Online banking
Sometime last week, while calmly blasting away on a fabulous Precor® AMT (Adaptive-Motion-Trainer) in the Canandaigua YMCA exercise-gym, I happened to overhear a conversation two exercise machines away.
Two people were discussing online banking.
“I’m thinking of trying it,” the guy said; “but there’s always the chance someone might steal my account.”
I was tempted to butt in, but didn’t.
I’ve done online bill-pay over five years, and never had our account stolen.
Of course, I watch it like a hawk; access it at least two or three times a week.
That’s multiple passwords over the years — the bank requires a new unused password every couple months.
I also shut it off as soon as I’m done with it. Total shutoff; including my browser tab.
If anything untoward was happening, I’d close that account in a nanosecond, and open another.
So far our credit-card number has been stolen twice, over the 40 years we’ve had it.
And each time it was the bank that notified us.
The first time they called us up, and last time they just deactivated our account.
I guess they have programs that flag suspicious transactions; that don’t match our purchase patterns.
First time was a fairly large purchase of computer equipment, and last time it was only a few bucks.
And each time the bank ate it.
Online bill-pay saves a lotta horsing around.
No more writing out checks, or trips to pay loan accounts.
And above all, I initiate the bill-pays.
A friend had set up automatic payoff of her college loan, wherein her checking-account was automatically charged.
It went crazy; charging three or four times a month, instead of once.
It overdrew her checking-account, which collected penalty fees and started bouncing checks.
I’d overhear her at work angrily parrying some service-representative in Sri Lanka, trying to straighten things out.
No automatic payments for this kid. —I don’t trust it! (If anything can go wrong, it will.)
The one who initiates the bill-pays is me.
• I work out in the Canandaigua YMCA exercise-gym. (“Canandaigua” [“cannon-DAY-gwuh”] is a small city nearby where we live in Western NY. The city is also within a rural town called “Canandaigua.” The name is Indian, and means “Chosen Spot.” —It’s about 15 miles away.)
• “Our” is my wife and I.
Two people were discussing online banking.
“I’m thinking of trying it,” the guy said; “but there’s always the chance someone might steal my account.”
I was tempted to butt in, but didn’t.
I’ve done online bill-pay over five years, and never had our account stolen.
Of course, I watch it like a hawk; access it at least two or three times a week.
That’s multiple passwords over the years — the bank requires a new unused password every couple months.
I also shut it off as soon as I’m done with it. Total shutoff; including my browser tab.
If anything untoward was happening, I’d close that account in a nanosecond, and open another.
So far our credit-card number has been stolen twice, over the 40 years we’ve had it.
And each time it was the bank that notified us.
The first time they called us up, and last time they just deactivated our account.
I guess they have programs that flag suspicious transactions; that don’t match our purchase patterns.
First time was a fairly large purchase of computer equipment, and last time it was only a few bucks.
And each time the bank ate it.
Online bill-pay saves a lotta horsing around.
No more writing out checks, or trips to pay loan accounts.
And above all, I initiate the bill-pays.
A friend had set up automatic payoff of her college loan, wherein her checking-account was automatically charged.
It went crazy; charging three or four times a month, instead of once.
It overdrew her checking-account, which collected penalty fees and started bouncing checks.
I’d overhear her at work angrily parrying some service-representative in Sri Lanka, trying to straighten things out.
No automatic payments for this kid. —I don’t trust it! (If anything can go wrong, it will.)
The one who initiates the bill-pays is me.
• I work out in the Canandaigua YMCA exercise-gym. (“Canandaigua” [“cannon-DAY-gwuh”] is a small city nearby where we live in Western NY. The city is also within a rural town called “Canandaigua.” The name is Indian, and means “Chosen Spot.” —It’s about 15 miles away.)
• “Our” is my wife and I.
posted by BobbaLew at 9:41 AM
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