Internet Banking Savings Account

Internet banking savings accounts are being used more every year by people across the country and around the globe. They offer a better alternative to traditional savings accounts. People who use internet banking savings have good reasons to do so.

If you opt for a traditional savings account instead of an internet banking account, you will get a very low interest rate. In fact, you will not make enough on your money to cover the cost of inflation. Savings in traditional banks are generally around 1% annually.

This low interest rate barely makes it worth your effort to save. You will be better off to buy things at today's prices. That way, when money is worth less, you will not have your money sitting in a traditional account where it will then buy less than it can now. Internet banking provides an alternative to this situation.

Many traditional banks have worked to establish incentives to encourage saving among their customers. They have set up programs where extra money can be put into savings automatically. They have also encouraged the use of automatic transfers to your savings weekly or monthly.

These measures do not work because the interest rates are so low that people see no future in saving. However, with internet banking, all that changes. Internet banking institutions tend to offer rates more along the lines of 4.5% to 5%.

This difference allows consumers to put money in internet banking savings accounts and know that it will retain its value over time, as long as the rates stay up. With the traditional savings, rates would have to soar to even come close to this level.

Another advantage of internet banking savings accounts is a good deal for the small investor. You may not have large amounts of money to save at one time. If not, you are like many financially strapped Americans.

In many traditional banks, this means that you will be given the lowest possible interest rates. If you go to a brokerage firm, you cannot open a money market account for less than $1000 as a minimum balance. Sometimes it is even more. This is not so for internet banking savings accounts.

If you have your savings through internet banking, you will be able to have high interest rates at any level of investments. You can start your internet banking savings account with as little as $100.

You might have to pay service fees until you reach a certain threshold, usually a few hundred dollars. After that, you will be making money at better rates than you ever could at a traditional bank.

One downside of internet banking is that some of the major banks will not deal with customers who demand a lot of time. They will discourage these customers from using their services because they are too hard to handle. This is not true of all internet banking, but if you need a lot of help, you should be aware of it.

Overall, though, savings done through internet banking institutions still work out better for most people than traditional savings accounts. There is just no reason to deny yourself the best interest rates your money can earn.

Advantages Of Internet Banking

Is the nature of business forcing customers to use internet banking? Or, is there something in it for the customers? Indeed there are many advantages to doing internet banking.

1. It is easy to open an internet banking account. You sit, in the comfort of your home or office, and type in your answers to a few questions. You set up the security measures that will be used to access your account, like usernames, passwords, etc. Then, all you need to do is print off and sign a form to send in to complete the process.

2. Internet banking is cheaper. With the advantage of having no physical structure to keep up, virtual banks have low overhead. They can afford to cut you a break by offering higher interest rates on your savings. They will also offer lower overdraft fees. Even banks that are backed by physical buildings encourage online banking with free bill paying services.

3. Internet banking allows you to compare deals easily. You can go to different online banks and find out their interest rates and policies about checking and savings accounts. You can learn what credit cards they offer, and at what rates. You can compare loan terms. You can check with the FDIC to check the banks' credibility.

4. Internet banking customers can watch their daily balances. By going on the internet to the bank's website you can look at what is going on in your account any day or time. You can check your balance. You can find out if a particular check has cleared your account or see when automatic deposits are made. All these services make check bouncing nearly a thing of the past.

5. Your monthly statement can be reconciled by using your computer. You can download your bank data into a software program like Quicken or Microsoft Money. Then, with a few clicks of your mouse you can square up your account. Through your internet banking account, you can even see copies of checks you have written.

6. You have a better chance to catch fraudulent use if you have an internet banking account. When you check your debits and deposits, you will most likely notice if something is there that you did not do. If someone withdraws money from your account, you will know it as soon as you log on and look over your account. Then, you can work on correcting the situation long before you would even notice it with conventional banking.

7. Internet banking is much more convenient than traditional banking. You do not have to wait for the bank to open its doors. You do not have to drive to get there. If you are using internet banking for your office, you will not have to waste valuable time going to the bank. You can manage your funds anywhere, any time.

Internet banking is growing for a reason. People are getting accustomed to transacting business over the internet. They are enjoying the convenience and the control over their money that internet banking gives them.

How to Start Using Internet Banking

Perhaps you have decided that internet banking is for you. Now, you have to get set up so that you can start using online services. Depending on which kind of Internet Company you are going to use, there are different ways to start using internet banking.

If you want to register for internet banking with your bricks and mortar bank, or "clicks to bricks" as it is called, you will find the process simple. You can call the bank and ask to register for their online banking services.

They will send you the information you need. You will receive an instruction sheet in the mail. It will explain how to log on to the internet banking website. It will also give you a unique username. Usually, this username will not change.

The letter will also advise you on security issues with internet banking. It will explain requirements, such as that you have 128-bit encryption on your computer. It will tell you how to enter your username on the bank's website. It might counsel you to type in the bank's URL carefully to avoid phony websites that are set up to get your information.

The next letter you will get will be one with your temporary password. It will give you instructions on how to change your password. It will tell about the various security tokens you have to choose, such as images and captions. Then it will tell you how to sign on to the bank's site and begin internet banking.

If you are using a virtual bank, the process is a little different. To begin, you must first open an internet banking account with the virtual bank. You can start by choosing the virtual bank you will use for your personal or company's business.

Many considerations are the same as with bricks and mortar banks. You want to make sure they are FDIC insured. You will be interested in their interest rates on savings accounts, loans, and certain checking accounts. It might be necessary to know the bank's overdraft fees.

You will also be wise to read any information they have on their rules and procedures. It may be dull reading, but it can be important to you. You need to know what your rights are and what the bank expects of you. You will be asked to agree to these terms. If you are doing your internet banking with a virtual bank, print off this information.

Once you choose a virtual bank, you will set up your account. You can do this by starting at the bank's website. Make sure it is the reputable virtual bank you have investigated before you give your personal information or send any money.

The virtual bank will let you choose a username and password, within certain parameters. Then, you can get down to the business of starting your internet banking account. This will start with some input from you.

You will give all the usual information that you would give to any bank where you set up an account. Common questions are your name, your address, your phone number, your social security number, and your place of employment. Then, you will send the virtual internet banking company some form of deposit to get the ball rolling.

When you have yourself all set up to do internet banking, you can start making transactions with the click of your mouse. It is fairly simple, whether you are doing internet banking by clicks to bricks or virtual banks.