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Portfolio Manager Questions

Common questions about the MSN Money Portfolio

Reference MSN Money Network status for recent issues and scheduled events.

General Portfolio Questions

Questions about the Portfolio Manager Preview

Questions about the Deluxe (Investment Toolbox) Portfolio

Questions about the Basic Portfolio (Portfolio Manager Essentials)

Which Portfolio am I using?

Which Portfolio am I using? Why can't I see the Common tasks list on the left side of the Portfolio?

The three images on the right show the visual differences to help you identify which Portfolio you are using.

If the format of the Portfolio appears to have changed and you no longer see the Common tasks list on the left side of the Portfolio, it may be that you are using the Essentials Portfolio or the new Portfolio Manager Preview version instead of the Deluxe version of the Portfolio, which you can download as part of the MSN Money Investment Toolbox. To upgrade to the Deluxe version, go to the Choice page and choose the desired version (Note that the Toolbox option is at the bottom). For more information, click Help, and then search for the topic Remove or install the MSN Money Investment Toolbox.

How do I switch between the different versions of the available Portfolio Managers?

To switch between versions of the MSN Money Portfolio go to the Overview page compare the options and choose the desired version (Note that the Toolbox option is at the bottom). Reference the System Requirements to confirm whether your system supports that version.

What are the requirements to use each version of the Portfolio?

- Deluxe Portfolio (Investment Toolbox) requires Internet Explorer 6 or later, running on Windows XP SP2, Windows 2003, or Windows Vista. (The Toolbox and Interactive Charting is not supported when browsing within Microsoft Money Plus on Windows Vista)

- The Portfolio Manager Essentials version requires Internet Explorer 6 (or newer) or Firefox running on Windows 2000, NT 4, XP, Media Center or Vista

- The new Portfolio Manager Preview version requires a system that supports Silverlight technology. This includes all major browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) on both Mac OS X, Linux and Windows

Questions about the new Portfolio Manager Preview

Click on a question below to be taken to the answer:

Will this Portfolio Manager version work on my Mac?

The Portfolio Manager preview will work on any system that supports and has Silverlight 2.0 installed. Visit the Silverlight FAQ for answers to many of the common questions about Silverlight.

Why can't I track Options, Bonds and CDs?

The Portfolio Manager preview does not support some investment types and activities including: Bonds, CDs, Options (Employee Stock Options, or Equity Options) and associated transactions. If you need to track these types of investments consider using the Deluxe Portfolio Manager or even Microsoft Money Plus.

Tell me more about the new Portfolio Manager Preview?

The new Portfolio Manager Preview on MSN Money is preview of future plans for the Portfolio Manager on MSN Money. Like the Essentials version, this Preview version does not support stock options and other advanced features available in the Deluxe Portfolio. If you used the Deluxe Portfolio and need some of those advanced features, find out how to switch between versions of the Portfolio available on MSN Money.

If you currently track your data using one of the other MSN Money Portfolio Managers, your data will automatically show up in the this Preview version if you are signed in with the same Windows Live ID.

Questions about the Deluxe (Investment Toolbox) Portfolio

Click on a question below to be taken to the answer:

Why do I have to reinstall the Deluxe Portfolio on my Windows Vista computer?

An update to the Deluxe Portfolio was made on October 23, 2008 to improve compatibility with Windows Vista and Internet Explorer 8.0. If you have problems installing, reference the installing on Vista question. Some additional improvements were also included:

  • Interactive (Active X) Charts crashed when accessing them through Money 2005-Plus. We turned off access to Interactive Charts for Vista users in early 2008 due to this. This is now fixed so Vista users of Money will be able to use the Interactive Charts again.
  • Reduction in installation failures on certain computers due to some conflicts with Protected Mode versus non-Protected Mode settings in Internet Explorer 7.
  • Corrected a problem with remembering the path for backup location when a new location was browsed (selected). One note about using the Portfolio on IE 8: automatic Backup settings won’t allow the location to be in the documents folder while in “Protected Mode”. You can do a manual backup and select your Documents folder though.
  • The Portfolio now truncates security names longer than 70 characters to 70 to overcome an error with adding a symbol with a really long name (primarily ETFs)
  • The Portfolio Manager provides a warning if you the TEMP setting in Windows is set to a location limited access. You should either change the TEMP setting or reduce the restrictions on that folder location.
  • Fixed a situation where some Windows Live ID sign ins would not display the Portfolio but others would on the same computer.
  • Fixed a problem with installing the Deluxe Portfolio on a machine that already had only Money 2005 installed (you would have been prompted to keep reinstalling the Portfolio)
  • Fixed an Out of Memory error when trying to cut and paste a transaction to a foreign currency account

How do I print my Portfolio?

The Deluxe Portfolio uses print functionality within the control itself. To print, expand the left menu (see this topic if you can't see Common Tasks), then click More under Other Tasks, point to Print and choose the desired printout.

If you get an error message when trying to print, it may be due to not having Internet Explorer set as your default browser. To verify, under Internet Explorer's Tools menu, click Internet Options, and on the Programs tab verify that there is a check in the option at the bottom for Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser. Then close and restart Internet Explorer, accept any message about making Internet Explorer the default and see if it the Portfolio will now print.

I'm using Vista with Internet Explorer 7 and the Deluxe Portfolio won't install. What's wrong?

