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Most banks today offer personal online banking to save clients trips to the actual bank. Online banking can also add benefits such as paying bills online, paperless statements, free transfers within the bank and email notifications of low balances. If you have a personal checking or savings account, using online banking will enable you to get the most out of your bank's services.
Check for Fees
Many banks offer online banking free of charge. Depending on the type of account you have, though, this may change. Be sure to check with your bank regarding this policy. Are there fees for paying bills online? Are there fees if you transfer from your checking to your savings online? You may be asked to agree to these fees when you signed up for the bank. Ensure you know what you are getting into. Even one dollar here or there will add up when you are making multiple transactions a month through your personal online banking.
Follow Bank's Instructions
Your bank's website will usually have a section to set up your online banking. In some cases, you will need to go to the bank for security purposes. Follow the instructions of the bank's website, or do what your personal teller tells you to. Typically, you will have to provide your account information to begin the set up.
It is extremely important that you verify you are working with your actual bank, not an impostor. Make sure the information under the "contact" section is consistent with your bank. It may be a good idea to research the URL address to make sure it is correct. To protect yourself against a hacker or identity theft, do not use a public computer when setting up your account or to access your funds in the future.
Implement Security Measures
It is essential that you use only a private computer to access your account. Never have the computer "store" or "remember" your password to your bank account. You can elect to have emails sent to you when funds are deducted from your account. These emails will help you catch any fraud before it goes too far.
Most importantly, the password you use for your account should be secure. Secure passwords should be a mix of letters and numbers which carry no real significance to you. If it is something a person who knows you could guess, change it. For example, do not use your anniversary or birthday for the numbers. If you must use something significant, perhaps choose a favorite character from a book, spelled backward. In any case, ensure it is something only you will know.
Add Payees to Pay Bills Online
You can set up online bill pay independently on each of the websites for your utility services or credit cards. To streamline the process, you can add this information in one place on your personal online banking account. You will need your account information from each payee. Once you have your bank account open online, look for the bill pay area. Add each account by adding the account number and name. You may have the option to receive email notifications of bills rather than paper billing. In fact, some banks allow for automatic withdrawal of your payments. This can help you in case you are travelling or forget to pay. Be careful, though. It is common for people to overdraw their accounts when an automatic payment they were not anticipating is debited.
How to Start Your Personal Online Banking
