Cannot import QFX from TIAA Bank "Quicken is currently unable to verify the financial institution"

mwitthoft

I have been importing QFX files from TIAA Bank for years. Now suddenly it says "Quicken is currently unable to verify the financial institution information for this download".
Quicken support is trying to blame the bank, which sounds like nonsense to me.
They also suggest giving them my bank UserID and Password, which sounds like "Are you kidding me? I'm not giving you my bank password. What kind of idiot do you think I am"

Quicken Sarah

mwitthoft said:

Quicken support is trying to blame the bank, which sounds like nonsense to me.
They also suggest giving them my bank UserID and Password, which sounds like "Are you kidding me? I'm not giving you my bank password. What kind of idiot do you think I am"

Hello @mwitthoft

My name is Sarah and I am the senior moderator here in the Quicken Community.  We appreciate your taking the time to share the details of this issue and your recent contact with Quicken Support with us, although I apologize for any confusion or frustration experienced.

I took the liberty of reviewing the chat transcript from your recent contact and wanted to clarify that the Support Agent did not request your login credentials for TIAA Bank during the contact.  The credentials are automatically requested by the Quicken software when going through the Add Account process, unless you've selected the option to create an Offline (or manual) account.

The error message you are receiving typically occurs if Quicken is unable to read the information included in the downloaded QFX (or Web Connect) file and can occur for a variety of reasons.

If you haven't already, I would recommend opening the downloaded Web Connect file in a plain text software, such as NotePad, to review the information contained within the downloaded file for any errors or missing data.

If you need assistance with reading the file contents, I would highly recommend calling Quicken Support again so an Agent can review the file with you in real time and identify the missing or invalid information contained within the file.

Unfortunately, because this file is generated directly by your financial institution, any invalid or missing information within the file will need to be fixed by your financial institution, but Quicken Support is able to help you pinpoint where the error is so it may be provided to your bank for review and resolution.

I hope this information is helpful and please let the Community know if there are any further questions or concerns that we may assist with.

Thank you again,

Sarah

Frankx

Hi @mwitthoft,

Here's a current FIDIR excerpt:

06764	06764	06764	zzz-TIAA Bank	http://www.tiaabank.com	1-888-882-EVER	https://auth.tiaa.org/public/tbauthentication/securelogin	ACTIVE	BANKING&DIRECT	 	 	 	NOT_QBP	NA

My understanding is that the "zzz-" before the FI name indicates that downloads are no longer supported.

Frankx

mwitthoft

QFX import from other banks / credit cards is working fine

Frankx

Hi @mwitthoft

I suggest that you contact your bank.  It is possible that they may have ceased their agreement with Quicken to provide downloads.

Frankx

Quicken Sarah

mwitthoft said:

Quicken support is trying to blame the bank, which sounds like nonsense to me.
They also suggest giving them my bank UserID and Password, which sounds like "Are you kidding me? I'm not giving you my bank password. What kind of idiot do you think I am"

Hello @mwitthoft

My name is Sarah and I am the senior moderator here in the Quicken Community.  We appreciate your taking the time to share the details of this issue and your recent contact with Quicken Support with us, although I apologize for any confusion or frustration experienced.

I took the liberty of reviewing the chat transcript from your recent contact and wanted to clarify that the Support Agent did not request your login credentials for TIAA Bank during the contact.  The credentials are automatically requested by the Quicken software when going through the Add Account process, unless you've selected the option to create an Offline (or manual) account.

The error message you are receiving typically occurs if Quicken is unable to read the information included in the downloaded QFX (or Web Connect) file and can occur for a variety of reasons.

If you haven't already, I would recommend opening the downloaded Web Connect file in a plain text software, such as NotePad, to review the information contained within the downloaded file for any errors or missing data.

If you need assistance with reading the file contents, I would highly recommend calling Quicken Support again so an Agent can review the file with you in real time and identify the missing or invalid information contained within the file.

