USAA Script to fix the broken download issue
Need to reconnect to USAA? I have written a (run one-time only) script to make USAA download to Moneydance work again. All it does it fix your connection profile. You simply run once, and then use standard Moneydance. It's not needed again.
This is now the IK recommended fix as they are working on 'medium and long-term' improvements to ofx connections
You must be on MD version 2019.4 (build 1904) or newer (if older, you must upgrade, else usaa will never work again).
[@@ UPDATE Oct 2021: This script is now built into the Toolbox extension (MD2021 onwards) under the Online Banking menu and it also works with MD2022 too. Further, we have worked with Moneydance so that once you have ‘primed’ MD with your USAA specific ClientUID number(s), the standard Moneydance Online Setup will work. Further again, there is now an even simpler way to get the connection working (which we haven’t documented: In Toolbox run the USAA ‘Prime’ option and then just use standard MD Online Setup. Lastly, if you need to get multiple UserIDs working, then Toolbox / Online Banking / OFX Authentication / Edit Multiple UserIds. NOTE: if you still just want the script, it’s still available, read on…. @@]
Following these simple, but complete, PDF instructions will make USAA download to your Moneydance file.
My python script creates a new USAA profile in Moneydance to replace the broken USAA profile. It has been used since Feb 23 by more than 100+ users successfully 😃
This script will allow you to download USAA transactions again. It isn't rocket science, really. You don't have to wait for IK/MD to fix the problem, nor will it stop you from embracing the Moneydance fix if/when it happens. I just fix the connection profile.
NOTE: usaa have changed their download data (content, format). If you get some data duplication afterwards, this is NOTHING to do with the script, it's what usaa are now sending. You simply need to do a one-time cleanup, keep the new data, and that's it.
DISCLAIMER: I have no affiliation with Moneydance. It's entirely possible that this won't work for you. Pretty much the worst that can happen is that your bank logon / service profile won't work - but then it's not working anyway.. You can always just delete the profile and start again, if you wish.
PLEASE ALWAYS BACKUP YOUR DATA FIRST!
The first thing to do is read the walk through PDF guide: ofx_create_new_usaa_bank_custom_profile.pdf
The latest PDF guide (now version 8a) is always here:
[https://github.com/yogi1967/MoneydancePythonScripts/raw/master/sour...]
The latest zip file containing the script to fix USAA/Moneydance is at: [https://github.com/yogi1967/MoneydancePythonScripts/raw/master/usef...]
FYI - When you click these links, you may see a blank screen (depending on your browser) and the file(s) will auto download to your downloads folder
You need to unzip this file. The script is called: ofx_create_new_usaa_bank_custom_profile.py
Quick Details:
- Make a backup first.
- Read the instructions.
- Once you run the script, Moneydance takes over with the new profile.
PS - If you get issues ensure a) you are connecting from a USA IP; and that any PiHole, Blockers etc are not getting in the way..
If you have problems, post - We love to solve problems.
CREDITS and thanks: @dtd and @hleofxquotes
I am not support, just a fellow user and creator of the very free and most-excellent Toolbox 🧰 extension for Moneydance.
The latest useful_scripts.zip package and Toolbox are on my site: [https://yogi1967.github.io/MoneydancePythonScripts/]
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301 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 19 Mar, 2021 09:06 PM
@Guy Burns - no idea; I have no affiliation with IK nor do I have any info. However, I suspect it will be a while. In the mean time, my fix script works perfectly well and allows you to continue to use standard Moneydance. If you need to connect, I suggest you use this. S
302 Posted by doug brown on 21 Mar, 2021 02:50 AM
so I decided to give this a go. was jumping on to complain that it wasn't working even after retrying. But as I was posting, I realized I was using the ofx_create_new_secu_bank custom profile script rather than the usaa one because the scripts are named so similarly (both start with ofx_create_new and clearly I'm not paying close enough attention). I thought it weird the instructions had me write down the clientUUID and the script didn't ever ask for it. Also thought it weird it was referring to this SECU bank profile, but didn't put it all together until I started to fire up a comment and complain about it.
