Vanguard app update

[steelyman]

I got an update to the Vanguard app (iOS) today.

My take? Two thumbs down hard. The prior version made it easy to browse available funds/ETFs. No longer (at least as far as I can tell)!

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Others are slamming the update pretty hard over on the Bogleheads forum too. Personally, for what I do on my mobile devices, I kind of like the new UI. But I don't do research or trading on these devices. I'll use the computer if I want to do those things. For a quick glance at what my current investments are doing, I find the app to be very usable on both the iPhone and iPad. Everyone will have their own opinion.

 

[steelyman]

Others are slamming the update pretty hard over on the Bogleheads forum too. Personally, for what I do on my mobile devices, I kind of like the new UI. But I don't do research or trading on these devices. I'll use the computer if I want to do those things. For a quick glance at what my current investments are doing, I find the app to be very usable on both the iPhone and iPad. Everyone will have their own opinion.

Makes sense. I use(d) the app a lot to check YTD return on what I view as benchmark funds even though I don’t actually own any.

 

[MRG]

Got the android version a couple weeks ago and it's useless as t*ts on a boar hog.

I'd like to check my Vanguard balance when I log on. The recent change doesn't allow me to see my total Vanguard amount! The most important thing they show me is my net worth. WTF? I wanted to see Vanguard information not my screwed up net worth.

 

[steelyman]

It appears you now have to log in to your Vanguard account to see anything…

 

[jazz4cash]

Fido is updating their app also. They are pushing an optional beta trial and it appears they are soliciting feedback and tweaking the product. I think they eliminated the general markets news resource or buried it somewhere.

 

[Dd852]

I already sent in feedback along these lines. It is an attempt to be slick without being useful.

 

[Philliefan33]

Got the android version a couple weeks ago and it's useless as t*ts on a boar hog.

I'd like to check my Vanguard balance when I log on. The recent change doesn't allow me to see my total Vanguard amount! The most important thing they show me is my net worth. WTF? I wanted to see Vanguard information not my screwed up net worth.

I don’t understand this. I got the update this morning. When I log into the app I can see the balance in each of my accounts (Roth/tIRA/brokerage) and if I scroll down it shows my total assets at Vanguard.

 

[MRG]

I don’t understand this. I got the update this morning. When I log into the app I can see the balance in each of my accounts (Roth/tIRA/brokerage) and if I scroll down it shows my total assets at Vanguard.

It lists my investable assets in a graph. Later they list my accounts, both Vanguard and the static data I gave them about other accounts. Nowhere is there a total for Vanguard! A simple total would help with the balance but there's all kinds of Lost Functionality too! Tap behind any of the totals and you'll likely get a message telling you they're working on this.

If they would give me the functionality Fidelity does on their new interface it would be great. I've been using Fidelity's new mobile in beta. Hey sometimes it breaks and I'll try the old mobile it works. No big deal I document the issue and go on. To me this thing Vanguard dumped on me smells like a big t*rd.

 

[Chuckanut]

It appears you now have to log in to your Vanguard account to see anything…

Why is that bad? It sounds like good security practice to me. What am I missing?

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Just a reminder. People on this thread are already talking about 2 different apps — the Apple iOS one and the Android one. Perhaps 3 versions if you count iPad OS. It is entirely reasonable that they don’t both offer exactly the same functionality at the same time.

I suspect the iOS version is further along in development than the Android version. So be sure you are comparing apples to apples.

 

[disneysteve]

Why is that bad? It sounds like good security practice to me. What am I missing?

You could always research funds and stuff without logging in. Sounds like you can’t anymore. I haven’t updated yet so I haven’t seen the new version.

 

[steelyman]

Why is that bad? It sounds like good security practice to me. What am I missing?

It’s inconvenient. I’m only interested in public information about funds whether I own them or not. Not my holdings for which it makes sense to require logging in.

There are other ways to access that public information of course.

 

[TheWizard]

I've had the new app on my Pixel 5 android smartphone for a few weeks now. It's true that I have to login to do anything in the app, but fingerprint authentication is now enabled, so it's a non issue.

It also seems true that I can't research Vanguard funds on the app to look at distribution history, top ten holdings, standardized total return, etc.
I thought I was able to do this in the old app, so that's a loss.

I can always go to vanguard.com on the web to do that sort of research, but that sort of thing works better on a PC rather than a smartphone, for me.

I am able to transfer $$ to my settlement account, buy mutual funds, and setup limit orders for ETFs in the app just fine...

 

[disneysteve]

I finally got the update. Generally okay except for one big annoyance. The app doesn’t let me view one of our 5 accounts, my inherited traditional IRA. No idea why. I can view the inherited Roth just fine. I get a pop up says my I have to use the website. That’s almost 600K that is blinded to me through the app.

