Data Aggregation in the New Year

If you follow the eMoney blog, you’ve probably heard about our API transition, a long-term strategy that will provide more stable and secure data aggregation for you and your clients. As the industry transition from screen scraping to API-based aggregation, consumers will gain more control than ever over who can access their sensitive financial data. Your clients will also enjoy a more seamless experience with fewer broken connections.

This year, we’re leading the Fintech industry into a future where screen scraping account data is the exception, rather than the norm.

(Need some help understanding these terms? Check out our client Guide to Data Aggregation.)

This transition won’t happen overnight, so what can you do in the meantime to offer your clients a smoother connections experience?

Start by Setting the Right Expectations in the New Year.

As we move into 2018, we know digital threats and data breaches will continue to grow. To allay consumer fears, financial institutions are adding new security measures and website design updates. Many financial institutions release their redesigned websites in January. For institutions with whom we haven’t yet established an API, their website redesigns may cause some connections to break. While we’re always working to restore broken connections in a timely fashion, it’s important to set expectations with your clients upfront.

Arm them with the basics. Provide your clients with resources that help them understand connections, and manage minor errors on their own.

• Client Slick: Your Guide to Data Aggregation
• Client Slick: Understanding Connections

If you’re just getting started with a new client, help them understand what to expect from Connections moving forward by following the best practices in this user guide.

• Advisor Slick: Introducing Connections to your Clients

Be proactive. By proactively talking to your clients about their Connections, you can reassure them that you’re on top of any connections issues even before they occur. So let them know that you’ll be keeping a close eye on their connected accounts.

• Pro-tip: To keep an eye on your clients’ connections, try customizing the Account Status Alert to notify you of the error statuses you want to receive. Once you tailor the Alert to your specifications, you can Save For All Clients.

Want to learn more about eMoney’s API Transition? Watch a recording of our API Transition webinar with CEO Ed O’Brien to get the full story on our API-based aggregation strategy, or check out our API FAQ.