Fortunately, I figured it out before looking like a complete buffoon in public, however, I'm more than happy to admit my idiocy if it helps anyone realize that this script is pretty solidly written. I messed up pretty handily here, but it still managed to clean up my mess when I ran the right script. Good job, fellas.
Only problem I have now is that one of my accounts downloaded transactions back to like October, so there are a TON of duplicate entries to clean up. The other 3 accounts did _not_ do that. Also of note, you can change the account nicknames on your credit card at any time to make it easier to distinguish which card is which. I hadn't done that step until the end when it didn't recognize my credit card. I just switched the nicknames real quick on USAA, changed the connection information, and it pulled down the new nicknames so I knew which account was which.
Solid work here even when IK can't get their stuff together to figure it out, the community comes together to make it work.
303 Posted by dtd on 21 Mar, 2021 03:46 AM
@doug brown - great to hear you made it work for you! Sorry about the similar names for the script file, but yes, paying attention is good... ;)
Glad to hear recent additions to the documentation about nicknames was helpful, especially if you have multiple credit cards (which is where most of the usaa change account number problems are)
As for tons of transactions - that's the last transaction date issue which is also covered. For some reason that one account was probably "zeroed" out for last transaction date so you got everything usaa had. Hopefully you won't have significant merge issues, which is also discussed.
And to those reading - the above parts have nothing to do with the script, which basically just plain works, but we try to explore the new world of downloading usaa post Jan 26 as well, to help out.
Glad it works, and hope you get it all cleaned up now that USAA is downloading again.
304 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 21 Mar, 2021 05:02 AM
@doug brown 😃 +1 (=39)
305 Posted by jamdo on 21 Mar, 2021 08:41 PM
Works on Linux Thanks!
306 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 21 Mar, 2021 09:08 PM
.
307 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 21 Mar, 2021 09:19 PM
@jamdo 😃 +1 (=40).
308 Posted by bfilite on 21 Mar, 2021 09:34 PM
@dtd @Stuart Beasley
I reported earlier that the script worked with no issues. That is on Linux Mate.
I did find one quirk, however. As noted by others I had a low activity account that was not identified. I waited for interest to post, but that did not solve the issue. I made a small transfer between accounts and I was then able to connect it to MoneyDance without a problem. Thanks again.
309 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 21 Mar, 2021 09:57 PM
@tjparrott61 😃 +1 (=41)
310 Posted by dtd on 23 Mar, 2021 09:22 PM
As the documentation person for this script, I revised the instructions to Version 7, taking into account all the useful comments by the successful users of the script.
Version 7 now incorporates all the hop/skip/jumps encountered so far, so is now more comprehensive. It is also simpler, describing more precisely what the script does (it creates a new USAA custom profile - that's it.)
USAA download is fixed, by users. If you have been wanting to download again, you don't need to wait for IK/MD - this has been working since Feb 23, I just made the documentation a bit nicer.
311 Posted by hleofxquotes on 23 Mar, 2021 10:41 PM
Sigh ... we should hold IK/MD up to their responsibility end. They can fix this. They have the responsibility and resources (see how much times and effort were put into the last two betas)
All this does is to enable them to act irresponsibly. Again sigh ...
312 Posted by dtd on 23 Mar, 2021 10:56 PM
Agree with your statement, but
All this does is to enable them to act irresponsibly. Again sigh ...
Actually, I think this also allows users to get their USAA downloads again... I'm not apologizing for IK/MD, but withholding a solution to try to force IK/MD to do the right thing doesn't feel right, either.
313 Posted by dwg on 23 Mar, 2021 11:59 PM
I'll be a bit kinder here and say that TIKs real problem is a lack of communication in this.
As good an interim solution this is I do not consider it a long term approach that could be taken, users manually extract part of a URL to me is not a viable permanent approach.
So they:
Either work with USAA to come up with a programatic approach, assuming USAA is willing and co-operative, it is not clear that they are.
Develop a way that Moneydance can itself extract the string from the URL, something I do not think that Moneydance is close to having in todays version of the software.
As for the solution you have provided I am not convinced they have the resources that could be devoted to this.
The documentation that exists today does not inspire that they could do as thorough a job as dtd has.
As for the programming I think it would mean that they would have to stop all other work to work on an interim solution, I question if this would be viable.
I do not think TIK has a lot of resources so in general has to work on more long term solutions. The recent spate of bad preview releases points to other problems and not just resourcing.
If TIK was more communicative on what is being done where they are at the goal they want to release it would in my view stop a lot of comments, not all but many.
314 Posted by dtd on 24 Mar, 2021 12:49 AM
Thank you to both hleofxquotes and dwg....
So all that said, given the lack of communication from IK/MD - as to timing for a fix, or long term direction, or providing a solution via grabbing a piece from a url (which is indeed the issue) - Stuart is providing the "grab a piece from a url" solution and creating a new custom profile for USAA that works.
So, to those reading, feel free to wait for IK/MD to deliver. But if you don't want to wait, there is a solution available that has worked now for a month.
315 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 24 Mar, 2021 08:02 AM
To anyone reading this, the usaa fix script works. Circa 40+ people have now successfully reconnected.
316 Posted by mchristenson on 24 Mar, 2021 11:41 PM
Love that this connects and downloads! I have noticed that I'm re-downloading some transactions. I'm sure it's a setting or something somewhere, but not sure where to begin looking?
317 Posted by dtd on 25 Mar, 2021 12:14 AM
@mchristenson - Glad the script worked for you!
As to redownloading - this is about Moneydance, not the script. If you have duplicate transactions - use the merge function to put them together.
If something else, describe more. We try to help with the "it works again" issues as USAA did change a bit on how they download on Jan 26.
One comment - if you have redownloading (like maybe the "don't download again code" changed?) again, try to merge, but if that doesn't seem tenable - KEEP THE NEW TRANSACTION. Going forward, you have to get Moneydance and USAA to agree what needs to be downloaded. If you delete the new download in favor of the older one, USAA/Moneydance will continue to download that item ad nauseum.
Hope that helps.
318 Posted by mchristenson on 25 Mar, 2021 01:01 AM
I was trying to merge, and did so, but then it still downloaded some transactions (not all) and stopped offering "merge" as an option.
I will try to pay more attention and report back!
319 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 25 Mar, 2021 08:45 AM
@mchristenson 😃 +1 (=42)
320 Posted by bzs on 25 Mar, 2021 12:20 PM
Hi, Stuart (@Stuart Beesley - JUST A FELLOW USER). Thanks for the script! I tried to apply it yesterday, it all seemed to go ok, but looking in the console log when I do an online download for the USAA account, Using the absolute latest MD (2021.1 (3056)), I'm getting a response that I think indicates a problem (personal details removed):
<log text snipped once resolved - needs VPN to work from outside the US...>
Can you tell from this what's going on? As I said, as far as I can tell I followed along on the instructions, and copied/pasted all the information required...
Thanks for your help (and thanks again for ALL the work!)
- Bryan
321 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 25 Mar, 2021 12:32 PM
Hi Bryan, well I can see you have a good connection profile... But you are getting a 'forbidden' response.. I would suggest that it's one of these things:
1/ Your Client UID of: 9fef871a-f181-4734-b603-938XXXXXX is wrong
2/ Your Credentials are wrong.
Pls grab these again, run the script again and try again?
DTD might jump in here with more suggestions....
322 Posted by bzs on 25 Mar, 2021 12:35 PM
Hi, Stuart. Thanks for the quick response! In answer to your
questions, yes for all - but I'll go ahead and re-do them to verify, and
update you on any changes.
