Investments Webpages - Poor Performance

[Recon819]

I'll start by saying that overall, I love USAA and that's why I use their services. So, this is not a hate-fest against USAA by any stretch. Their Investments webservices, however, are less than adequate and verge on "barely acceptable."

I have no PC or connection issues, getting that out of the way up front.

The problems are consistently as follows:

1. Cannot identify a multitude of stock tickers, to include many that are traded on the NYSE, nothing obscure.

2. Windows of all sorts (trading, quotes, etc.) will not load reliably.

3. Windows for trading routinely encounter errors while trying to load and execute trades.

I'm very close to transfering my investment assets from USAA to my TD Ameritrade account (not that TD is the best out there, it's just my other option at this point) and if I do so, will be the easiest banking decision I've made in some time. the Investments webpages are among the worst I've used for any purpose, not just financial webservices.

[robdhubb]

It sounds like your browser may have problems loading windows and pop-ups.  When one browser does not work well with a website I try the other two browsers.  That usually solves the problem.  Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome can be loaded onto your computer without fighting each other.  Also, check to see if your security software might be catching a window in mid-load thinking it may be a virus.

[Scott236589]

I have to agree with the OP. USAA Bank has a long, long way to go before it will reach the quality of the rest of USAA. I moved my accounts over three months ago and have been disappointed with USAA Banking virtually every step of the way. Today, I log on and I cannot even see my brokerage account to make trades. Apparently USAA is handing the reins to a third party, but this conversion was poorly designed, poorly executed. What a surprise to find out about it by logging on. Now I have to move all my money back out of USAA and use them for just insurance again. Sad. Because being good at what you do shouldn't be so difficult.

[TaraCrooksUSAA]

Gentlemen,

I would like to request that you please click here to provide us with additional detail and your member information. You can also reach a service specialist at 1-800-531-8722. Here in the forums we don't have access to your particular information so we are unable to troubleshoot. It could be a browser issue, but then again you could have some valuable input that would be helpful to all members and suggestions for change that USAA really needs to hear. 

I appreciate the feedback and want you to be heard. Thanks for the additional info. 

[J Cline]

USAA Federal Savings Bank and the USAA IMCO (Investment Management Company) are two entirely different things. The bank is okay at what it does - with the huge exception of its home mortgage business line, which is largely contracted out to sub-standard third party companies not managed by USAA. This practice has hurt their brand enormously, but USAA continues to rely on these companies because the member demand is so high that USAA cannot meet it in-house. Having had a few mortgages with USAA over 25+ years, it's been a mixed bag and I would not do it again if I had better options. As for the IMCO, again, many years of experience with this USAA business line, and you cannot expect much beyond the basics. USAA mutual funds do not compete well against peer funds. Their operating costs are higher than they ought to be. I would certainly not place a substantial amount of money under IMCO management. The returns are inferior to competitors' results, which is why I transferred to Vanguard years ago. The online trading is awkward and the research tools obtuse. Moreover, it's not easy to get at the money in your brokerage account if you need it quickly. You are better off with another brokerage. Hope this helps. I would like to think that USAA can be all things to all people, but sadly, it's not. And the bigger it gets, the poorer its services and quality seem to be, despite the best efforts of its staff. USAA leadership chose growth over service when they chose to lower the qualifications for membership, and we all see the results now, especially the long-term members who enjoyed a smaller, better USAA in the Nineties and before.