USAA Transactions Stopped Downloading

Chris Mead

I hate to open yet another thread on this topic but my MAC has stopped downloading transactions from USAA as of 5/21/20. I have gone to preferences, Connected Services and click the reset. I also tried to reset the account settings by going to, Accounts, Settings, Change Connection Type and accepted all the defaults. Quicken prompted me for all the security information and even one of the secret questions from the bank. Still no joy.

Last time this happened there was some parameter protocol change either by the bank or by Quicken (I don't remember). It was eventually solved by Quicken.

Obviously I can no longer reconcile unless manually entering all transactions which I don't want to do. Please let me know next steps.

Chris_QPW

Chris Mead said:

Seems like the prior advice is to switch to Direct Connect. The downloads have been working fine for years. Why the change?

Because Direct Connect is more reliable.

Direct Connect is Quicken talking directly to USAA's server using a standardized protocol.  Which BTW has its own (different) security model than the USAA website.

Quicken Connect is Quicken talking to Intuit servers that then try to log into USAA's non standardized website as if they were you having to go through the same security procedures you would go through like two factor authentications such.

Note that Quicken Inc pays Intuit for the Quicken Connect service.

Quicken Anja

Thank you for the additional information.

Yes, we do recommend switching to Direct Connect as it has a more stable connection than Quicken Connect. 

The reason for it is because Direct Connect uses the financial institution's servers to download the transaction data rather than using Quicken's servers (Intuit) with Quicken Connect. Not that there is anything wrong with using either-or. Certain financial institutions just support Direct Connect better than they do Quicken Connect. [EDIT: see @Chris_QPW more detailed explanation above]

However, please be aware that in the event there are any errors or issues that occur while using Direct Connect, those errors would need to be handled on the financial institution's side in order to have it resolved.

You can review this Community post for more info and how to set the account(s) up for Direct Connect (scroll down for Mac).

Chris Mead

Hi Anja,
As some others have jumped on my thread, I'd figure I'd update you on my situation. Direct Connect is working fine for USAA. Transactions are pulling in. I haven't switched over Chase as that looks more complicated and I'll wait until it breaks.

Quicken Anja

@Chris Mead - Great, thank you for the update! I'm glad it's working for you. 

With Chase, if you do eventually decide to, it's the same process except that after your first attempt, it will fail (as it should) and will require you to sign in on their website and authorize it through your Secure Message Center. Then, you'll go back to Quicken and try again. At that point, it should work. 

I hope that helps!

Chris_QPW

@Consultancy Yes you are correct more than just the investment sell changed.

It seems that USAA also decided to drop Express Web Connect.  And I can understand it has bee a problem for a lot of people for years and USAA provides Direct Connect, which is more reliable, for free.

See this FAQ on how to switch over:

FAQ: Help for adding and updating USAA accounts — Quicken

Chris_QPW

If it is asking for your security information and such then you are connecting with Quicken Connect, which isn't reliable with USAA.  Use the information this FAQ to change to Direct Connect.

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7611364/faq-help-for-adding-and-updating-usaa-accounts 

Note also if the account type is an investment account USAA recently sold their investment branch, and most of the accounts went to Charles Schwab, you will need reconnect your account(s) to their accounts.

Quicken Anja

Hello @Chris Mead,

Thank you for reaching out to the Community regarding your issue, though I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing this.

First, could you please provide which version release of Quicken you are running?

• Quicken > About Quicken

Also, to better assist you, do you know if you're using Quicken Connect or Direct Connect? You can find this in the account settings. Last, are you receiving any error codes or messages, or does simply nothing happen?

Thank you,

-Quicken Anja

Chris Mead

Hopefully you see the paste. In case not, version 5.16.1 (Build 516.33903.100)
I use Quicken connect.
It is the USAA bank and credit card accounts. Yes i am aware of USAA selling their securities portfolio but I do not use that.
It does update other accounts such as brokerage to TD Ameritrade. The issue is with the USAA accounts. The issue started about 3 days ago but I waited a few days to make sure there wasn't a catch-up issue. Now I see the transactions piling up in USAA but not coming over.

I do not receive any error messages. The arrow turns around for a brief time, shorter than before I think. It seems like the application 'thinks' it is caught up but is not.

Seems like the prior advice is to switch to Direct Connect. The downloads have been working fine for years. Why the change?

Chris_QPW

Chris Mead said:

Seems like the prior advice is to switch to Direct Connect. The downloads have been working fine for years. Why the change?

Because Direct Connect is more reliable.

Direct Connect is Quicken talking directly to USAA's server using a standardized protocol.  Which BTW has its own (different) security model than the USAA website.

Quicken Connect is Quicken talking to Intuit servers that then try to log into USAA's non standardized website as if they were you having to go through the same security procedures you would go through like two factor authentications such.

Note that Quicken Inc pays Intuit for the Quicken Connect service.

Quicken Anja

Thank you for the additional information.

Yes, we do recommend switching to Direct Connect as it has a more stable connection than Quicken Connect. 

The reason for it is because Direct Connect uses the financial institution's servers to download the transaction data rather than using Quicken's servers (Intuit) with Quicken Connect. Not that there is anything wrong with using either-or. Certain financial institutions just support Direct Connect better than they do Quicken Connect. [EDIT: see @Chris_QPW more detailed explanation above]

However, please be aware that in the event there are any errors or issues that occur while using Direct Connect, those errors would need to be handled on the financial institution's side in order to have it resolved.

You can review this Community post for more info and how to set the account(s) up for Direct Connect (scroll down for Mac).

Chris Mead

I changed the VISA over to direct and it worked. New transactions are pulled in. I did the checking separately and same thing.

Do I need to do Chase Checking as well?

