When a client’s financial institution applies Multi‑Factor Authentication (MFA), the feed will no longer update automatically. Clients must log in to their portal and manually refresh the feed whenever they need the latest information.
Here we outline best practices your firm can follow to effectively manage MFA‑affected feeds.
Why MFA changes how data feeds update
Best practices for firms managing MFA‑affected feeds
1. Use To‑Dos to prompt client action
If your team identifies that a client’s feed has paused, create a To‑Do. When creating the To‑Do, set it as a monthly reminder and note in the To‑Do’s ‘Notes’ section that the client should leave it open, as it serves as an ongoing reminder to re‑authenticate their MFA each month.
2. Educate clients during onboarding
When onboarding Pro clients, ensure they understand the behaviour of MFA‑protected feeds:
• Feeds requiring MFA will not auto‑refresh.
• Clients should re‑authenticate at least every four weeks (prompted via an ongoing To-Do)
• The Bank MFA enabled tag indicates when ongoing manual refreshes will be required.
3. Incorporate periodic checks into your business workflow
As part of your internal workflow, set a regular review point (for example, weekly or monthly) to check all Pro clients’ accounts. If your team identifies a paused feed while reviewing, directing the client to re‑authenticate and provide this relevant help‑article link.
Client Guidance:
Clients can confirm whether their feed is MFA‑protected by checking for the Bank MFA enabled tag displayed next to their bank connection. This tag indicates that the client’s financial institution requires MFA thereby requiring re-authentication or the feed will not auto‑refresh.
Here are two client‑facing help articles that guide clients through completing MFA and manually refreshing: