Microsoft KB Archive/169193

INV: Broker-Imported Accounts

PSS ID Number: Q169193 Article last modified on 04-01-1999



WINDOWS

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The information in this article applies to:

 == MSN MoneyCentral == 

= SUMMARY =

This article describes features of broker-imported accounts in MSN Investor. This information is also available in Investor if you click Help Topics on the Help page, and then click “Answer frequently asked questions about broker-imported accounts.”

= MORE INFORMATION =

How Much Does It Cost?
Microsoft Investor charges nothing to create and maintain broker-imported accounts. Check with your brokerage firm to see if they charge a fee for this service.

Does It Work with My Broker?
To find a list of currently participating brokers, check the Portfolio Manager New Account Wizard. In the Portfolio Manager, click New Account on the File menu, then click Imported From A Broker. The list will be updated as new brokerages are added.

Can I Have More Than One Broker-Imported Account with More Than One Broker?
Yes. You can have up to 50 accounts, all of which can be broker-imported accounts with as many brokers as we provide. Before you set up your account in the Portfolio Manager, contact your broker to make sure you have the proper account ID and password.

How Often Is the Information Updated?
You can update a broker-imported account as often as you like. Brokerages typically update their information once a day, but many are moving to real- time updates.

How Far Back Does the Transaction History Go That Is Imported?
You can automatically download your past history of transactions. The amount of past history available varies by broker, but most brokerages list transactions for the past three to six months. Contact your broker and ask them about their policy.

Can I Make Trades from Investor in a Broker-Imported Account?
You can make online trades, but any online trades must be made from the Trading page in Investor. You can’t execute trades from the Portfolio Manager. If the brokerage you traded with online is the same as the broker- imported account you have set up in Portfolio Manager, you can see records of your trades there. Your online trades will appear in your broker- imported account just as any other trade would. It’s not necessary to have a broker-imported account set up in order to make trades from within Investor.

Will My Broker-Imported Account Always Match My Brokerage Statement?
The information in your broker-imported account in the Portfolio Manager will always match your brokerage statement. The broker-imported account information should be identical to the information on your brokerage statement after importing. If you manually enter information in a broker- imported account, however, the account will no longer match your statement.

Can I Manually Change the Information in a Broker-Imported Account?
You can add information manually to your Portfolio Manager account, but you can’t change information that came from your broker. If you discover errors in your broker-imported account, please contact your broker.

Which Transactions Were Imported from My Broker, and Which Manually Put In?
Investor will distinguish between trades which were downloaded through your broker and which trades you enter manually. If you look on the Transactions tab of the Investment Details dialog, you’ll see your broker trades displayed in gray, indicating that you cannot edit them. Transactions you entered manually are displayed in black and you can edit them.

How Is the Information Secured?
Investor uses several methods for maintaining the security of your information. Your brokerage account information is encrypted and stored securely on your hard drive. The data from your brokerage is transmitted using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. Broker Importing is only available in Internet Explorer 3.0x and 4.0x

= REFERENCES =

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q169194 INV: How Secure Is My Data?

Additional query words: INV kbimu

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========================================================= Keywords : kbdta kbfaq Version : : Platform : WINDOWS Issue type : kbinfo ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1999.