Vanguard web connect removed option to download 4 funds in one account into single mutual funds in singular accounts

From the Vanguard website I used to be able to download mutual funds into separate accounts in quicken. For example. I have an IRA account #xxxxxxxx which has 4 funds. I used to have two options (via drop down) when downloading into quicken. 1. All funds into one account (recommended) or 2. each mutual fund into individual accounts in Quicken. In the past 20 + years I have chosen the first option. Now Vanguard only allows to download all the funds into one account in quicken . Why did Vanguard change this. How do I now handle it in Quicken . Merge Funds ? Transfer the 4 funds that are in separate accounts into one newly created account? Thanks

I'm not sure anyone outside of Vanguard can answer that definitively.

My guess would be that this happened when Vanguard decided that users should employ Vanguard "brokerage" accounts, rather than "mutual fund" accounts. At the time, Vanguard did supply some "reasoning" behind that move, but it was too long ago and I don't recall anything about it now.

I think not.

This sounds like the right approach.

Although I never downloaded funds into separate accounts, I did have to switch from the Vanguard "mutual fund" account style to the "brokerage" account style.

As I recall the steps I took, I suggest:

- Backup your Quicken data, where it won't get overlaid by any other backups.

- Create a new Vanguard brokerage account in Quicken (do NOT activate it for downloading)

- In each pre-existing Quicken Vanguard account, use the Quicken investment transaction. "Transfer shares between accounts" to transfer the holdings from the old Quicken Vanguard account(s) to the newly created Vanguard account. (This will retain all the original lots and their cost basis)

- When the new Quicken Vanguard account has all the Vanguard holdings correct and the old Quicken Vanguard account(s) all have zero holdings: activate the new Vanguard account for downloading.

[In theory, you might be able to retain your Vanguard funds in separate Vanguard accounts, but just move current holdings at Vanguard to the "new" Vanguard brokerage account type. I don't know whether Vanguard will allow that; but even if they do, I can't think of any good reason to go that route.]

See:

Just for the record:

Vanguard offers "Direct Connect" downloads, which are initiated from Quicken - eliminating the need to manually logon to Vanguard to download transactions and holdings.