MCP Server
It would be extraordinary to have an MCP server for this app to connect it to AI agents. When done properly, this is a secure way to access and edit data with a power of AI. You can not only use this to manage and update transactions, but you could also use it for powerful reporting.
Currently I am using the Playwright MCP server with an AI agent to open and manage Quicken in one tab and an online retailer like Amazon in another tab. This allows me to automate transaction categorizations, even handling split transactions. This would be a lot faster and more efficient if Quicken had and MCP server.
I also have custom monthly reports that I create for myself by pulling data from multiple Quicken reports. With an MCP server I could also automate this.
The goal here would be just to get basic read. Write permissions for transactions and categories. I have no need for it (not should it handle) financial institution connections.
Comments
-
There is zero privacy with AI services. They remember everything you tell them and there is no expectation that it won't be shared. Every time I ask an AI service a medical question, pop ups come up saying "do not share personally identifying information" besides the "_x_ is not a doctor" (meaning no medical privacy laws apply). Heck, AI learned how to code by reading other people's private code (for example, microsoft's reason for owning github is so that it could use public and private code stored there to train it's copilot tool).
Recently, Google even announced that their Web-Based-AI-search-assistant will even have read all your e-mail and be very familiar with who you are from that. I'm sure Microsoft's tool is already trained on hotmail/outlook mail.
I also don't want an AI service making transfers between accounts for me. I have a tool like this so that -i- can see my financial picture. So I can make better decisions.
Why not ask for MCP access directly from your banks? You'd probably get more access and tools from them if they would actually let you do that.
EDIT: Also, AI tools work in their own self-interest, and may make decisions you don't want them to. As sure as AI can write bad code, AI with access to your banking could bankrupt you.
—
Rob Wilkens - RobWilkens.com1 -
Before we get an MCP Server, I'd love to get a basic API so I could connect Power BI (or any BI reporting tool) directly to the quicken data and refresh it on a schedule.
1 -
They apparently modified ChatGPT so it will not give medical, FINANCIAL, or legal advice. I expect other models (Grok, Gemini) will follow.
—
Rob Wilkens - RobWilkens.com1 -
Excellent point, Rob! This is why I this should be well thought out about what is shared with the AI service using the MCP tool. In my post, I even mention the need for privacy. Emphasis should be given to user control and education on what type of information is made available. Authentication (and frequent re-authentication) should also be required.
This that this SHOULD NOT do:
- See financial institution information
- Interact with financial system providers (banks, brokerages, etc.)
What this COULD do:
- Manage categories (read, create)
- Manage transactions (search, read, edit)
- Manage recurring reminders
Here are some scenarios I'd use it for.
- Take a picture of a receipt and add all the subcategories
- Having used AI to collect my Amazon transactions, now categorize them correctly in Simplify
- Mark all transactions for Gas & Fuel as reviewed.
- Generate custom reports
- Answer natural language questions about my finances
- Provide groups of similar transactions for me to review and batch process
Here's a great example of someone in the community building a custom MCP server to be used with Quicken files: sgoley/quicken-mcp-server: A python based mcp server (with embedded duckdb) to interact with Quicken data via an LLM Client.
And of course for something like this, if you like and want to use the Simplifi MCP server, then use it to your heart's content. If you don't want to, then no one is forcing you to.
It will only be a matter of time before AI tools and AI extensibility like MCP servers are the new competing feature in financial planning tools. It would be great to see Simplifi stay ahead of the game.0 -
As the above comment shows, this is designed for reporting and transaction management and not as a replacement to a financial advisor.
0
