Connect Your First Account
Connecting your financial accounts is the first step toward getting the most out of Aureus.
Once your accounts are connected, Aureus can securely import your balances and transactions to power features like:
- Financial Health Score
- Cash Flow and Safe to Spend
- Budgeting
- Investment Tracking
- Net Worth
- Personalized Insights
The more complete your financial picture, the more valuable Aureus becomes.
Is It Secure?
Yes.
Aureus uses Plaid, one of the world's leading financial connectivity providers, to securely connect with thousands of financial institutions.
Your online banking credentials are entered directly into Plaid's secure connection process—not into Aureus.
This allows Aureus to receive the financial information you've chosen to share without storing your online banking username or password.
To learn more, see Why We Use Plaid.
Choosing the Right Connection
When you're on the Accounts page, you'll see two connection options.
| Connect Option | Best For |
|---|---|
| Connect Bank | Checking, savings, credit cards, and other everyday banking accounts |
| Connect 401(k) / Brokerage | Retirement accounts, IRAs, brokerage accounts, and workplace investment plans |
Many investment providers require the dedicated Connect 401(k) / Brokerage option.
If an investment account doesn't appear while using Connect Bank, simply return to the Accounts page and use the investment connection instead.
Connecting an Account
- Open Accounts from the main navigation.
- Select either Connect Bank or Connect 401(k) / Brokerage.
- Search for your financial institution.
- Sign in through the secure Plaid connection.
- Complete any multi-factor authentication requested by your institution.
- Choose the accounts you'd like to share.
- Finish the connection process.
Some financial institutions temporarily redirect you to their own website before returning you to Aureus. This is a normal part of the secure connection process.
Tip: Keep the same browser tab open throughout the connection process so Aureus can automatically complete the connection when your institution redirects you back.
What Happens Next?
After your account has been connected:
- Your institution will appear in your list of connected accounts.
- Account balances will usually appear first.
- Transactions and investment holdings may take a little longer to import.
- Aureus will begin updating features such as your Dashboard, Cash Flow, and Financial Health Score as new information becomes available.
If you don't immediately see all of your financial information, don't worry. Initial imports can take several minutes depending on your financial institution.
Manual Accounts and Demo Data
Not every financial account needs to be connected automatically.
You can also:
- Add supported accounts manually when appropriate.
- Explore Aureus using Demo Data before connecting live financial accounts (when available in Settings).
These options are great for learning how Aureus works before importing your own financial information.
Best Practices
For the smoothest experience:
- Use Connect 401(k) / Brokerage for retirement and investment accounts.
- Allow the initial synchronization to finish before assuming information is missing.
- Synchronize your accounts periodically to keep your financial information up to date.
- Remove connections you no longer wish to synchronize from the Accounts page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't I see my transactions immediately?
Balances usually import before transaction history. Depending on your financial institution, transaction imports may take several minutes.
My investment account isn't showing up. What should I do?
Many investment providers require the Connect 401(k) / Brokerage connection instead of the standard bank connection.
If your institution isn't available under one option, try the other.
Can I disconnect an account later?
Yes.
You can remove connected financial institutions at any time from the Accounts page.
What if my connection doesn't work?
Most connection issues can be resolved by reconnecting the institution or synchronizing your accounts again.
If you're still having trouble, see our Connection Issues troubleshooting guide.