You may need to run Internet Explorer in administrator mode (right mouse click iexplore.exe and choose to run as admin). If you have problems installing, please reference the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article for steps to completely remove and reinstall:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/176841

Some of my Portfolio information is missing or outdated or changes I make do not remain. How do I fix this?

Since your Portfolio data is associate to your Windows Live ID (formerly called Passport ID), the most common reason for not seeing your data is due to inadvertently signing in with a different Windows Live ID. Try signing out and then back in using your original Windows Live ID.

Also reference the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/213873/en-us

If the Portfolio hasn’t successfully saved information to the MSN Money servers in the past 90 days, then MSN Money may force an update and replace the Portfolio information on your computer with the information stored on MSN Money servers. This causes outdated information to appear in your Portfolio.

To resolve this, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article "MSN Money cannot save your Portfolio to the server at this time" error message.

If the steps in the article do not resolve this problem or your changes are not saved in the Portfolio, try the following

First, reset your accounts in MSN Money (note that this will also clear any of your accounts in My Accounts):
1. Sign in to the MSN Money website.

2. Go to http://moneycentral.msn.com/banking/accounts/pss/accounts.asp.

3. At the bottom of the page, click Reset My Accounts, and then follow the instruction to remove all the accounts.

Next, restore the backup of your Portfolio data file:

  1. At the top of MSN Money, click Investing, and then click Portfolio.
  2. At the bottom of the left pane, click More, click File options, and then click Restore backup.
  3. Choose Restore from a backup file, and click Next.
  4. Select Let me browser for a different backup file, and click Next.
  5. Locate the backup file that contains your most current information, and then click OK.

Verify that the restored Backup file is retained when you leave and return to the Portfolio.

You may need to try different backup files to find the most recent data.

Note: Antivirus, firewall and other Internet security software settings may still be preventing the Portfolio from saving information to the MSN Money servers. Check the documentation that comes with your antivirus, firewall, or Internet security software to learn how to resolve this problem. If you can, try adding the following to the list of websites that you trust.

  • *.moneycentral.msn.com (or the more general: *.msn.com)
  • *.fdl.microsoft.com (or the more general: *.microsoft.com)
  • *.passport.net
  • *.passport.com
  • *.login.live.com (or the more general: *.live.com)

How can I make quantities and other columns display for my Watch accounts?

Quantities and other columns that use the quantity for calculations do not normally display for Watch accounts. To make this information visible, do one of the following:

Turn on the option to include Watch account quantities: In the left pane under Other tasks, click Change portfolio settings. On the Display tab, select the Show watch accounts check box.

Change your Watch account into a regular account: Under Common tasks, click Work with accounts, and then click Change account settings. Select the account you want, and then clear the check box next to Watch account.

Can I change how frequently my Portfolio is backed up?

Yes. To change your backup settings, under Other tasks, click More, point to File options, and then click Backup settings.

My Portfolio doesn't display in MSN Money. What's wrong?

If you see a red "X" instead of your Portfolio, or if you receive a "Servers not available" error message, this is typically due to firewall or antivirus software. For additional information, click Help in the upper-right corner, type Red X in the Search box, and locate the Help topic "A Red ‘X’ appears instead of a chart or your portfolio." Also reference the Microsoft KB article on How to troubleshoot problems that you may experience when you try to install the MSN Money Investment Toolbox.

Why don't I see my data? I only see three indexes.

Since your Portfolio data is associate to your Windows Live ID (formerly called Passport ID), the most common reason for not seeing your data is due to inadvertently signing in with a different Windows Live ID. Try signing out and then back in using your original Windows Live ID.

Also reference the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/213873/en-us

Questions about the Basic Portfolio (Portfolio Manager Essentials)

Click on a question below to be taken to the answer:

Why did I end up here? I was trying to get to my Portfolio

The Portfolio Manager Essentials will only work on certain system configurations. See the System Requirements for more information. If your system does not meet those requirements and therefore you can't use the Portfolio, your data remains available. You can access your data on another computer which meets the requirements by signing in to your MSN Money Portfolio on that computer using the same Windows Live ID. If your system does meet the system requirements try going to the Portfolio by clicking here.

I need more capabilities. How do I upgrade?

If you are receiving a warning about unsupported transactions or activities or if you have difficulties printing your portfolio you may want to consider upgrading to the Deluxe version of the Portfolio. To upgrade to the Deluxe version, click the Upgrade link in the bottom-right corner of Portfolio Manager Essentials, and follow the instructions. For more information, click Help, and then search for the topic Remove or install the MSN Money Investment Toolbox.

Also reference the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/176841

What happened to my MSN Stock List account in the new Portfolio?

The MSN Stock List is in the process of moving to new data storage. Until that work is completed your MSN Stock List won't be available in the Portfolio Manager Essentials. You can still view and edit your MSN Stock List in the old Basic Portfolio, the Deluxe Portfolio, in Messenger on the Money tab, at my.msn.com and on MSN Money's My Money page.

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For additional information, including how to contact Microsoft Help and Support, visit the Money Support site.

Last Update to this page: February 9, 2009

MSN Money Network Status

MSN Money Network Status page

Questions

Reference the Network Status link above for current issues and scheduled updates.

If you have a question or need assistance, please use the Contact Us link in MSN Money's Help, and/or see the Money support site

Comments

If you have a suggestion on how we can improve the MSN Money Portfolio send us an email at Portfolio Manager feedback

Note: We will not be able to respond to messages sent to this email address.