With the internet in our midst, people are given the convenience of doing a variety of financial transactions online whether at home, in the office or even while on the go. This advanced and phenomenal technological innovation has indeed made life easier for many people including professionals, businessmen, housewives and students. However, this does not necessarily lead to the end of the existence of the brick-and-mortar banks. The standard banks will always be there as there are still consumers who opt to transact in a real bank where they feel most secure and comfortable.

The traditional banks and banks that have gone online have their respective advantages and disadvantages. It’s really up to the consumer to choose which type of banking service to use. What matters is you know your financial needs, you keep an open mind on the latest trends in the banking industry and learn about them if possible. You may be loyal to your standard bank but who knows, you may also need to use the online banking service one day for an urgent transaction when you’re pressed for time or unable to go out for health reasons.

Standard banking

Conventional banks are those that still use the paper and pen in dealing with different financial transactions. The reality today, though, is that many have gone online as well introducing internet-only products to compete with the purely online banks. While these traditional banks cater mostly to the old customers, experts say they should also keep up with the trend and cater to the younger, internet-savvy customers if they wish to attract more clients.

Security and personal touch are major considerations for people opting to use the traditional banks. Most of them would say having human contact makes them feel comfortable when banking. Some feel secure when they deposit cash via a real teller.

Online banking

Banking on the internet is very much the same as when you do transactions in a real bank. The only difference is that you’re using a computer instead of a paper or phone in accessing your account and information, making payments and reconciling statements. There’s no need to go to a local branch office as you can accomplish various financial tasks in the convenience of your home or office in a few clicks.

One major advantage of internet banking is its being cost effective. Some banks charge lesser fees if you use their online banking services. Also, since you don’t need to commute or drive to a local branch, you save on money and gas. Additionally, banks are able to offer more products and services as they don’t have the overhead expenses such as the need to pay tellers.

For busy people such as frequent travelers, professionals and businessmen, the online banking option is very ideal. As these people need to keep track of their finances and other urgent matters even while in other places or abroad, they can still gain access to their accounts via the internet.
Online banking is projected to expand by 55 percent to 72 million households by 2011, according to a report by Forrester Research. The target users are the so-called Generation Y or those born in the late 1970s.

And so, with these two options available to consumers today, it’s easy to make a choice where banking is concerned and perhaps even better if you use both.

By: Gloria Smith

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Wachovia online banking is fast becoming the banking method of choice for millions of customers looking to save time. In fact just recently the Wachovia online banking system landed in top place for customer satisfaction as gauged by Keynote System’s “Keynote Customer Experience and Service Level Rankings.”

What features set Wachovia online banking apart from its competition? Ease of use is what put Wachovia ahead of the rest. Online banking benefits banks by giving customers a way to help themselves. But online banking also has to benefit customers, and if such a program isn’t intuitive and easy to navigate, customers won’t use it.

That’s not a problem at Wachovia. Its web site is uncluttered and neatly categorized which enables users to see at a glance exactly where to go to address their immediate needs. Another area in which Wachovia online banking excels is its access to customer service. Even though the site is easy to navigate, there are times when customers won’t know where to go or how to proceed. When that happens, all they need to do is click on the Customer Service link. There customers will find several FAQ’s that have been designed to answer the most common questions. There’s also a site map and a glossary of terms.

If that’s still not enough, customers need only click on the Contact Us link. Again, customers will find their banking needs listed by category. They need only click on the appropriate link and in a split second, they’ll have complete contact information including a toll-free telephone number in most cases.

So even though Wachovia online banking customers are dealing with a web site access to a human being is never more than a click away. Besides the ease of use and quick access to customer service, Wachovia online banking is offered absolutely free of charge. Better still, many prospective customers claim that the online banking web site is the feature that helped them choose Wachovia as their bank. No wonder Wachovia tops the list!

By: Dennis Frank

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Revere CS asked:


I wanna open an savings account in Japan that I can manage online but also when I arrive in Japan, I want to be able to walk in the bank to do business. Is there any of such?

