Bank Connection Issues

How to fix common bank connection problems in Forbidden Finance, including connection errors, degraded connections, and re-authentication prompts.

Overview

Bank connections in Forbidden Finance use Plaid to securely link your accounts. Most connection issues fall into a few common categories: your bank is not supported, the connection is degraded and needs re-authentication, your bank's credentials changed, or your bank is prompting for additional verification. This guide walks you through diagnosing and fixing each issue.

If your bank connection was working and recently stopped, start with the "Reconnect a Degraded Connection" section below.

Common Issues and Fixes

Your Bank Is Not Found

If you search for your bank during the connection flow and it does not appear:

Double-check the name. Try the bank's full legal name, common abbreviations, or the name shown on their website. For example, "Chase" and "JPMorgan Chase" are both valid.
Try the bank's website URL. Some banks are listed by their web address rather than their display name.
Check if your bank supports Plaid. Not all financial institutions support third-party connections. Credit unions and smaller regional banks are less likely to be available. If your bank is not listed, you can still track it using a manual account.

Connection Is Degraded

A degraded connection means Forbidden Finance can no longer pull data from your bank. You see a yellow or red banner on the dashboard and/or a warning icon next to the account. Common causes:

Your bank changed their login flow. Banks occasionally update their security prompts, which can break existing connections.
Your bank credentials changed. If you recently updated your bank password, the stored connection is no longer valid.
Your bank requires additional verification. Some banks periodically ask you to re-enter an MFA code or answer a security question.

How to Reconnect a Degraded Connection

Tap the connection health banner

On the dashboard, tap the yellow or red connection health banner. Or go to Settings > Accounts and find the affected bank.

Tap Reconnect

Tap the Reconnect button next to the degraded connection. The Plaid connection flow opens.

Re-enter your bank credentials

Log in to your bank through the Plaid interface with your current username and password. Complete any MFA prompts your bank requires.

Confirm the reconnection

Once authenticated, the connection is restored. Your transaction history resumes syncing based on your tier's schedule.

Bank Requires MFA During Reconnection

Some banks require you to complete an MFA step (such as a text message code, email code, or security question) every time a third-party connection is re-established. This is your bank's security policy, not something Forbidden Finance controls. Complete the prompt to restore the connection.

Connection Succeeds but No Transactions Appear

If your connection shows as active but you do not see transactions:

Wait for the next sync. Depending on your tier, transactions may not appear until the next scheduled sync (daily for Starter, hourly for Pro, real-time for Premium).
Check the account type. Make sure the accounts you selected during the connection process are account types supported by your tier. For example, investment accounts require the Pro tier or above.
Pull to refresh. On the dashboard, pull down to trigger a manual data refresh.

Key Details

Tier	Number of Bank Connections	Sync Frequency
Free	None (manual accounts only)	N/A
Starter	Up to 2	Daily
Pro	Up to 5	Hourly
Premium	Up to 10	Real-time

Tips

If your bank frequently requires re-authentication, check if your bank offers an option to trust third-party connections or whitelist financial apps. This reduces how often the connection breaks.

Keep your bank credentials up to date. If you change your bank password, reconnect immediately in Forbidden Finance to avoid a degraded connection.

Never share your bank login credentials with anyone, including Forbidden Finance support. The Plaid connection flow handles authentication directly with your bank. We never see or store your bank password.