about creating the account manually and doing CSV file downloads each day to add data in that method I'm assuming those individuals are already doing that/have tried (and count me among them, but I never actually got it to work properly).
  • Chris_QPW
    Chris_QPW Member ✭✭✭✭
    However, as you mentioned, this method is not new to Quicken - only to Investment accounts.
    Just clear up what I was talking about for "new connection method".

    Quicken Windows has taking to calling what is sort of the "same thing" different names, and on top of that Quicken Mac has a different name for it.

    This is how I understand the history:

    Quicken Windows:
    Express Web Connect (FDS) flow: Quicken -> Intuit -> financial institution website
    Express Web Connect (QCS) flow: Quicken -> QCS -> Intuit -> financial institution website
    Express Web Connect + flow: Quicken -> QCS -> Intuit -> financial institution website (what changed here is just the API between Intuit and the financial institution.

    For Quicken Mac when it was rewritten it picked up the newly acquired "Mint method" that Intuit had bought to do this, and it was somewhat modified to for Quicken.  It was called Quicken Connect.
    And from what I understand its flow is basically the same as Express Web Connect (QCS) flow (as in starting at the beginning of this year Quicken Windows moved to the same flow that Quicken Mac has had for all these years.

    According to the Windows financial institution list there were 3 other financial institutions that supported investment accounts before Schwab, but maybe they were never really used.

    The + for Express Web Connect was first used for Capital One, which is the new API, but only for non-investment accounts.  Schwab is the first financial institution to use the new API with detail investment transaction data.  Why they felt a need to point out "Plus" I don't know.  Express Web Connect has always left the "how to connect to the financial institution" up to Intuit/the aggregator, but clearly what changed requires a lot of changes in Quicken Windows itself.  Maybe this is because Quicken Windows is still in the process of getting a flow closer to what Quicken Mac has.  I don't know.  I do see that the changeover is going much better for Quicken Mac than it is for Quicken Windows.

    So, for Quicken Windows there are "all these new connection methods".  For Quicken Mac it is pretty much all being done behind the scenes.
    Signature:
    This is my website: http://www.quicknperlwiz.com/
  • Hackstar18
    Hackstar18 Member ✭✭
    Can anyone from the Quicken team followup and acknowledge that this is being looked at? I realize with the holidays coverage is probably a bit lighter, but I haven't gotten any response or followup since it was confirmed this was being escalated. And looking at the forum this morning, I see there's at least 1 new thread that's posted with what looks like someone having the exact same problem so it doesn't seem like this is an isolated incident.
  • Quicken Jared
    Quicken Jared Alumni ✭✭✭✭
    Can anyone from the Quicken team followup and acknowledge that this is being looked at? I realize with the holidays coverage is probably a bit lighter, but I haven't gotten any response or followup since it was confirmed this was being escalated. And looking at the forum this morning, I see there's at least 1 new thread that's posted with what looks like someone having the exact same problem so it doesn't seem like this is an isolated incident.
    @Hackstar18

    Thank you for keeping in touch with us about the issues with the Thrift Savings Plan. If you go into Help > Report a Problem at the upper menu in the top of the screen while Quicken is open and then provide screenshots of the issue along with a brief description, then click Send to Quicken. Our support team will indeed be taking a look at the data and analyzing the problem, although it will take some time to achieve a resolution. 

    Thanks,

    Quicken Jared 
  • Hackstar18
    Hackstar18 Member ✭✭
    > @Quicken Jared said:
    > @Hackstar18
    >
    > Thank you for keeping in touch with us about the issues with the Thrift Savings Plan. If you go into Help > Report a Problem at the upper menu in the top of the screen while Quicken is open and then provide screenshots of the issue along with a brief description, then click Send to Quicken. Our support team will indeed be taking a look at the data and analyzing the problem, although it will take some time to achieve a resolution. 
    >
    > Thanks,
    >
    > Quicken Jared 

    If you look further up, I already did this on 12/27 and it was acknowledged as received so I'm not sure what good sending it again will do?
  • I have to add myself to the Quicken Mac Users that have experienced the same problems, step-by-step, in trying to connect to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and just getting a balance of zero. I need to make a note though that I also use Mint and am able to see the balance of my accounts without any issues. The Quicken problem resolution team may want to look at what is working with MInt. Even if Quicken manages to establish a proper handshake that at least gives us the balance, which would still be useful, I don't expect TSP to be able to break down to the individual funds. See if this helps.
  • jtjbt20x
    jtjbt20x Member ✭✭
    I'm having the same issue with the TSP.
  • Hackstar18
    Hackstar18 Member ✭✭
    So I've just upgraded to version 6.5.3, and the Thrift Savings Plan connection still does not work. The Escalation team request that was input I did get a response on a while back, but the only thing said in that email was to merely disconnect the account and try again (Ticket ID":"9094369") which I've continued to try on the old and new version release with no change. Which even then, no response was received when I responded to it waiting for a next step to try.

    Simply put, the lack of response on what the actual problem is at this point is disappointing to say the least. I (and now several others looking through the forum search) have noted that this problem exists and is identical in every one of those threads, yet there hasn't been any explanation on what is causing the issue. That at least would suffice in the interim because it would at least acknowledge it's actively being looked at. No actual response in the month+ since this was brought up right now is telling me someone is just hoping the problem will go away on it's own.
  • larc2
    larc2 Mac Beta Beta
    Received a "Exciting News Email from TSP" TSP is preparing to switch to a new service provider in mid-2022.
    An official TSP mobile app is planned. I disconnected the downloads feature with Quicken, because I  was prompted to enter 2 step Authentication at the request of TSP and nothing would actually download into Quicken.
  • akijay
    akijay Member ✭✭
    I'm having the same problem in that I can add my TSP account to Quicken but nothing actually gets downloaded.
  • SteveF9608
    SteveF9608 Member ✭✭
    Same issue here. No issues getting connected, it even recognized both my uniformed and civilian accounts but NO download of the portfolios.
  • Frankx
    Frankx SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hi @akijay and @SteveF9608

    Unfortunately, I suspect that you will be disappointed to hear that your TSP accounts will likely not be providing downloads anytime soon. 

    While total account balances may potentially be downloaded currently, I know of no user who has actually been able to download transactions into Quicken, by any method available through Quicken.  Other users have tried for a long time - all to no effect, and while TSP does now appear on Quicken's Financial Institution Directory as potentially an entity that supports the express web connection method, all reports of users who have tried to connect via that method have reported failures.

    All I can suggest is that you keep trying periodically, and hope that things will change in the future while keeping in mind that we are talking about the federal government here.

    Frankx

                            Quicken Home, Business & Rental Property - Windows 10-Home Version

                                             - - - - Quicken User since 1984 - - - 
      -  If you find this reply helpful, please click "Helpful" (below), so others will know! Thank you.  -

  • Javalover
    Javalover Member
    I am having the very same problem in Quicken for Mac. I can connect to the TSP, but nothing downloads. All I get is a balance of zero. How do you escalate this problem with Quicken?
This discussion has been closed.