Chris Mead

And one more question - sort of related. In the old Quicken for MAC 7.0, the downloads were automatic. Is there a similar feature today to get stock and mutual fund prices daily?

Chris_QPW

Chris Mead said:

I changed the VISA over to direct and it worked. New transactions are pulled in. I did the checking separately and same thing.

Do I need to do Chase Checking as well?

Chase has Direct Connect, and it is free for personal accounts, but you have to activate it at the Chase website.  See this:

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7861224/adding-chase-accounts-in-quicken

patrickbenoit

Direct Connect is only reliable if the bank, in this case, USAA, provides a proper response to authentication. I have been fighting between Quicken and USAA for months now to resolve the same issue where nothing via Quicken to USAA authenticates properly and therefore will not download. I've been a member of USAA for over 40 years and this is the first time I have to say that their IT service is horrible. I've escalated to the Office of the CEO and I'm even reaching out to the CIO directly through my contacts. I've also been using Quicken since its first release back in the DOS days. Until the last couple of months, it always worked well with downloading. Now it does not. I believe it is a USAA issue, but Quicken has not done me any favors with its inability to point to a specific issue in the session authentication that we can take to the bank either.

bfulton

I'm having the same issue but I use direct connect. My online balance is accurate, but no transactions get downloaded.

Quicken Anja

Hello @bfulton,

Thank you for informing us of your issue with USAA and Direct Connect.

In your case, I suggest trying the steps in this support article even if you are not receiving the error codes this article is meant for and/or if you're not receiving any error codes at all.

The steps contained within this article tends to help reset the connection properly when there's been an unknown interruption that occurred. 

Let us know how it goes!

bfulton

@quicken anja - thank you for the tip but unfortunately that did not work. Any other suggestions? I've called quicken support and usaa support and no luck getting anything to work.

Quicken Anja

@bfulton thank you for trying those steps.

Are you receiving any errors or it's just not downloading at all?

Can you try adding your USAA account brand new in a test file?

• File > New... > Start from scratch > Follow the prompts until you reach Add New Checking Account

See if you're able to successfully add the account(s) and whether or not it downloads accurately and up to date in the test file. Check back again and let me know what happens.

bfulton

No errors, and i've already tried adding a brand new acct. I get the opening balance, but 0 transactions.

bfulton

@quicken Anja - any additional ideas?

Quicken Anja

Was the brand new account added to your existing data file or a new data file?

Also, while adding it, when you chose USAA from the bank list did you click Options to select Direct Connect rather than Quicken Connect?

bfulton

@quicken Anja - I added to the existing data file, but I did update the list and selected direct connect.

pegster1128

I'm having the exact same problem. Started at the same time. Same bank

Chris_QPW

Note to everyone  It seems once USAA sold their investment division they also choose to drop support for Quicken Connect, you have to be using Direct Connect to get transactions now.  Make sure you use USAA Federal Savings Bank as the financial institution, this goes for the USAA credit card too.

This FAQ has been updated to reflect that:

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7611364/faq-help-for-adding-and-updating-usaa-accounts

Quicken Anja

@bfulton thank you for clarifying that.

Can you please try creating a new data file (only to use as a test file) and add the USAA account in the new data file using Direct Connect and let me know if you get the same result or a different one, please?

Chris Mead

Hi Anja,
As some others have jumped on my thread, I'd figure I'd update you on my situation. Direct Connect is working fine for USAA. Transactions are pulling in. I haven't switched over Chase as that looks more complicated and I'll wait until it breaks.

Quicken Anja

@Chris Mead - Great, thank you for the update! I'm glad it's working for you. 

With Chase, if you do eventually decide to, it's the same process except that after your first attempt, it will fail (as it should) and will require you to sign in on their website and authorize it through your Secure Message Center. Then, you'll go back to Quicken and try again. At that point, it should work. 

I hope that helps!

Chris_QPW

@Quicken Anja  Actually for Chase it might be a bit more than just the security messages.  I setup this years ago (as did most of the people answering) so the procedure I used back then changed, but if you search for Quicken on the Chase website you will get this:

Here is the page they are referring to (Note I'm already setup, but I would think if you aren't there will be instructions how to activate it).

Chris_QPW

P.S.  When Chase requires you to log in and authorize through the secure messages, they will send you an email requesting you do that.

I think the above procedure is for your account, and the "secure messages" are for authorizing new "devices".

Quicken Anja

@Chris_QPW Oh, thank you for correcting me on that then! 

The last time I worked on Chase Direct Connect firsthand was as a Quicken phone support agent and I don't personally have any Chase accounts myself. So, it's been a little while.

Consultancy

I have been using Quick for years. Recently the USAA credit card and banking information stopped downloading transactions. They say that the investment portion of USAA was sold but this should not effect the Credit Card nor Bank Accounts. However, it has effected both. I have written and they provide the same ole answers (deactivate, activate, change the type of download, etc.) I have attempted to do all of this but the transactions still do not download. Customer service is pretty poor at this point and am seriously looking at some other more reliable programs. Quicken - How about solving the problem?

Chris_QPW

@Consultancy Yes you are correct more than just the investment sell changed.

It seems that USAA also decided to drop Express Web Connect.  And I can understand it has bee a problem for a lot of people for years and USAA provides Direct Connect, which is more reliable, for free.

See this FAQ on how to switch over:

FAQ: Help for adding and updating USAA accounts — Quicken

Unknown

Thanks Chris_QPW. I changed my connection type to Direct Connect and I am now able to download from USAA.

toms123

I have done also (changed to Direct Connect) but several of my USAA accounts switch back to Quicken Connect repeatedly after I have switched them to Direct Connect. This issue just started in May and I believe it is Quicken issue.

Chris_QPW

@toms123 That is something new,  that I have never heard of before.  Maybe @Quicken Anja has some ideas on what is going on that?