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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391 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 10 Apr, 2021 07:17 AM
@mehkelley611. I presume you enter your bank connection password every time you download? This is ok and you can just click ok/yes/continue. If you would like the system to save your passwords then say no to stop. Go to file/passwords, set a password and then click to store passwords. Then restart MD. this is not mandatory.
Regarding ‘ Do you have multiple DIFFERENT credentials where you wish to prime the default UUID into (Root's) Profile?’.... most people say no. Do you have two different bank logins for separate account? I suspect not. But if you do then click yes.
Good luck. Let us know?
392 Posted by mehkelley611 on 12 Apr, 2021 02:24 AM
Hey Stuart.
Finally got back to it today. It worked! Had to do a little messing around with all my different accounts. Can’t thank you guys enough for all your work!
Thank you again!
Mary
393 Posted by dtd on 12 Apr, 2021 02:28 AM
Fantastic. The "little messing around" is why the addendum exists - USAA changed quite a bit in how they download items. Glad you got it all sorted out.
394 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 12 Apr, 2021 05:01 AM
@mehkelley611 😃 +1 (=55)
395 Posted by Dale on 12 Apr, 2021 08:50 AM
Works like a charm. Thanks.
396 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 12 Apr, 2021 08:58 AM
@Dale 😃 +1 (=56)
397 Posted by stevescom on 12 Apr, 2021 02:19 PM
I got the following pop-up when I tried running the script:
SORRY YOUR MONEYDANCE VERSION IS TOO OLD FOR THIS SCRIPT/EXTENSION (min build 1904 required)
My Moneydance version is this: 2019.3 (1880)
I assume this means I have a 2019 version. Do I still have to upgrade MoneyDance?
398 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 12 Apr, 2021 03:16 PM
@Steve McGhee.... You were so close.. The script checks for 2019.4 (build 1904).
So you might have to go and grab 2020.2(1929)
https://infinitekind.com/download_2020
I have a feeling it might be free (as you were using 2019).. You can always install, run the script, and then downgrade again... But if you can, better to stick with 2020 or later if poss.
Failing that. Just edit the py file (carefully) with a plain text editor - or even the moneybot edit function, and change line 72 to say 1880, then save, then try this...
Let me know?
399 Posted by dtd on 12 Apr, 2021 07:54 PM
@Steve McGahee - the major question is did you buy Moneydance direct or through a 3rd party. Different policies apply. If you bought direct from Moneydance, check out this url:
https://infinitekind.tenderapp.com/kb/purchasing-and-upgrading/upgrading
If bought direct, I think you can upgrade for free to at least 2020(1929). If bought third party, I don't know their upgrade policy.
Hope that helps. Just a user.
400 Posted by dwg on 12 Apr, 2021 09:20 PM
I'm a fellow user.
If you have a licensed version of Moneydance 2019 and you purchased Moneydance directly from the company then there are two possibilities.
Your purchased Moneydance 2017 and upgraded to Moneydance 2019, because Moneydance 2020 i considered an extension to Moneydance 2019 you can upgrade to this version for free but to upgrade to Moneydance 2021 it would be half price upgrade.
You purchased Moneydance 2019, this would mean you can upgrade to Moneydance 2020 or 2021 for free.
Software purchased directly qualifies for a free upgrade to what is deemed to be the next major release.
If you purchased the software from a third party you are subject to that vendors terms and conditions and as far as I am aware most do not provide for any free upgrade to newer versions.
401 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 12 Apr, 2021 09:34 PM
As mentioned. Just edit the py file (carefully) with a plain text editor - or even the moneybot edit function, and change line 72 (from 1904) to 1880, then save, then run.
402 Posted by wbbonneriii on 14 Apr, 2021 10:03 AM
Team, is there an update on getting a real fix in place at this point? I've been patiently waiting, but have been running Mint in parallel and may cut the cord but want to confirm ETA on a real fix (not the work around).
403 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 14 Apr, 2021 10:17 AM
Hi @wbbonnerii. Whilst you await an official ‘IK’ response.. My fix corrects the core Moneydance profile. You run it once and that’s it - it’s not involved / used ever again. Once you’ve run it, you are then simply back to using normal/standard Moneydance as always. Any fix for the profile IK eventually comes up with, will have to do exactly the same as my fix does now. The reason IK have not yet made a fix is that they would understandably like to automate some of the elements (to make it super-slick). It may take a long time for this to happen, especially as they are already now promoting my fix as the solution in their knowledge base.....! You will still need to do some of the steps my fix requires anyway. So, in my opinion, you are better off just doing this now rather than waiting. >55 people have successfully reconnected now... S
(Not support, just a fellow user)
404 Posted by wbbonneriii on 14 Apr, 2021 10:25 AM
Thank you Stuart...is it very complicated if you have 5-6 bank accounts with USAA?
405 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 14 Apr, 2021 11:31 AM
Nope. A doddle. Read the pdf in post 1
In simple terms.
Read pdf
Logon on to usaa and get details
Backup your data
Download script, run script
Configure 1 account.
Use MD to download
Assuming it works, use MD to add/configure the other 4
Hey presto.
