Online Bank Accounts

Your Guide To Online Bank Accounts

Online Banking Drawbacks

March 16th, 2009

Online bank accounts are great. They typically offer high rates for web-savvy saver. However, the high returns come at a cost. You need to know what the tradeoffs are to avoid unpleasant surprises. Here are a few reasons NOT to use online bank accounts.

1. Customer Service With Online Bank Accounts

One reason to avoid online banks is that you may run into bad customer service. With a brick-and-mortar bank, you’ll likely have some familiarity with the staff. At a small credit union, the staff might know you well.

Why does this matter? It’s easier to get good service if you know the staff and they know you. You can pick and choose who you deal with. However, if your online bank account offers any phone service, you have to take your chances with the “1-800 Lottery”. You might get somebody helpful and knowledgeable, or you might not.

2. Online Bank Accounts and Speed of Clearing

The internet is supposed to make things faster. However, you might have to wait a long time for checks to clear. You certainly can’t ask for a cashier’s check if you’re in the middle of a crisis and you need settled money yesterday.

Likewise, deposits to your online bank account can be really slow. If you get a big check and want to start earning interest, you can expect to wait. Now, the higher APY you earn may still make it worth your while, but it’s just no fun to wait.

3. You Can’t Spend It From Your Online Bank Account

You can’t take it with you when you go, so why not use some of that money? Online bank accounts make it hard to spend your money. You really have to plan on keeping your money in the account.

To mitigate the problem, you can use accounts that offer online bill pay or debit cards.

More Reasons to Avoid Online Bank Accounts

    Technical difficulties. Sometimes online banking Websites go down. When this happens, there’s no backup branch that you can go to — and the phone lines will be clogged. To protect yourself, always keep a local bank or credit union account open with some emergency cash so you won’t be penniless while they fix the problem.

Tags: Bad Customer Service, Bill Pay, Checks, Debit Cards, Local Bank, Online Bank Accounts, Online Banks, Phone Service, Technical Difficulties
Posted in Bank, Bank Account, Bank America, Banking, Banks, Checking, Checking Account, Free Checking, Free Checking Account, Online Banking, Online Checking Account | No Comments »

What Is An Online Bank Account?

March 16th, 2009

While internet bank accounts can help you earn more interest, you have to make sure you get the right one. Compare the most common features of internet bank accounts and decide which ones are most useful to you. We’ve conducted reviews of the most popular accounts, and you’ll know exactly which internet bank account to open.

Overview of Internet Bank Accounts

What exactly is an internet bank account? For our purposes, it means an account that’s only offered online. While you may be able to bank with the same institution the old-fashioned way (in person), internet bank accounts are usually only offered to online users.

Aside from the ability to bank in your bathrobe, what are the major advantages of internet bank accounts? The answer is simple: Annual Percentage Yield (APY). By conducting your transactions online, you save the bank money which it ideally passes on to you in the form of higher savings rates.

Key Considerations for Internet Bank Accounts

When shopping among internet bank accounts, you’ll want to look at some key features. Not every bank offers everything, so you have to decide how important these are to you.

  1. APY. Usually the most important attraction for rate shoppers (Savings Account Interest Rates)
  2. Access to the money. If you want to take it and spend it, how much work do you have to do?
  3. Number of linked accounts. Can you set up a network of accounts and zap money back and forth through your internet bank account?
  4. Additional products and services. Can you buy CDs, get a mortgage, or pay bills online?
  5. Leverage of existing banking relationships. If an institution that you already deal with has an internet bank account, you may qualify for some extra perks by keeping all of your business in one place.
  6. Customer service options. How easy will it be to get questions answered?
  7. Automatic savings plans. Can you put it on auto-pilot and let the money accumulate automatically?
  8. Safety and security. Is the bank FDIC insured, and do you trust their security process?

Once you compare the features of various internet bank accounts, you can decide which one is best. For example, you may decide that APY is most important to you. Therefore, you wouldn’t care about any other options – you’d just pick the bank with the highest APY. Be sure to consider the top 3 Reasons to Avoid Online Bank Accounts before you make the jump.

Tags: Annual Percentage Yield, Bank Accounts, Fdic Insured, Internet Bank Account, Savings Account Interest Rates
Posted in Bank, Bank Account, Bank America, Banking, Banks, Checking, Checking Account, Free Checking, Free Checking Account, Online Banking, Online Checking Account | No Comments »

Make Your Checking Account Work For You

March 16th, 2009

If you are a typical checking account holder, you may not realize that there are effective ways to make your checking account work for you. Most of the time, some checking account owners do not use the obvious factors to their advantage, which in return causes pitfalls and costly mistakes.