 

[Koolau]

I know I'm one of our resident Luddites, but I have a home computer. Why do I need an phone app. from VG? I've seen too many stories of apps. leading to all kinds of hacking or other mischief. If I need to DO something when I'm "out and about" then my situation is too complicated or tenuous. It can wait until I get home to switch on the Laptop. I know I'm in the minority here, so YMMV.

 

[disneysteve]

I know I'm one of our resident Luddites, but I have a home computer. Why do I need an phone app. from VG? I've seen too many stories of apps. leading to all kinds of hacking or other mischief. If I need to DO something when I'm "out and about" then my situation is too complicated or tenuous. It can wait until I get home to switch on the Laptop. I know I'm in the minority here, so YMMV.

I don’t conduct transactions on my phone but if I just want to check my balances, it’s way quicker to use my phone for that.

 

[pb4uski]

Over the past couple weeks that I log into Vanguard it requires that I input a code that it sends to my cellphone... even though each time I have done it I clicked the box that this is a private computer that I plan to use to log on. Very annoying.

I checked my security code settings and it is set for "Only when Vanguard doesn't recognize my computer or device" so I'm not sure why it does it every time.

 

[Chuckanut]

I know I'm one of our resident Luddites, but I have a home computer. Why do I need an phone app. from VG? I've seen too many stories of apps. leading to all kinds of hacking or other mischief. If I need to DO something when I'm "out and about" then my situation is too complicated or tenuous. It can wait until I get home to switch on the Laptop. I know I'm in the minority here, so YMMV.

A properly done app on a secured device such as an iPad or iPhone is probably more secure than the best desktop or laptop computer. I'm not saying it's 100% secure, just more secure than most desk or laptop computers.

If I had to use to do some important work while at a coffe shop that provided internet service (which I would never do in real life) I would prefer doing it on my iPad - or better yet on my iPhone using the mobile network - than on my Mac or Windows machine.

 

[Sunset]

I know I'm one of our resident Luddites, but I have a home computer. Why do I need an phone app. from VG? I've seen too many stories of apps. leading to all kinds of hacking or other mischief. If I need to DO something when I'm "out and about" then my situation is too complicated or tenuous. It can wait until I get home to switch on the Laptop. I know I'm in the minority here, so YMMV.

I'm the same, I don't do banking or stocks on my phone. It's too awkward to type, and the screen is small, and most important, I carry my phone all over town. One day it will get stolen/lost.

My computer is big, 2 screens easy to see, and a thief isn't going to steal my home computer as it's a big box. I also back it up regularly. And it's encrypted so safe if they steal it.

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

Over the past couple weeks that I log into Vanguard it requires that I input a code that it sends to my cellphone... even though each time I have done it I clicked the box that this is a private computer that I plan to use to log on. Very annoying.

I checked my security code settings and it is set for "Only when Vanguard doesn't recognize my computer or device" so I'm not sure why it does it every time.

I don't get that on Vanguard but my Credit Union never "remembers" my computer. Agree it's very annoying and I log into my CU much more frequently than Vanguard... I probably just jinxed myself on Vanguard.

 

[KarenC]

Over the past couple weeks that I log into Vanguard it requires that I input a code that it sends to my cellphone... even though each time I have done it I clicked the box that this is a private computer that I plan to use to log on. Very annoying.

I checked my security code settings and it is set for "Only when Vanguard doesn't recognize my computer or device" so I'm not sure why it does it every time.

I've also had the same experience a few days ago, but it seems to have settled down (i.e. the last few times I've logged into Vanguard it hasn't sent a security code).

 

[teejayevans]

Over the past couple weeks that I log into Vanguard it requires that I input a code that it sends to my cellphone... even though each time I have done it I clicked the box that this is a private computer that I plan to use to log on. Very annoying.

I checked my security code settings and it is set for "Only when Vanguard doesn't recognize my computer or device" so I'm not sure why it does it every time.

Maybe you’re not accepting cookies or they are being cleaned as a part of some software functionality (antivirus for example).

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

Whenever Windows pushes an update about half the sites I log into force re-validation so whatever validation algorithm they use (apparently more than just cookies) notices the change to my computer. Same with any change to network hardware. I don't mind the mild hassle to get up and grab my phone if it reduces my risk.

 

[disneysteve]

Over the past couple weeks that I log into Vanguard it requires that I input a code that it sends to my cellphone... even though each time I have done it I clicked the box that this is a private computer that I plan to use to log on. Very annoying.

Not getting that on my phone but I am getting it on my desktop. Clicking the "remember me" box doesn't seem to make any difference. And it's only happening on Vanguard's site, not any others, so it must be an issue on their end.