406 Posted by stevescom on 14 Apr, 2021 05:06 PM
The change to the python script worked for the version. I was able to get through the dialog. (Thanks!!)
I restarted MD and tried to download transactions. I got this error:
There was an error communicating with your financial institution. The details of this error are below.
Bank Name: USAA Custom Profile (ofx_create_new_usaa_bank_profile_custom.py)
Account: Checking 00aaaccctt
Account Number: 00aaaccctt
A communication or parsing error occurred. This could be the result of a network problem, a proxy error, or misconfigured server.
Error Description: java.io.IOException: HTTP Error:403 Forbidden
FYI, the script mentions needing a 2021 version to use Toolbox to update the last transaction date. I paid for a copy of Quicken and have been downloading transactions using Quicken and then importing them into MD. This has been a real pain for a number of reasons...but I don't need transactions going back to January, which is what MD thinks I need. Is there any other option or should I upgrade to 2021? (or manually clear out the hundreds of duplicate transactions)
407 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 14 Apr, 2021 06:38 PM
It's hard to know whether MD2021 will fix your issue, but we do know that it all works on MD2021. Personally I would suggest MD2021.1 preview (3065).
Point 2 - are you running any VPN, PiHole, Blockers? If so, turn these off.....
408 Posted by dtd on 14 Apr, 2021 06:52 PM
@Steve - as Stuart said, I don't know if this will work with build 1880, but there are issues that address your issue in the pdf. Specifically:
Are you in the U.S.?
HTTP/1.1 403 FORBIDDEN – blah blah blah (are you in the U.S.?)
Now, even given Stuart's and my statements, I haven't seen java.io.exception associated with this error, so maybe 1880 is too old.
409 Posted by dtd on 14 Apr, 2021 07:04 PM
@wbboneriii - re your question "Team, is there an update on getting a real fix in place at this point? I've been patiently waiting, but have been running Mint in parallel and may cut the cord but want to confirm ETA on a real fix (not the work around)."
I'm just a user, but I am the writer of the pdf to use Stuart's script. As to real vs. workaround, that's not my call, but Moneydance has published a knowledgebase article on using the script, so I guess at minimum it's recognized by Moneydance as a solution.
https://infinitekind.tenderapp.com/kb/online-banking-and-bill-pay/connecting-with-usaa
It is based on my pdf, which I continue to revise as I observe people reaching success, to make it even easier to use.
https://infinitekind.tenderapp.com/discussions/online-banking/18363/r?go=aHR0cHM6Ly9naXRodWIuY29tL3lvZ2kxOTY3L01vbmV5ZGFuY2VQeXRob25TY3JpcHRzL3Jhdy9tYXN0ZXIvc291cmNlL3VzZWZ1bF9zY3JpcHRzL29meF9jcmVhdGVfbmV3X3VzYWFfYmFua19jdXN0b21fcHJvZmlsZS5wZGY%3D
As Stuart says, read this to see if can work for you. Note: If it seems long, most of the document addresses what happens AFTER you run the script, as USAA made some changes in what/how they download - you will have to deal with these steps even if/when Moneydance releases a real solution.
As to ETA for the real solution - I have no idea, but I could speculate given they published this knowledgebase article, and I am aware from other messages in other threads that they are looking to find a "permanent solution" by establishing a relationship with USAA vs. implementing the solution within Moneydance which would basically be what the script does, except within the software.
Hope that helps.
410 Posted by stevescom on 14 Apr, 2021 08:50 PM
I downloaded 2021 MD (for half price, still WAY better than Quicken). Can you send instructions on how to use Toolbox? I can't find it.
411 Posted by dwg on 14 Apr, 2021 08:59 PM
I'm a fellow user.
When you are setting up online banking in Moneydance the first part of the process is to setup a profile for the specific user.
With the changes that USAA have made this is what Moneydance cannot do simply because there is extra information that is now required for this bank.
Stuart's script creates this profile with the extra information but and it is a big but it requires you to manually obtain the required extra information an you have to extract it from an URL
From the point of view of support management it is totally acceptable to do this as an interim solution to ensure that customers can continue to download information to Moneydance.
From the perspective of Product Management however for a long term solution this is not desirable, it is just too manual.
So from a long term perspective they would look towards how can they capture this extra information in an automated way. This is not a trivial undertaking, so a solution is likely to take some time and programming to achieve if they have to take that approach, The other alternative is if USAA can be co-operative and can provide another way to allow Moneydance to get this piece of information during the setup.
In either case the end result is very likely to be a profile like the one Stuart's script creates.
From the reports I have seen on the forum it appears Quicken has devised a way to programatically extract the required detail, this would not be a surprise since they have long had an embedded browser in the software to facilitate Web Connect.
412 Posted by dtd on 14 Apr, 2021 09:04 PM
Thanks as always @dwg, I can't quite post your statement of truth as I'm known as the writer of Stuart's pdf, and thus my statements can be "suspect" - but yes, everything you say is correct, as usual.
