Is online banking for you?
Online banking has become incredibly popular and it is very useful. For those that rely on online banking, there is an accepted risk that goes with exposing your financial information online, but before you jump in, it is a good idea to do a little checking to make sure that your online bank is indeed safe for your to use. Don’t wait to find out until your accounts are cleared out. By running your online bank through this checklist, you should be able to decide whether or not their online portal is what you should be using.
First, it is necessary to make sure that your log in page and your account page are hidden behind a secure certificate. These are known as SSL certificates and they provide encryption that will block hackers from attaching your funds by getting your log in information. In addition to this precaution, if you are using an online bank it is very important to run your own firewall and antivirus protection software.
A good hacker can place a keylogging program on your computer, and you’ll be practically giving them your log in information without even realizing it. Keep all of your passwords off of your computer and store them in a safe place. Make note of your log in urls as well to ensure that if something does happen, you can quickly take care of the issue.
It is also a good idea to read through the terms of service and privacy policy for any online banking site. These agreements contain very important information and even though they are about as interesting as dried toast, you need to take the time to carefully read it to see how they will be handling and securing your data. If you don’t understand anything, don’t be afraid to ask the bank for clarification.
You should also take the time to test out an online account before you transfer a large amount of money into it. Give it a few weeks to see how the dust settles and whether or not you will feel safe putting your money in that institution. By depositing only a small amount of money at first, you are minimizing your overall risk and getting a better idea of how the bank operates day to day.
If at any time you question the security of your online bank account, report it immediately. Most banks do offer fraud protection now, but in many cases, you’ll be the one that catches it. Always review your statements carefully to see if any unauthorized access has been gained.
By taking a few simple steps early on you can easily set up an online bank account that will be useful and easy to understand. Never rush in with an online bank and take the time to run them through the better business bureau before you proceed. The time you spend on due diligence now will definitely come in handy should anything go wrong.
Photo Credits: 1
Originally posted 2008-10-30 04:55:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Articles -
Teach Your Teen About Saving Money One of the biggest reasons why having a teenage child can be difficult is because teenagers tend to spend money easily and freely without any real regard for what goes into earning that money in the first place. Teenagers tend to spend a great deal of money on clothes, shoes,...... -
3 Ways to Increase Your Cash Flow If you’re finding it difficult to get by, one of the easiest ways to combat this issue is by increasing your monthly cash flow. While you may not be able to make a huge difference right away, slowly building up the amount of money that you have coming in, building...... -
Save Money with These 4 Tips /caption] There are ways that you can save money, and all you need to do is learn about managing money wisely to do it. You are not necessarily being frugal, per say, but rather you are learning how to be wise in the decisions that you make. Unfortunately, most people...... -
4 Tips for College Students Budgets /caption] If you are a college student, then your primary focus is probably set on your studies and trying to maintain your education so that you will be benefited in the future. Unfortunately, one of the things that you may not be putting enough consideration into is how you are...... -
How to Fix a Mistake On Your Credit Report /caption] We all make mistakes, but when it comes to your credit report, a simple or small error can have a big impact. In fact, one small error is more than enough to drag down your FICO score and could even prevent you from getting a loan in the future.......
Related Sites -
Leaving My Bank - Comparing Online Bank Accounts. Elisa Cundiff is the guest blogger today, she is the Outreach Coordinator at Thrive, a free online budgeting tool. Every morning I review all my financial accounts on Thrive, but last Thursday, I noticed something strange: a â$3 non-Citi atm feeâ. This was an additional $3 that my bank was...... -
Mobile is Not a Step Child of Online Banking Use of Mobile Banking is projected to grow three fold in the next three years (Source: TowerGroup). The data traffic at AT&T (courtesy the iPhone) has grown 50X in the last 3 years. Mobile will become a key channel for customers to transact with the bank. That said, most...... -
Start Treating Your Finances Like a Bank If you want to start making money, you’ve got to stop looking at your finances like a regular person and start treating your checkbook like you work for the bank. This is the key towards successful management of your finances and will help you grow your current income and create...... -
My Experience with Quicken Online I have never really gotten into budget software packages; I think it is stems from my original feelings that I didn't want nor need a Budget. After starting this blog and getting my finances in order, my feelings about the subject changed and The Wife and I created a Plan....... - Online Banking Targeted By Clampi Virus People who use online banking are under threat from a new Trojan virus, known as the Clampi, which is currently sweeping both the US and UK. The Clampi virus is a piece of computer code that has already affected over 1,000 computers in the UK, and thousands more in the......