The need for a checking account comes down to two main reasons: for business and for personal usage. But whichever reason you have for getting a checking account, it is vital that you know how to properly handle the account to be able to reap the benefits.

There are no special instructions or existing client-friendly system that can help you make your checking account work for you. You can, however, use the existing factors of having a checking account work to your advantage.

Some Tips To Help You Make It

There are many techniques to help you make your checking account work for you. The following are the simplest and more practical applications that you can do:

• If keeping your existing checking account causes you to spend more dollars, you might as well look for a bank that charges lower fees. You may also find free checking accounts online, but be wary of free offers that do not last long.

• Most clients end up in spending more on maintenance fees due to insufficient funds on their checking accounts. And with it come the penalties caused by bouncing checks. The penalties can deplete your checking account funds, so be careful not to let this happen.

You can manage and avoid a bouncing check by making it a habit of balancing your checkbook on a weekly or monthly basis. By doing so you are keeping your checking account in shape and your credit score in good position.

• Write post-dated checks if you are unsure of your funds. You may ask your bank to provide you a checking account guard or any system that can help your funds.

• If you can get hold of a high interest checking account, provided that your practice a good checking account management, you will find it is beneficial in the long run.

• If you have an ATM for your checking account, make sure that you withdraw only from the same bank name; otherwise you will be paying off the fees for withdrawing from another bank.

You need to be careful of ATM withdrawal fees since they can also deplete your funds. The more often you use your ATM on other banks, the more fees you will incur.

Select the bank that does not charge fees when withdrawn with an ATM from another bank.

• Some people opt to separate their savings from their checking accounts while others prefer a combined account. Whichever you choose, you need to understand that your accounts will work better if you know how to handle both.

You can ask your bank if they have a facility that will work best for both your checking and savings account if you plan to separate or combine them.

You can make your checking account work for you with other practical ways you can think of. Just make sure to talk to your bank about the strategies you are planning to put up. Work with your bank to make your checking account work to your advantage.

Tags: Account Management, Bouncing Checks, Checkbook, Checking Account, Free Checking Accounts, High Interest, Insufficient Funds, Maintenance Fees
Posted in Bank, Bank Account, Bank America, Banking, Banks, Checking, Checking Account, Free Checking, Free Checking Account, Online Banking, Online Checking Account | No Comments »

Truth About Free Checking Accounts

March 16th, 2009

Getting a free checking account is not a difficult to feat to accomplish. However, finding a free checking account that really is “free” can be another matter altogether. While many banks offer free checking accounts nowadays, some of them also feature a variety of hidden charges. If you want a truly “free” checking account, there are some things you need to look for.

Important Features to Consider

When opening a free checking account, find one that doesn’t require the maintenance of a minimum balance and look for accounts that offer a free debit card. A debit card and no minimum balance requirement will make your checking account very convenient for you.

Look Out For Late Fees

If you are paying a fee for writing more than a certain number of checks each month or you are required to maintain a specific minimum balance, then your checking account is not actually free. Fees are like fleas, they tend to multiply. Certain free checking accounts also charge you money when taking cash out of another bank’s ATM, talking with a teller or personal banker or signing up for online banking . Consider this when you are choosing which free checking account meets your needs and always take an in-depth look at the fees a bank will charge prior to making a final decision.

Like we discussed, there are banks that charge a fee if you take cash out of another bank’s ATM. There are also some banks, however, that also charge money for taking cash out of their own ATMs. On the other hand, there are banks who will let you take money out of any ATM for free and some may even offer a deal where they will reimburse you for the money charged by other ATM machines so all withdrawals are free, regardless of which ATM you use. Double check the details of your free checking account offer in order to determine their exact ATM fee policies.

Shop Around

Finding a truly free checking account that will fit your needs doesn’t have to be a mind-boggling dilemma. Many banks offer no-fee checking accounts, so shop around before making your final decision. With some persistence, you can easily find a free checking account that offers everything you need.

