No Longer Able to Update Outside Investments on VG Site?

[LMK5]

I use the Yodlee aggregator on Vanguard's site to track my asset allocation across Vanguard and outside accounts. In the past, when I brought up "Outside Investments" there was a link to "Manage Outside Investments." This enabled you to manually update outside accounts, update passwords that may have changed, etc. I can no longer find a way to perform these tasks on the Vanguard website. Is there still a way to do this?

[exodusNH]

I use the Yodlee aggregator on Vanguard's site to track my asset allocation across Vanguard and outside accounts. In the past, when I brought up "Outside Investments" there was a link to "Manage Outside Investments." This enabled you to manually update outside accounts, update passwords that may have changed, etc. I can no longer find a way to perform these tasks on the Vanguard website. Is there still a way to do this?

Not as far as I can tell. Yodlee is pretty expensive for no real value to Vanguard.

[LMK5]

I use the Yodlee aggregator on Vanguard's site to track my asset allocation across Vanguard and outside accounts. In the past, when I brought up "Outside Investments" there was a link to "Manage Outside Investments." This enabled you to manually update outside accounts, update passwords that may have changed, etc. I can no longer find a way to perform these tasks on the Vanguard website. Is there still a way to do this?

Not as far as I can tell. Yodlee is pretty expensive for no real value to Vanguard.

So you think they removed it? What's strange is that they still allow you to link new accounts. I just don't see a way to update/edit the old ones or force an account update the way we used to be able to.

[exodusNH]

Not as far as I can tell. Yodlee is pretty expensive for no real value to Vanguard.

So you think they removed it? What's strange is that they still allow you to link new accounts. I just don't see a way to update/edit the old ones or force an account update the way we used to be able to.

I can't link accounts at all.

It's all manual.

[text083]

I can refresh my outside acct values when I click on "Link an outside account" and then "Refresh". I don't actually have to link any new accounts.

[LMK5]

I can refresh my outside acct values when I click on "Link an outside account" and then "Refresh". I don't actually have to link any new accounts.

I also saw that (by accident). They need to add a link that is more descriptive. They used to have a link called “manage outside accounts”.

[Beckeresq]

Just got off the phone with Vanguard. The "work around" to manually update your "Outside Accounts" by the "Link Outside Accounts" link (used to be labeled "Manage Outside Accounts") no longer works. Of course, the automated update function never worked.

The old "Manage Outside Accounts" and manual update function is still available to the people at Vanguard, but not to investors. The person I spoke with was able to use the old method to manually update my accounts.

Like a lot of other things at Vanguard, this makes no sense at all. Unless, as in the case of the Portfolio Watch ( which now no longer allocates "outside Funds the way it used to), Vanguard is "encouraging" its customers to only buy Vanguard Funds.

This is a pretty aggressive move in my opinion-----Our inertia is overcome, we are leaving Vanguard.

[LMK5]

Just got off the phone with Vanguard. The "work around" to manually update your"Outside Accounts" by the "Link Outside Accounts" link (used to be labeled "Manage Outside Accounts") no longer works. Of course, the automated update function never worked.

The old "Manage Outside Accounts" and manual update function is still available to the people at Vanguard, but not to investors. The person I spoke with was able to use the old method to manually update my accounts.

Like a lot of other things at Vanguard, this makes no sense at all. Unless, as in the case of the Portfolio Watch ( which now no longer allocates "outside Funds the way it used to), Vanguard is "encouraging" its customers to only buy Vanguard Funds.

This is a pretty aggressive move in my opinion-----Our inertia is overcome, we are leaving Vanguard.

It's hard to understand why they are making life difficult for their own clients. In contrast, I recently opened a new Roth IRA with Fidelity, and executed a Roth conversion via my existing traditional IRA with Fidelity. The website was extremely easy to use and when I needed to call their customer service it was quick and painless. I'm now thinking of transferring my existing Roth IRA at Vanguard to Fidelity, something I couldn't fathom just a couple of years ago.

[TheDogFather]

The last time I tried to update external account values it would no longer accept decimal values for the number of shares. Not a big impact in the scheme of things but it means the values shown in Vanguard are less precise and never match the external accounts. I’ve moved on from the useless tool and just keep a separate spreadsheet updated monthly where I can do whatever historic analysis that suits me.

[LMK5]

The last time I tried to update external account values it would no longer accept decimal values for the number of shares. Not a big impact in the scheme of things but it means the values shown in Vanguard are less precise and never match the external accounts. I’ve moved on from the useless tool and just keep a separate spreadsheet updated monthly where I can do whatever historic analysis that suits me.

I've been using Vanguard's aggregator for years but it just keeps getting harder to use and also less accurate. Same goes for Portfolio Watch. I'm thinking they don't want clients to use the tools anymore. Yet another nudge to get you into PAS?

[Thesaints]

2 days ago I checked and they finally fixed the bug that blocked macOS+Safari users (at least) from updating external account.
Of course, they also totally changed look&feel (not good, when software function stays the same).
Drawbacks: now one has to update individual entries separately.
Advantages: cost basis can now be edited in the same page.

All in all, months of suffering (ours) and “hard” work (theirs) to produce something that does exactly the same thing. Rather stupid (them).

[LMK5]

2 days ago I checked and they finally fixed the bug that blocked macOS+Safari users (at least) from updating external account.
Of course, they also totally changed look&feel (not good, when software function stays the same).
Drawbacks: now one has to update individual entries separately.
Advantages: cost basis can now be edited in the same page.

All in all, months of suffering (ours) and “hard” work (theirs) to produce something that does exactly the same thing. Rather stupid (them).