Unfortunately, because this file is generated directly by your financial institution, any invalid or missing information within the file will need to be fixed by your financial institution, but Quicken Support is able to help you pinpoint where the error is so it may be provided to your bank for review and resolution.

I hope this information is helpful and please let the Community know if there are any further questions or concerns that we may assist with.

Thank you again,

Sarah

mwitthoft

Agreed, the support agent did not request login credentials, and it was the Quicken software making this unacceptable request. I have contacted the bank, and would be happy to find that they caused the problem, but I don't hold out much hope. They've been providing QFX files for a decade. The hypothesis would be that they suddenly forgot how to provide QFX files.
I like the idea of reading the QFX file in notepad. No obvious errors there, but I will look for a XML formatting editor, and also re-contact support.

mwitthoft

Unfortunately you are incorrect on this << If you need assistance with reading the file contents, I would highly recommend calling Quicken Support again so an Agent can review the file with you in real time and identify the missing or invalid information contained within the file >>

Support just says <<we dont have a Department for QFX>> and <<we dont have QFX specialist sorry>>

mwitthoft

After all that runaround, now the Quicken agent says "yeah we stopped supporting QFX files from that bank in particular"
Which would have been nice if they told me some hours ago instead of claiming that "there are errors in the QFX file"
It also would be nice if Quicken didn't suddenly cut off ability to read a QFX file. Because the bank still provides QFX files. In the exact same format as they always have. Which means the fault is entirely within Quicken.

UKR

When I go through the Add Account process in Quicken, there are several banks with TIAA in the name.

Which of these are you downloading your file from? Or are you downloading from a bank of a different name which was merged or renamed to TIAA?

One of the first few records in the QFX file should be one containing a Bank ID (or BID) number. Can you tell us the number?

Instead of downloading a file from the website, have you tried using the Add Account process in Quicken? Provided that you are using a supported version of Quicken with an unexpired subscription, you should be able to LINK your existing account registers to the accounts found at the bank. Once connected, you can now use the One Step Update process in Quicken to download your transactions.

mwitthoft

The QFX file contains the BID 6764.

In that Add Account process, I created New Account as "offline account". Otherwise , Quicken asks for your userID/Password, which is unacceptable. (as in the future headline "Quicken deeply regrets to announce that 750,000 users were affected by a security breach in which their bank account credentials were stolen. We sure are sorry about those of you who found thousands of dollars wired out of your account")

UKR

Bank ID 6764 is

• 06764    06764    06764    TIAA Bank    http://www.tiaabank.com    1-888-882-EVER    https://auth.tiaa.org/public/tbauthentication/securelogin    ACTIVE         BANKING,CREDIT&WEB-CONNECT         BANKING,CREDIT,ACCOUNTINFO&EXP-WEB-CONNECT    NOT_QBP    NA

According to this information, as I said earlier, if you are using a supported version of Quicken with an unexpired subscription, QFX file import into Quicken should work.

For the Add Account process to work, Quicken needs to contact the bank server as if it was you logging on to their website, so that it can download the transactions for you.
If you don't want to give Quicken your bank ID and password, because you think this process is even less secure than your web browser's access to the bank website ...

So, what version and release of Quicken are you using? What is your subscription's expiration date?

mwitthoft

"if you are using a supported version of Quicken with an unexpired subscription, QFX file import into Quicken should work"
Uh. Yeah. It should work. That's why I'm not happy about the fact that it doesn't work.

However, the Quicken support rep disagrees with you. They said that Quicken doesn't support TIAA bank now. Which doesn't make much sense to me.

mwitthoft

subscription is valid thru Oct 31 and "you already have the latest version of Quicken (r 35.31)"

