Exploring Online Banking

Online Bill Pay Just Set It and Forget It!

If you’ve ever stayed up late watching TV, chances are you found yourself entranced in an infomercial promoting all of the products you never thought you’d need. Ginsu knives, Thighmaster, the food dehydrator and of course, the rotisserie chicken cooker! If you remember, the catchy tag line for the rotisserie chicken cooker was “Set it and forget it.” While the rotisserie chicken cooker may not be practical for all, online banking is more than just practical it’s a necessity for even the most organized consumers.

Although online banking may sound intimidating to those who are less than computer savvy, its very premise relies on it being simple and user friendly. Almost all major banks have online banking now and accounts can be set up quickly and easily.

Once your account is set up, you can enjoy unlimited access to your accounts anywhere that Internet is available. You can view information on any accounts both personal and business you have open with your bank. Additionally, if you have a business line of credit or a home equity line of credit, you can easily transfer funds back and forth.

Besides having 24-7 access to your account information, you also have a number of valuable bill pay options. Once you create a list of all the businesses you pay each month, you schedule when to have your payments sent. You can wait to receive your bills in the mail, or you can free yourself from paper and set up electronic bills. Once your payments are scheduled, you can literally forget about them. Banking online relieves the burden from you to pay on time and leaves it up to your bank to make the due date. And it’s reliable!

Once you understand the basics of online banking, you’ll find some of the advanced capabilities even more appealing. You can set up recurring payments, pay individuals, schedule automatic transfers to help you save (or help you spend), view check images, stop payment on checks, review transaction history and more.

If you’re still unsure about online banking, take a look at our top 5 reasons for ditching paper bill payment for good:

1. It’s Free Online banking services are free and typically do not have any associated charges.
2. It’s Secure Online banking websites use SSL encryption along with various password protection methods to ensure your information is safe.
3. It’s Easy Most online banking programs are self-explanatory, and also have tutorials and customer service reps willing to answer any questions.
4. It Saves Money Think about it. Each bill you pay online saves you one postage stamp. And you don’t have to worry about bills being late because you used your last stamp for your aunt’s birthday card!
5. It Simplifies Your Life Now, you no longer need to worry about paying bills on time. No more stamps and envelopes are necessary. Even more, you no longer need to worry about payments being late or getting lost in the mail. Once you have online banking, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it. Just set it and forget it!