323 Posted by taser8 on 25 Mar, 2021 04:40 PM
Hey Stuart, finally got around to getting the script set up and running.
All seems well except for a pesky 2000 error on my primary checking account. I am getting a good connection and data download on my savings account, credit card, and joint checking account I share with my wife - but the primary checking keeps throwing the error.
Any suggestions?
324 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 25 Mar, 2021 04:53 PM
@sean 😃 +1 (=43). I’m sure dtd will chip in about the 2000 error.
325 Posted by bzs on 25 Mar, 2021 06:21 PM
Hi, Stewart. Well, I figured it out, and it's not what I expected. All the credentials were correct, but I'm using this from outside the US - although I have no problem connecting to the "normal" USAA online banking, apparently when connecting through the new API they are blocking non-US access. I turned on my VPN, and voila, it works without an error now. Note that in "earlier days", running WITH a VPN would generate errors (because only bad guys used VPNs...?), but now it appears to be OK with most of my accounts, and required for the new USAA access.
Thanks again! Hopefully if anyone else is using MD and USAA from abroad, this news will help them get it working as well...
326 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 25 Mar, 2021 06:33 PM
@bzs 😃 +1 (=44). Great tip about the VPN and needing to be in the USA... I can hear @dtd tapping the keyboard right now to update the documentation to 7.1....
327 Posted by dtd on 25 Mar, 2021 07:20 PM
Responses to recent messages.
First, it's great to see the script and new USAA custom profile worked for everyone!
And now, we deal with the USAA/Money "dance" as the linkages work again. This is "business as usual", but both Stuart and dtd (me) aren't the provide a script and then ignore the aftermath. We both like helping.
bzs - Good tip (as Stuart says - I've already added "Outside US issues" to the documentation of "after the script is done, what might you encounter".) Also, now that you've diagnosed, could you edit and remove the long console log from your message?
Sean - if I read it right, you are up and working, and all but one of your accounts downloads fine. You might want to open the console (not Moneybot, the other one... ;) and see what is different about that account vs. the others. Do you download one at a time, or all accounts at once? Try both methods, again observing the console log. Don't publish the whole thing here, but I think you can report back the results. If you don't know how to interpret the console, send it to dtd at tbg3.com, with redactions for security. EDIT: You might also try disabling that account, and reselecting it (or even see if it is listed) in the Moneydance online setup.
mchristensen - sigh, either you get nothing, or too much. so yes, a few questions to direct you about the multiple transactions. Once you've downloaded them, (and don't touch them), and then download again, do you get them yet again, or does USAA/Moneydance think it is done? If you delete or merge them, is that when they download again? I guess I need to know what is repeated, or does it only repeat when you change things around? Are the downloaded items VALID or you don't consider them correct? i.e. supposedly you wouldn't be getting them unless they are correct, they might just be duplicates (and if so - keep the NEW one vs the old one. You may have to copy paste data from one to the other if you cannot merge.) Hope that gives you a start to stabilizing the transactions, and then moving forward.
Hope that helps, and bzs thanks for the documentation item.
328 Posted by eric.klanderman on 25 Mar, 2021 07:56 PM
I finally mustered the courage to take the recommended steps, and all seemed fairly straightforward. But when i ran the script I obtained a message that my version 2017.5 "SORRY YOUR VERSION IS TOO OLD FOR THIS"
(And by the way, the "Window" pick I used was "Python Scripting" - if that matters.
329 Posted by dtd on 25 Mar, 2021 08:03 PM
Yes, I think 2017 and older is the cutoff point that Stuart encountered in creating a new custom profile. I should add that to the documentation, it's regrettable, but I admire that Stuart went back as far as possilbe, as it does work on 2019 forward.
330 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 25 Mar, 2021 08:47 PM
@eric.klanderman - yup... USAA requires fixes/updates to allow the connection to work and these only exist in newer versions of MD.. Over time you will find more banks failing unless you upgrade - sorry...