UKR

We're getting closer to the bottom of the barrel.
Since you are on a valid, supported version I can only assume that something happened to a control file (a hidden file named Fidir.txt) during installation of the R 35.31 update. That would explain the error message you received (... unable to verify ...)
Please download and reinstall Quicken using the US Mondo Patch file found in

https://www.quicken.com/support/update-and-mondo-patch-20182019-release-quicken-windows-subscription-product

mwitthoft

I installed the patch. Didn't fix the problem.
You said "reinstall". Does that mean I should uninstall Quicken? (if I de-install, will that mondo patch do a complete install?)
I found fidir.txt in these locations:
C:\ProgramData\Quicken\Inet\Common\Localweb\Banklist\2018
C:\ProgramData\Quicken\Inet\Common\Localweb\Banklist\2019
C:\ProgramData\Quicken\Inet\Common\Localweb\Banklist\UNZIP
These files do not contain the text "6764" or "TIAA"

I removed the version in the 2018 folder. I took your text with 6764, noticed that it had spaces where all the lines in fidir.txt have tabs, replaced "multiple spaces" with tabs, and pasted it into the version in 2019, then restarted Quicken. This didn't help.

Frankx

Hi @mwitthoft,

Here's a current FIDIR excerpt:

06764	06764	06764	zzz-TIAA Bank	http://www.tiaabank.com	1-888-882-EVER	https://auth.tiaa.org/public/tbauthentication/securelogin	ACTIVE	BANKING&DIRECT	 	 	 	NOT_QBP	NA

My understanding is that the "zzz-" before the FI name indicates that downloads are no longer supported.

Frankx

NotACPA

@Frankx is correct about that zzz- prefix.  It means that TIAA Bank has decided to no longer support Q ... at least not while using that name.   Other names, as shown is @UKR's graphic MIGHT still be usable.

mwitthoft

[Removed-Disruptive/Unhelpful/Sepeculation]

mwitthoft

[Removed-Disruptive]

Lou777

Hello, I am experiencing the same exact problem on all 3 of my TIAA accounts. What is the resolution? Thank you.

khg

I am also in need of a solution. I tried resetting the links to my two TIAA Bank accounts by selecting "Everbank of Florida (now TIAA Bank)", because that's exactly true, but the message during set up was that my institution doesn't recognize my username/password, though I just used it to sign in at the bank's website. To me, it seems clear this is a TIAA Bank issue, but I guess I'm not hopeful TIAA Bank will work quickly to fix it, based on past experience trying to work with them on technical issues.

khg

More information for TIAA Bank customers: I reset the accounts and was required to enter account information, but while Quicken was able to to connect, the message back was that my institution, "zzz-TIAA Bank" rejected the request because connectivity for this institution has been disabled.

Frankx

Hi @khg

As I noted above - the "zzz-" prefix indicates that downloads are no longer supported by the bank, so your results continue to indicate that this is the bank's problem and not Quicken's.  If enough bank customers contact the bank about this issue perhaps they will fix it.  Otherwise, you will need to try and import the data or manually enter it.

Frankx

mwitthoft

Try this:
Look in your downloads folder for a leftover *.qfx file from a month ago. You imported it successfully back then. Now try to import it again. It will fail. A known valid file will fail.

NotACPA

mwitthoft said:,

Try this:
Look in your downloads folder for a leftover *.qfx file from a month ago. You imported it successfully back then. Now try to import it again. It will fail. A known valid file will fail.

BECAUSE, in the interim, TIAA BANK has decided to discontinue their support of Q. The file is still valid ... but the bank no longer is.  And the first thing that Q does when importing transactions from any bank is to verify that the bank is still a valid PARTICIPATING FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.  TIAA Bank is no longer valid.

Frankx

Hi @mwitthoft,

Yes, that download process doesn't work anymore because financial institutions need to "participate" with Quicken, Inc. (i.e. - be a participant in the Quicken "program") in order for Quicken, the application, to be able to process their data files. 

TIAA Bank apparently no longer participates which means that the only way for Quicken users to monitor their accounts at that financial institutions going forward is to enter the data manually.  Not good news, but also out of your control as well as ours (i.e. other users) and Quicken's.

Sorry that there's not better news.

Frankx

mwitthoft

Today, import from TIAA Bank is working. Interesting.

mwitthoft

> @Lou777 said:
> Hello, I am experiencing the same exact problem on all 3 of my TIAA accounts. What is the resolution? Thank you.

Try again today...