Imagine logging into a single dashboard and seeing all your finances—investments, bank accounts, retirement funds—at a glance. No more bouncing between apps, spreadsheets, or outdated statements.

That’s the magic of financial aggregation, and it’s a game-changer.

But here’s the problem: some financial institutions still don’t support aggregation, while others provide such poor data that it’s nearly useless.

Ally Invest? Completely unavailable for aggregation.
Commonwealth Investor 360? Supports aggregation, but the data quality is a mess.

So why do some firms make it difficult (or impossible) for you to access your own financial data? And more importantly, what can you do about it? Let’s break it down.

Popular providers that do not support aggregation

Some financial firms completely block financial aggregation, meaning you can’t sync your accounts with budgeting, investing, or wealth management apps.

If your provider is on this list, you won’t be able to sync your accounts—no matter which aggregation service you use.

Popular providers with poor aggregation support

Some firms technically allow aggregation but fail to provide reliable data. If you use them, expect incomplete balances, missing transactions, and frequent connection issues.

If your provider is in this category, you’re constantly dealing with bad data—which makes financial planning a headache.

The real reasons some firms don’t play nice with aggregation

You might assume every financial provider wants to make managing your money easier. But in reality, some firms have different priorities.

Here’s why some refuse to support aggregation—or do it so poorly that it barely works:

1. They want to keep you locked in

Some institutions don’t want you to have a full picture of your finances in one place. Why? Because if you’re forced to log in directly, they can push their own products and services instead of letting you explore outside options.

2. They claim it’s a “security risk”

Security is important—no doubt about it. But aggregation services use industry-standard encryption and secure APIs. Still, some institutions use “security concerns” as an excuse to block third-party access, even though plenty of other firms have figured out how to do it safely.

3. They haven’t invested in the right technology

Financial aggregation relies on modern APIs and well-structured data feeds. Some institutions simply haven’t built the infrastructure to support this—or worse, they don’t see the value in upgrading.

4. They provide aggregation… but it’s unreliable

Some firms technically allow aggregation, but the experience is so bad that it might as well not exist. Take Commonwealth Investor 360, for example. Customers trying to sync their accounts often deal with:

• Missing transactions

• Slow updates

• Inaccurate balances

This kind of poor data quality defeats the entire purpose of aggregation.

How this affects you (and why you should care)

If your financial institution blocks or butchers aggregation, here’s what it means for you:

• No single view of your finances – You’ll have to manually track everything across multiple platforms.

• Limited insights – Personal finance apps and wealth management tools rely on aggregation to help you budget, invest, and plan for retirement.

• Wasted time – Instead of getting automatic updates, you’re stuck logging in and piecing together information yourself.

That’s frustrating. And unnecessary.