Vanguard User Interface

[DatumPoint5]

We had 1 joint account, her IRA, her funds account, and my funds account. I am sure that somewhere in their endless list of paper forms there would have been a "paper version" of what we asked the representative to do was available to "do it ourselves", but, it was so much easier to just tell him what we wanted, and he did it. There was a point in the process where he had us identify ourselves by stating out loud our ssn and birthdates. Other than that, no forms, no delay. We were immediately able to verify we had access to each others accounts.

 

[dallas27]

I’m hearing some people say they are able to gain access to the spouse’s accounts through a very simple online form and others needing notarized POA (myself included) and wondering why the difference. For those who were able to do the simple method, were any of your accounts trust accounts?

We each had IRAs and then our trust account, for which we are both trustees.

Just trying to understand the different requirements.

Might be a state to state thing.

 

[pb4uski]

I’m hearing some people say they are able to gain access to the spouse’s accounts through a very simple online form and others needing notarized POA (myself included) and wondering why the difference. For those who were able to do the simple method, were any of your accounts trust accounts?

We each had IRAs and then our trust account, for which we are both trustees.

Just trying to understand the different requirements.

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Not sure of the "why"? All I know is that last night I logged in using DW's login info, authorized my account to look at her info, then logged out of hers, logged into mine and accepted being able to look at hers, logged out and when I logged back in again her accounts (taxable and Roth) showed up on my screen.

Soup to nuts it took about 5 minutes.

 

[Gumby]

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Not sure of the "why"? All I know is that last night I logged in using DW's login info, authorized my account to look at her info, then logged out of hers, logged into mine and accepted being able to look at hers, logged out and when I logged back in again her accounts (taxable and Roth) showed up on my screen.

Soup to nuts it took about 5 minutes.

Cool. I'm going to try this.

 

[pb4uski]

Let me know how it works out... you should be done by now.

 

[harley]

I’m hearing some people say they are able to gain access to the spouse’s accounts through a very simple online form and others needing notarized POA (myself included) and wondering why the difference. For those who were able to do the simple method, were any of your accounts trust accounts?

We each had IRAs and then our trust account, for which we are both trustees.

Just trying to understand the different requirements.

It may be that the online process is newer. I set my access up to both DW and DD's accounts a number of years ago., and they required original paper forms. VG has always been a slow adopter of technology.

 

[VanWinkle]

I completed mine about 3 years ago on-line with my wife's Roth IRA. It is not a trust account, and that may make a difference. We have a joint taxable, 2 Roths, and my IRA with Vanguard. I have access to them all on one screen for buying and selling.