Fidelity upgrades to their website

[BrianB]

A couple months ago Fidelity changed the “Watch List” page on their site. I really like the new layout. It has more information in an easier-to-read format, and it is much more customizable.

Last week I was helping DD review her Fidelity accounts and I noticed she had a new Beta version of the “Account Positions” page. I had an online chat with Fidelity and they upgraded the version that I see. Again, better layout and much more flexible in how I want the page to look.

I’m interested in these changes as I hope to someday drop Quicken and just use the Fidelity online access for all my finance work. I’ve given up on Fidelity’s “Full View” as I don’t like the formats at all and it is just clunky and hard to use.

Have any other Fidelity users out there been put onto the new version? Are there other pages with Beta upgrades that I should look into?

BrianB

 

[jazz4cash]

My impression is that they are continually refining the site. So far I’ve never experienced a mod that I didn’t like. They are especially integrating the workplace savings accounts to look and feel like the in house accounts. I’ve noticed more flags to indicate new features and content as well as features that are pending. One frustration I have is why they don’t lock the header row for all the tables so you can still see it if you scroll past the first page.

 

[audreyh1]

I don’t like the dumbed down transfer user interface. I miss the old pop up window which was much more efficient. I don’t like having to step through several pages to do a simple transfer.

 

[njhowie]

I've had the beta of the new Accounts Positions page for a few months. It does have a few benefits, and a couple of bug fixes over the prior version. I find the Dividend View is interesting as it provides a nice view of coming cash flows. However, being a big CD and municipal bond investor, I'd like to see those expected payments similarly integrated with the dividend view - and I've given them feedback to that effect. Fixed income cash flow information is available from another area of the website, but having the next payment additionally in that account positions page would also be valuable in my view.

 

[njhowie]

I don’t like the dumbed down transfer user interface. I miss the old pop up window which was much more efficient. I don’t like having to step through several pages to do a simple transfer.

It is just one page versus the prior popup - I don't think it's onerous at all. What jumps out at me with it, is that it looks cleaner, the fonts are larger (benefit for older folks with deteriorating eyesight), and for accounts which have annual contribution limits, transfer limits, or associated rules, it points them out as you provide the transfer information entries.

 

[njhowie]

They are especially integrating the workplace savings accounts to look and feel like the in house accounts.

Yes. I have a small pension administered by Fidelity, and when it associated me with it (when megacorp acknowledged I had a pension coming to me - 25 years after separation), it automatically showed up in my account list one day. A year ago at this time I was doing the setup to begin distributions, and it was all seamlessly done through the website and the interface was very similar to the rest of the Fidelity website.

One frustration I have is why they don’t lock the header row for all the tables so you can still see it if you scroll past the first page.

Agreed - this would be a good enhancement. You should send them feedback indicating this.

 

[qwerty3656]

I’m interested in these changes as I hope to someday drop Quicken and just use the Fidelity online access for all my finance work. I’ve given up on Fidelity’s “Full View” as I don’t like the formats at all and it is just clunky and hard to use.

BrianB

Brian you say you've given on the Full view, but you hope to replace quicken. How will you track your expenses?

 

[jazz4cash]

Agreed - this would be a good enhancement. You should send them feedback indicating this.

I was thinking the same thing and couldn’t decide how to provide feedback and then I remembered I recently discovered the little box with dots on the right edge of the screen is a link to provide feedback. Somehow I was unaware or ignored that link all these years or however long it’s been around. I’ll get right on that.

 

[scrabbler1]

Every time Fidelity changes its website, I discover something I used to be able to do which can't do any more, or something which was easy to do is now tougher or at least more annoying to do. I have often complained about it to phone reps, online reps, and my Account Executive, as well as a special assistant to a VP I was once able to convince to make a significant change to its phone system 15 years ago.


What I get back now are apologies, "We can't do it because....." and goalposts which get moved when it looks like I overcame a previous reason for inaction. Cumulatively, these things erode my positive feelings toward Fidelity.


I guess I'm lucky I haven't been put into any new version (yet). It takes me a few months to get used to the last one, including discovering its aforementioned flaws.

 

[BrianB]

you say you've given on the Full view, but you hope to replace quicken. How will you track your expenses?

I think DW & I have reached the point where tracking specific expenses isn't as important anymore. Just keeping an eye on total in / total out over time seems to be sufficient for our needs.

Fidelity's online access covers [-]all[/-] most of our needs for investing but the spending side still leaves things to be desired.
I do like being able to enter future checking account expenses (auto pay bills that can't be put on a CC) in Quicken to ensure that I keep a positive balance in the checking account. Otherwise we just use a CC for everything and pay in full monthly.

Fidelity's site is not at the level that would let us drop Quicken at this time, but the improvements are welcome.

 

[VanWinkle]

I recently opened an account at Fidelity to see why many retirees prefer the website to Vanguard's site. It has only been a short time which involved one phone call concerning getting my bank account set up to transfer money into the account. The phone wait was similar to Vanguard' wait, and I finally gave a call back # instead of waiting. The interface is new to me, so I will give it some time before passing judgement. And yes, I was already advised I will be getting a call from an advisor at Fidelity. I will see if any pressure is applied to have them manage my account.

VW

 

[sengsational]

Generally, I'd rather they left it alone, for a few reasons.

First, it's the devil you know. I'm not sure I recall them ever adding functionality, but they sometimes seem to "simplify" to the point of removing the ability to accomplish a task, or at least make it harder. Second, the trend is to make the UI less information dense. IOW, it's like a cartoon version of what it was. Give me an information dense page rather than spread the information out over a dozen cartoon pages. Finally, and this is only because I'm a geek that way, if they change, I need to re-tool my automation. This last one causes me to notice subtle changes, which on some sites, come continually. They move buttons, change size, slightly change the arrangements, change fonts constantly. Annoying and unhelpful. And get off my lawn.

 

[VanWinkle]

Generally, I'd rather they left it alone, for a few reasons.

First, it's the devil you know. I'm not sure I recall them ever adding functionality, but they sometimes seem to "simplify" to the point of removing the ability to accomplish a task, or at least make it harder. Second, the trend is to make the UI less information dense. IOW, it's like a cartoon version of what it was. Give me an information dense page rather than spread the information out over a dozen cartoon pages. Finally, and this is only because I'm a geek that way, if they change, I need to re-tool my automation. This last one causes me to notice subtle changes, which on some sites, come continually. They move buttons, change size, slightly change the arrangements, change fonts constantly. Annoying and unhelpful. And get off my lawn.

I was only trying to recover my dog's business!!!