How many drawers did you have to look through to find a bank statement the last time you needed one? Chances are you did not lay your hands on it as readily as you would have liked. If that is a familiar scenario in your home, help has arrived in the form of online banking. Even if you are among the most organized, online banking offers convenience you can't beat.
Consider online banking with your credit union for instant organization and access to all of your account information. With online banking, information about deposits, payments, statements, and all transactions is immediately available with only a few key strokes 24 hours every day.
Use online banking to pay your bills, transfer money between accounts and monitor your spending. When you pay your bills online you will need to take 15-30 minutes to set up your vendors (lists of payees, addresses, account numbers, etc.) after that, it takes mere seconds to set up a bill payment. You can opt for automatic payments on a date of your choosing or you can point and click each month. Bills paid via online banking arrive at their destination in as few as two days. You don't need stamps, envelopes or even a pen. Best of all, online banking compiles and allows you to access your payment history for every vendor on your payee list.
Not only will you save yourself the worry of searching for perpetually lost cancelled checks and bank statements you will also save a little money. Most credit unions offer online banking services and e-statements, etc. to their members at no cost with direct deposit or a qualifying account (usually as a benefit of a home equity loan or money market account).
Online banking is infinitely more convenient than waiting for your paper statement each month or even telephone banking. Your transactions are recorded in real time and you can see them as they occur. When you avail yourself of online banking services you are better able to track and monitor your spending. You may even find that it is easier to follow a budget and to avoid overdraft charges with online banking because you have a visual of your spending.
Worried about security? Don't be, a great deal of technological thought and energy is being brought to the task of maintaining Internet safety. Your banking information is encrypted and there is no chance that third parties can peek in. There is ample evidence that consumers have become more comfortable with online financial transactions. For instance, check printing has seen a decline and online shopping has seen a substantial increase. Financial institutions support our increasing embrace of online banking because it streamlines transactions and costs a great deal less than paper based transactions. Credit Unions pass these savings on to their members.
Visit your local credit union online to take a free online banking tour and demo. You will be surprised to learn how pleasant paying your bills and managing your finances becomes with the convenience and accessibility of online banking. The money you will save is an added bonus.
Nicole Soltau is the President and Founder ofhttp://CreditUnionRate.com - The Leading Credit Union DirectorySearch, Find, Join.
Personal Finance: Booking Bamboozle Washington Post If you are making travel arrangements online, be sure to keep an eye out for a questionable but growing trend on booking Web sites: 'pre-checked' boxes that ...
PersonalFinance: Your guide to Coverdells FOXBusiness (Linda Stern is a freelance writer. Any opinions in the column are hers. You can follow Linda Stern's financial notes on Twitter at ...
The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories MarketWatch By MarketWatch With no federal tax credit to entice buyers, today's home sellers have to get even more serious about making a deal. ...
Pet insurance is no laughing matter Telegraph.co.uk Having made four claims in four years, The Telegraph's Personal Finance Editor decides the time has come to write about pet insurance. ...
Google News
RELATED ARTICLESBudgeting: A Tough Love Way to Handle Your Household Budget
Developing and living by a household budget is by far the best way to get your expenses under control which, in turn, can mean a much less stressful life.However, many families find it very difficult to stick to a budget.
Developing a budget? Watch out for Those Budget-Bursting Gremlins
If you've developed a household budget to get your spending back in line or to just reduce stress, good for you! Creating and sticking to a budget isn't easy by all means. But it represents the best way by far to manage your finances so you can relax and worry about other things.
7 Simple Ways To Save Money
Each of us knows how to spend money, but do we really know how to save our money? No, I am not necessarily talking about setting aside funds for an investments purposes - a good thing - but saving money on everyday items. Here are seven simple ways you can save money:1.
What Happens if You Die Without Making a Will
If you die without making a Will in the UK, the state will decide who gets what and how much, so those who you would want to benefit may get far less than you hoped.Your estate (your property and all belongings) are frozen and become subject to the law of intestacy.
Understanding and Controlling Your Finances
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be able to have complete control over your finances?If you are like most normal people, you have a job. You go to your job every day.
Single Mother and Learning how to Save
Saving may seem easier if you were saving for a new car, or a vacation however when it comes to saving in general it may prove to be more challenging because you may not necessarily feel you are receiving a reward from it. However saving pays off, especially as a single mother.
Saving Money On Gasoline For Your Automobile
The gas that we fill our tanks with every week adds up to be quite an expensive bill over the months and years. Thirty dollars a week in gas adds up to over $1500 a year.
Top 10+ Ways to Jumpstart your New Year's Finances!
Of course, these don't have to be done in any particular order! Just pick one or two that particularly apply to your situation. * Create your 2005 filing system.
Financial Fitness - Are You Exercising the Right Muscles to become Financially Fit?
Are your financial muscles well toned and healthy or flabby and weak? Do you want to change your relationship with money so you can have control over your financial future or do you want to continue to complain that you don't have enough? Exercise these 10 muscles to achieve Financial Fitness.1.
Budgeting Made Easy
Well, dang! From what I've heard and read, it looks like we've reached an all-time world-class new record in the amount of personal debt on the books. Now it's probably not quite as bad as we've been led to believe, however many of us have managed to tromp further than we should have into the financial swamp.
Resources to Help You Learn About and Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
There is a new bill that is being passes, it is a very weak bill but if passed, it will prohibit using a social security number for identification purposes. This bill should take affect in 2006.
Bank On It: Places to Hide and Invest Money
Today I passed a thermometer at a bank that read 110 degrees, but I am not telling you that to show you how hot it was. I am telling you that because this bank really needs to fix their thermometer.
Is There A Retirement Crisis?
When people speak about the increasing age expectancies, they generally do so with positive connotation. This author agrees-there's nothing wrong with living longer, especially if we can sustain our quality of life at each period throughout our lifespan.
The Origins of Check Writing
People haven't always written checks to buy goods and services. But you know that right? So how did people transfer money from one place to another in times of old?In ancient times the most popular form of money exchange was the trade.
Make or Break Your Retirement!
The Prudential has dubbed those who refuse to leave home as"kippers" or "kids in parents' pockets eroding retirementsavings". Recent research concludes 6.
A Fresh Start for Family Finances in 2005
While 40% to 50% of us make New Year's resolutions on January 1-a ritual that has existed since ancient times-approximately 60% to 80% of us have already broken them by the end of February, according to researchers.It's still not too late, however, to reset the trajectory on your family's finances, experts note.
Bankruptcy Chapters Explained
Chapter 7The potential chapter 7 debtor should understand that a straight bankruptcy case does not involve the filing of a plan of repayment as in chapter 13, but rather envisions the bankruptcy trustee's gathering and sale of the debtor's nonexempt assets, from which holders of claims (creditors) will receive distributions in accordance with the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code. Part of the debtor's property may be subject to liens and mortgages that pledge the property to other creditors.
Money Matters - Really!
One of the biggest challenges facing black RELATIONSHIPS today are finances. Many people mistakenly feel that money does NOT matter.
Learning the Basics of Handling Money
With prices increasing all the time, saving money can be harder and harder to do. Here are some solutions for saving a little so that you can still meet your needs and still find ways to trim off a little for the future.
Expenses A - What Are They And What Can We Do About Them
It is crucial as an individual who is striving for financial freedom to be able to recognize the different type of expenses in our lives. It is a proven theory that it is easier to cut your expense than trying to earn more income.
