Yesterday my bank wouldn't update because of authenticating issues - First US Bank (edited)

SRC54

I am posting this in case others run into this issue.  Apparently, my bank now allows us to use for MFA in addition to text message and email, an authenticator called Authy (yes, that's the name).  It's an app that you install on your phone.  I thought fine but I didn't see any reason to use it.

The last two days First US Bank has refused to update as it kept asking for a code from the Authenticator.  I did my usual things of resetting, etc.  and it refused to reset so I went manual with the account.  I also contacted Support but not until I talked to the Bank that insists they still are allowing text messages and even though I deleted my MFA information and re-configured it, Simplifi says I am using Authy.  The bank says untrue, that it should be text messages.

Anyhow, I contacted Support and they are checking on it.  Did Simplifi change download companies?  I thought they used Quicken Connect but something on my bank site said Plaid (could be out of date info).  

So I downloaded Authy and after adding my mobile phone, it showed First US Bank, and immediately when I tried to reconnect my account in Simplifi, the Authy app notified me of the codes (I have 20 seconds before it changes it).  When I entered it, I still got an error. Something about a mismatch of account names.

Anyhow around noon today I tried again and it asked for the Authenticator code and I entered it, it worked.  And all is well though now if it asks for a code, which it shouldn't do every time, I will need my phone handy.

I think all of this is a glitch, and isn't supposed to be happening.  I thought I would share in case anyone else runs into this issue.  Things like this seem to happen with First US Bank all the time.  They farm out their services as many State Banks do.  I used to know the name of the provider but they don't show that anymore.

By the way, I did make a mistake when I reconnected.  Simplifi told me it found a lot of recurring transactions and asked me if I wanted to create them.  I said no as I already had them so thought it would duplicate them.  Wrong answer!  It deleted all my recurring for my main checking account.  It would be helpful if Simplifi asked if I wanted to keep them.  But AI can only do so much.

I spent an hour or so recreating them and re-linking them.  Oh well, it was a pleasant hour or so and I took the opportunity to fine tune them.  Just FYI if you ever get the question.  Say yes.  Even if it duplicates them, you would only have to delete the duplicates.

Oh, and a final thing, my bank offers OFX and QFX, but only CSV is acceptable to Simplifi, and you have to fiddle with the file to get it to the format Simplifi can read.  We were promised QFX way over a year ago.  Where is it?  How hard can it be for Simplifi by Quicken to accept their own import files???

SRC54

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As far as I know this issue continues.  I worked around it by downloading the authenticator app. But my bank says I am setup for authentication by text message.  I did do a support ticket but never heard any further feedback.

I do wish we would get QFX support in Simplifi.  I am kind of baffled as to why we don't already have it.

Coach Natalie

Hello @SRC54,

Thank you for reporting this issue to the Community, although I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing difficulties connecting to First US Bank in Simplifi. 

It's possible that the bank changed something on their end to cause the requirement for an authenticator app. It looks like you were receiving a 106 error, which has been escalated. The original Support Agent you worked with will be back in touch as soon as an update becomes available. 

Also, for the ability to import QFX files, I'd suggest adding your vote and feedback here: https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/1091/add-qfx-import#latest

Let us know what you find out from the escalation!

-Coach Natalie

SRC54

@Coach Natalie
Yes, I just heard from support and they asked me to check if it had been fixed.  I reset the account and it still asks for the Authenticator app.  I guess the next step is to make it a manual account and start from scratch, but I really don't want to do that.

Coach Natalie

@SRC54, go ahead and respond to the Agent letting them know what's going on so the ticket can be resubmitted.

-Coach Natalie

SRC54

@Coach Natalie
Done. They seemed glad that the error message is gone, and I can connect.  I guess I am stuck with Authy app for now.  LOL

Coach Natalie

Hello @SRC54,

Thanks for posting back!

Is it possible that the bank implemented the authenticator app as a requirement to sign in to your accounts or connect them to third-party software? What happens when you attempt to connect in Simplifi without using the authenticator app? 

-Coach Natalie

SRC54

@Coach Natalie
Well, it just tells me that I didn't enter the right number.  It doesn't give me any option but the authenticator.  The change was sudden several weeks ago, and I went to the bank site and I cleared my data for MFA and set it up again to text message.  It made no difference.  If I use a unrecognized browser to enter the bank site, it texts me a code.  This is what it should do in Simplifi.  I reset up MFA several times with same result.  I verified with bank support that I was set up for texts.  

The bank people farm this out and they don't really know anything.  They tell me it's Quicken's fault. Years ago, when they actually had a tech person, I could talk to him, but now they don't want to fool with it.  That's why I wonder if it was Netteller that has messed up.

Anyhow just now I reset MFA again and I chose text message and after I got it set up, the bank site says that I have Authy App as primary, so this is a quandary.  Maybe because I have now installed the app, it won't let me change.  I think it's a bank glitch.  I shall give them another call.  And it's always scary resetting the account as the first time or two, it denies me.  Usually 3rd time is a charm.  I see at the site that it says I use Plaid.  Is that Simplifi or Quicken Connect or both?

You know I only have to use Authy App when I reset the connection, and I now have the app, but it's weird.  Anyhow, I now have it set to use Authy so I will let the sleeping dog lie.

Coach Natalie

Hello @SRC54,

Thanks for providing additional insight!

Based on your description, it definitely sounds like a change that the bank made. It is my understanding that the banks provide the MFA options and handle the MFA requests, so we wouldn't have any control over that. It could be because you downloaded the authenticator app and are now stuck with it, but I personally think the bank should be able to provide you with more info on MFA and allow you to utilize other options. 

Not to point fingers, but this does sound like a bank issue/requirement to me, and I'm not sure that we'd be able to do anything further from our end. Sorry!

-Coach Natalie

SRC54

@Coach Natalie
Well, not to beat a dead horse, but I did sign in today from a browser and the MFA from my bank was a text message.  So I do have text message as my first MFA option.

Next, I created a new test file for Quicken and was able to do a Direct Connect easily from my bank without any MFA.  I then changed it to Quicken Connect and it, like Simplifi, demanded an Authy MFA.  Which makes sense since Quicken Connect is what Simplifi uses.

So I think I will send a message to Quicken support that it isn't doing this right.  I want go into the reasons I don't use DirectConnect on Quicken since that isn't offered in Simplifi anyhow.

I bet sooner or later, it gets fixed on one end or the other.  At least I have a workaround.  Thanks as always for your help.