413 Posted by dtd on 14 Apr, 2021 09:09 PM
@Steve - welcome to 2021. You paid for 2021 (half price) and I think you get the next major version free. MD doesn't require you to upgrade, but their upgrade policy is quite liberal in my opinion.
Ok - first, obtain the latest preview version vs. the stable version. The latest is 3065 I think, and is almost the next stable version. www.moneydance.com/preview
I THINK you can then, in Moneydance, go to EXTENSIONS/MANAGE EXTENSIONS and Toolbox should be in the AVAILABLE section (and you can install).
Since I work closely with Stuart, I may be wrong, but you can get Toolbox from Stuart's web page as well:
https://infinitekind.tenderapp.com/discussions/online-banking/18363/r?go=aHR0cHM6Ly95b2dpMTk2Ny5naXRodWIuaW8vTW9uZXlkYW5jZVB5dGhvblNjcmlwdHMv
Hope that helps.
414 Posted by dtd on 14 Apr, 2021 09:10 PM
@Steve - btw, did running the USAA script work ok with 2021 in place? If not, let us know. You don't need to do downloads, just did it say Success.... ?
Nevermind, in rereading, you got success, you just can't connect with the 1880 version, and happily, the new profile is in your database and not dependent on the version. So, yes, you probably want toolbox first so you can set last txn date.
To quote from the pdf file:
More likely, you want to set the date from which downloads occur, so you don’t get many months of duplicate data. Optional: If you are using Moneydance 2021 build 3056+, you can change the last transaction date vs. only resetting it. The free Toolbox extension (by the USAA fix script author) can change this date. Use advanced mode, OFX Banking menu, ‘update OFX Last Txn Update Date’ option. Toolbox can do many other OFX ‘things’. Again, totally optional, but useful versus keeping/merging those duplicates. https://yogi1967.github.io/MoneydancePythonScripts/
415 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 14 Apr, 2021 09:23 PM
Hi Steve. After installing MD2021.1 preview 3065 then go to my page and download the signed toolbox. Drag the downloaded mxt file on to your moneydance left side bar and it will install.
Have you run the usaa script and are downloads working?
https://yogi1967.github.io/MoneydancePythonScripts/
416 Posted by dtd on 14 Apr, 2021 09:25 PM
@Stuart - when we go fast and furious, it's always easy to miss messages:
Steve said:
FYI, the script mentions needing a 2021 version to use Toolbox to update the last transaction date. I paid for a copy of Quicken and have been downloading transactions using Quicken and then importing them into MD. This has been a real pain for a number of reasons...but I don't need transactions going back to January, which is what MD thinks I need. Is there any other option or should I upgrade to 2021? (or manually clear out the hundreds of duplicate transactions)
That's why he needs toolbox.
Support Staff 417 Posted by Sean Reilly on 14 Apr, 2021 09:42 PM
There have been some great questions recently about our long term fix for the USAA situation. In the short term we're very grateful for Stuart's script and would recommend that people use it for now. In the medium term we are working on an update that will make signing up for OFX connections with a web-based flow and authentication much simpler and friendly. In the long term we are working on an implementation of FDX which will make use of the web-based authentication flow, followed by a more friendly API which is likely to eventually eclipse the capabilities of OFX.
An official announcement will be coming soon, but The Infinite Kind is now a full member of the Financial Data Exchange (FDX) which is the organisation behind the FDX protocol. USAA is possibly the biggest driver of FDX and is one of the most prominent technical leaders. I've been spending the last few days soaking up information and making contacts at their annual summit/conference. FDX is coming to Moneydance and I'm confident that we'll soon have a solid long-term connection to USAA.
Thanks,
Sean
--
Sean Reilly
Developer, The Infinite Kind
https://infinitekind.com
418 Posted by stevescom on 15 Apr, 2021 09:36 AM
Sorry, I seem to be the problem child!
1. I upgraded to 2021 version and dragged in the toolbox mxt file, but it wouldn't run. Then I loaded the latest preview version, and, voila, I got Toolbox to run. I was able to modify the last downloaded transaction date successfully!
2. Then I tried downloading my transactions from USAA. I got the following error:
There was an error communicating with your financial institution. The details of this error are below.
Bank Name: USAA Custom Profile (ofx_create_new_usaa_bank_profile_custom.py)
The error code reported by the server was: 2000
We're unable to complete your request. To download USAA account transactions into Quicken, you'll need to verify your information. Get Access ID and PIN here https://df3cx-services.1fsapi.com/casm/usaa/enroll
3. I tried re-running the create_new_usaa_custom_profile python script, and I ran through the dialog sucessfully. I double-checked all my ID info. I restarted MD and tried to download transactions, but I got the same error again.
The "Bank Name" seems weird. Is that part of the script? Anything else I'm doing wrong?
419 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 15 Apr, 2021 09:48 AM
This sounds suspiciously like you have not enabled your accounts for quicken on the USAA website, or you have not grabbed the right client id from the URL?
Can you do this.... help>open console. Keep console open. Download again. Paste the console into a text file. Review the text file and redact anything sensitive. Post the file here so I can see.....
420 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 15 Apr, 2021 10:01 AM
.