I just went into the Yodlee aggregator tool using Windows. There is no way to trigger a manual update of external accounts. There is also no way to edit an external account which is needed if you change that account's password. These features used to be in the tool. Why they include the tool but keep reducing usability and feature count is beyond me.

[Beckeresq]

The following was posted in the Portfolio Watch thread a while ago and needed updating:

According to Vanguard, What sets it apart:

"Our company is owned by its member funds, which in turn are owned by fund shareholders. With no outside owners to satisfy, we focus squarely on meeting the investment needs of our clients."

PROVIDED; HOWEVER, our clients (i) only own Vanguard Funds (Portfolio Watch only works for Vanguard Funds); (ii) pay for Personal Advisory Services; (III) don't expect answers to questions about reductions in client services; (iv) don't try to reach us on weekends or before 8:00 am or after 8:00 pm; and (v) don't want to meet at an office.

Now that's meeting clients' needs.

Update: New Vanguard improvement for meeting the investment needs of its clients--Outside Investment updating no longer functions.

So who is deriving the benefit from the "savings" resulting from reduction in services provided to clients?

[LMK5]

The following was posted in the Portfolio Watch thread a while ago and needed updating:

According to Vanguard, What sets it apart:

"Our company is owned by its member funds, which in turn are owned by fund shareholders. With no outside owners to satisfy, we focus squarely on meeting the investment needs of our clients."

PROVIDED; HOWEVER, our clients (i) only own Vanguard Funds (Portfolio Watch only works for Vanguard Funds); (ii) pay for Personal Advisory Services; (III) don't expect answers to questions about reductions in client services; (iv) don't try to reach us on weekends or before 8:00 am or after 8:00 pm; and (v) don't want to meet at an office.

Now that's meeting clients' needs.

Update: New Vanguard improvement for meeting the investment needs of its clients--Outside Investment updating no longer functions.

So who is deriving the benefit from the "savings" resulting from reduction in services provided to clients?

The app is lacking also. They always ask for feedback but haven’t incorporated or corrected anything I’ve brought up. I actually found out by accident that portfolio watch is included. I’ve recommended that they incorporate a drop-down menu on the app’s home page so that all of the capabilities are displayed to the user, but it still isn’t there. Basic stuff.

[jp346x]

I was just able to update my Outside accounts from the Vanguard website, but the process is far from obvious.

• Click "Link an outside account"
• Find the outside site
• It then asks you to review your existing logins, and presents a "Manage accounts" button next to them
• It then pops up a new window so you can login to the outside site
• You can then fine tune what data you want Vanguard to import
• When done you have to scroll past some whitespace to the "Finsh & Save" button

This didn't work the first time I tried it. I then disabled uBlock Origin (an ad blocker) for all of vanguard.com and tiaa.org and it worked; so that may be necessary.

I was using Chrome on Windows.

In the past it felt like Vanguard was remembering passwords, but I don't think this is how the new process works.

[LMK5]

I was just able to update my Outside accounts from the Vanguard website, but the process is far from obvious.

• Click "Link an outside account"
• Find the outside site
• It then asks you to review your existing logins, and presents a "Manage accounts" button next to them
• It then pops up a new window so you can login to the outside site
• You can then fine tune what data you want Vanguard to import
• When done you have to scroll past some whitespace to the "Finsh & Save" button

This didn't work the first time I tried it. I then disabled uBlock Origin (an ad blocker) for all of vanguard.com and tiaa.org and it worked; so that may be necessary.

I was using Chrome on Windows.

In the past it felt like Vanguard was remembering passwords, but I don't think this is how the new process works.

Thanks for that workaround. Another issue with all aggregators is that the sites that it's trying to get updates from are guarding against intrusions so lots of time Yodlee is unable to get updates. As security for online accounts gets tighter, it seems that aggregators are slowly on their way out.

[vriguy1]

Yes, they (VG) are clearly trying to be as unhelpful as possible with outside accounts. My 401k at Fidelity has FXAIX (an SP500 index fund). Vanguard's portfolio watch treats it as "other", so I have to mentally add "stock" + "other" to see my stock allocation. I've been with Vanguard for 30 years, but I'm considering moving to Fidelity. I still like their funds though, so I haven't jumped ship.

[runcyc]

Yes, they (VG) are clearly trying to be as unhelpful as possible with outside accounts. My 401k at Fidelity has FXAIX (an SP500 index fund). Vanguard's portfolio watch treats it as "other", so I have to mentally add "stock" + "other" to see my stock allocation. I've been with Vanguard for 30 years, but I'm considering moving to Fidelity. I still like their funds though, so I haven't jumped ship.

I trade Vanguard ETFs in my Fidelity account, without having to pay access fees etc.

[Beckeresq]

I tried the relinking outside account workaround described above and it worked, but only once. Since automatic update has never worked, you have to relink each account each time you wanted to update outside accounts.

The better workaround after over thirty years at Vanguard is to do what other posters have described and move those Vanguard funds that can be converted to ETFs to other brokerages that have a functioning website.

[dave k]

The link to manage outside accounts, including on-demand refresh:

https://personal.vanguard.com/us/faces/TPView

is still working, for now.

[Beckeresq]

Thanks for the link. I tried it, and it worked for me. I was told by a Vanguard rep that this "view" was now only available to the Vanguard reps but was no longer available to investors.

Why? Who knows? Another typical Vanguard website "Upgrade" ????!!!! that fits right up there with the "Upgrade" to the Portfolio Watch function that no longer deals with "Outside Investments."