Connecting your first bank

Connecting Your First Bank Account

Nova connects to over 20,000 banks, credit unions, and financial institutions through Plaid — a secure, industry-standard service used by apps like Venmo and Robinhood. Your credentials are never stored by Nova.

How to Connect

• From your Dashboard, click Add Account (or the + button).
• Select Connect Bank Account.
• A secure Plaid window will open. Search for your bank by name.
• Log in with your bank credentials directly in the Plaid window.
• If your bank requires it, complete multi-factor authentication (a text code, email code, or security question).
• Choose which accounts to link — checking, savings, credit cards, loans, investments — then click Continue.
• Plaid will sync your account balances to Nova. This usually takes just a few seconds.

What to Expect

• Balances update automatically — Nova refreshes your connected accounts regularly so your net worth stays current.
• Multiple accounts at once — if your bank has several accounts (checking + savings + credit card), you can connect them all in a single Plaid session.
• Read-only access — Nova can only view your balances. We can never move money, make transactions, or modify anything at your bank.

Troubleshooting

• Can't find your bank? Try searching by the full official name. Some smaller credit unions may not be supported yet.
• Connection failed? Double-check your credentials and try again. Some banks have intermittent issues with third-party connections.
• Stuck on MFA? Make sure you're entering the code quickly — they often expire within a minute or two.

Once connected, your accounts will appear on your Dashboard and Charlie will start generating insights about your finances.

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Still need help? Visit /contact and we'll get you sorted.