BCS1957 asked:

A security firm is warning that a powerful new version of the Zeus Trojan is likely to lead to a significant rise in fraud losses. Trusteer, who provide security services to many online banks, have warned that Zeus variants can now penetrate even strong layers of protection by using HTML injection and transaction tampering. The increased sophistication of the Trojan means that it can now bypass the previously effective security built into Firefox, which is used by about 30 per cent of online banking customers. The company has advised banks to make sure that their detection and mitigation methods are up to speed and warned users to check that that their anti-virus and operating systems are up to date.

Matthew Smit asked:


I already know if HSBC, ING, H&R Block, Capital One, and GMAC. Are there any others that pay decent rates? I am looking for new ones other than the 5 I just named.

Lily K asked:


I mean ONLY online banks with no branches.

BTW I’m in Canada if that makes a difference.

Rimi asked:


I am planning to work at a bank and i will fill applications online for all the following banks

bbt
Chuvy Chase
Commerce
Provident
Suntrust

i was wondering, is applying online for these banks on their websites a good idea?….do they ever give you a call for interview?

Henok Y asked:


Hi,
I mean online banks that give free bonus $ for signing up. I’ve found some but they require SSN and initial deposit, both of which I don’t have. But I want some that doesn’t require these info but still give the bonus $. And are open to anyone around the world. THANK YOU!

Aidan M asked:


I know about paypal and moneybookers I would rather use something else. any ideas?

With all the attention online banking has received in the last couple of years, it seems there are new online banks popping up everywhere. Users are choosing online banking for its ease and convenience. And while issues of identity theft are important factors to consider with online banking, it has not stopped people from utilizing the Web to streamline their finances.

Even more importantly, recent studies suggest that Internet banking doesn’t just make life easier, customers who choose it seem to be more satisfied with their bank. The two areas of greatest satisfaction fall in the categories of the convenience online banking provides and the ability to pay bills online. One recent industry report indicated that satisfaction with online banking services is up 5.5 percent. The report also shows that users who pay their bills online experience not only satisfaction with the ability to bank online, but with their specific banking institution, suggesting users have strong confidence in their bank’s ability to secure identity. In fact, similar reports have also shown that those who pay bills online retain their business longer at a particular bank than those who do not use a bank’s online service.

As a result, banks are seeing tremendous growth in online service. One major commercial bank cited that in 2004, there were 3.4 million customers paying bills online, followed by an increase to 6 million online bill payers just a year later. Many bankers believe those kinds of increases are the result of services such as online bill pay that customers find most appealing.

Many first-time users come to online banking to access their account information such as account balances and check activity. That is followed by the ability to transfer funds between accounts. And finally, many users then move into online bill pay. Perhaps they start with paying a few utilities online at the utility’s website. They may then look into the online bill pay service offered by their bank. Now, banks are seeing more and more users receiving bills electronically.

Yet for some bank customers, concerns about identity theft keep them from trying online banking. Interestingly, their counterparts who do use the Internet to conduct banking do not seem to hold those same perceptions. Most are satisfied with the level of online security offered by their banks. The challenge then for banks lies in the continued education of their customers to try online banking and discover for themselves the high level of security in place at most banks. Once those customers give online banking a try, perceptions of risk seem to decrease, reports indicate. Surprisingly, these same reports discovered that today’s security measures put in place by PC users and banks have many ID thieves targeting potential victims offline.

The following are a few tips to consider when choosing an Internet bank account:

1. The Annual Percentage Yield (APR) may be higher with Internet bank accounts, and therefore one of the most important attractions for those looking for a high yield. Conducting transactions online may save the bank money, and those savings may then be passed on to the online customer, most often in the form of higher savings rates.

2. Ability to access money. Online users need to consider what steps are involved in accessing their money in an online account.

3. Ability to link accounts. Users want the ability to link various accounts to one another, making it easy to move money seamlessly between online bank accounts.

4. What types of additional services are available? Potential users should be interested in not only banking online, but purchasing CDs, applying for a mortgage, and paying bills online.

5. Security. Users must confirm that their online bank is FDIC insured and that the security system can be trusted.

6. Ability to set up automatic savings account. There’s no reason not to save today with an online account that electronically deposits money into a savings or money market account.



By: Ann Knapp

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