Tags: Atm Fee, Atm Machines, Banks, Checks, Fee Policies, Free Checking Account, Free Checking Accounts, Free Debit Card, Hidden Charges, Late Fees, Minimum Balance Requirement, Personal Banker, Withdrawals
Posted in Bank, Bank Account, Bank America, Banking, Banks, Checking, Checking Account, Free Checking, Free Checking Account, Online Banking, Online Checking Account | No Comments »

Drawbacks Of Free Checking Accounts

March 16th, 2009

It is important to know what you are not getting when you use a free checking account. Free checking typically doesn’t pay interest on your money. This is not unique to free checking – most checking accounts don’t pay much. However, you can link your account to a higher yielding vehicle like an internet bank account and earn interest on the cash you’re not using.

Another service you might miss is the ability to view your checks after they’ve been paid. Some people like to see a copy of the actual check and the payee’s signature. Free checking usually doesn’t offer this, although a few free checking accounts put images online. My opinion is that you don’t need it, especially for personal accounts. There are plenty of ways to track payments – and you can always order a copy from a free checking account if there’s a particular check you want to track.

Finally, you’re giving up perks like free Stop Payments and Cancelled Check Return when you use free checking. Because I rarely use these services, I do not think you are missing much. However, if your situation is different you may want to shop around.

If you keep a relatively small balance in your checking account, the free checking accounts will probably cost less than an account with premium services. If you ever need to use those services, just pay the small fee in the free checking account.

Tags: Checks, Free Checking Account, Free Checking Accounts, Free Images, Internet Bank Account, Personal Accounts, Premium Services, Signature, Stop Payments
Posted in Bank, Bank Account, Bank America, Banking, Banks, Checking, Checking Account, Free Checking, Free Checking Account, Online Banking, Online Checking Account | No Comments »

Benefits Of Free Checking Accounts

March 16th, 2009

The Free Checking Offer

Banks offer free checking as a way to save you money. They usually require that you make a small deposit in order to open the account, and you qualify for free checking. This usually means that there is no annual fee or low balance fee on a free checking account. Some banks also offer free checks for life with free checking.

Free Checking Features

To make sure you get the good deal on a free checking account, I suggest you look for a free checking offer that has the following:

  • No Low Balance Fees
  • Free ATM and/or Debit Card
  • No charge for ACH and Direct Deposit transactions
  • Free online access to your account
  • Unlimited monthly checkwriting
  • No minimum checkwriting amount

Bonus Free Checking Features

For the best in free checking, see if you can find free checking that also offers:

  • At least one free book of checks (or free checks for life)
  • Free online bill pay
  • Overdraft protection plans (watch out for the costs!)
  • No charge to use ATMs outside the banking family
  • Reimbursement of ATM fees charged to you by another ATM

Tags: Atm Fees, Banks, Bonus, Checking Accounts, Checks Online, Direct Access, Direct Deposit, Free Access, Free Atm, Free Checking Account, Free Checks, Free Online Bill Pay, Overdraft Protection
Posted in Bank, Bank Account, Bank America, Banking, Banks, Checking, Checking Account, Free Checking, Free Checking Account, Online Banking, Online Checking Account | No Comments »

What Is A Checking Account?

March 16th, 2009

A checking account is a type of money account provided by banks and other financial institutions to empower businesses and individuals. Since the modernization of banks and evolution of financial tools, checks have been the first faculties of transactions between businesses. Checking accounts allow account holder to deposit or withdraw money via checks instead of cash. Like a personal saving account, checking accounts are easily accessible. The difference of a checking account from a basic savings account is the ability of the account holder to issue checks.

Checks are used to advance a payment instead of using cash. The account holder is given a checkbook which contains all the checks that he needs to operate his account. The account holder can submit these checks to establishments or the paid party to be redeemed in the bank. The bank then debits the amount written in the check against the assets of the account. Checks are used in larger transactions such as payment of rent, paying for a service where cash is too large to give out, and to advance a payment to a given date. Checks allow consumers to expand their transactions that were once limited to cash transactions. Businesses also rely on checks for their accounting since it serves as a record of there cash flow.

Account owners must be responsible for the amount that he writes on the check. The total amount given out should tally with the value of the account or else the bank can issue a penalty or close the account. For businesses, checking accounts cannot be closed because it is the money pipeline for their expenses and contracts to suppliers. All small startups must consider a checking account if they are to grow and prosper since it clears up a business’ accounting. Without a checking account, operating a business or managing your home will be difficult.

Tags: Banks, Cash Transactions, Checkbook, Checking Accounts, Checks, Financial Institutions, Money Account, Savings Account, What Is A Checking Account
Posted in Bank, Bank Account, Bank America, Banking, Banks, Checking, Checking Account, Free Checking, Free Checking Account, Online Banking, Online Checking Account | No Comments »

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