To help keep track of internet banking, I keep a special page in my agenda dedicated to all my banking transactions done online; date, which account, amount, and the reference number. That way I don't need to print them out and have it right beside me ready to use. It does not reveal any pin numbers or full account numbers and so is safe in that regard.
By Bellevillelady from Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Editor's Note: Do you have any tips and tricks for keeping track of online banking and bill pay? Post your advice here.
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I use online banking to check our balance every day and also to see what checks or debit card charges have cleared. My husband and I rarely carry cash, so to make sure I deduct the debit card charge from my checkbook, when I make a purchase, I make sure that the receipt goes into my check register at the time of purchase. My husband gives me his receipts at the end of the day. The next morning I can go online and reconcile the checkbook - so I don't have to wait until the monthly statement comes to reconcile.
I have a desk calendar that displays a month at a time on the desk. Some years it is an open-book type that stays open, other years it is the desk pad-type. When I get a bill in, I note it on the calendar on the due date so I can see at a glance what needs to be paid when. For bills that are automatically deducted from our account, I note those payments on those days also. So along with all our appointments for the month, I also have all our bills due. When the bill is paid, I just mark it out on the calendar. That way, if I pay a bill early, it is noted.
I use Quicken on my computer as an extra copy of my checkbook. It is no trouble to enter the information into Quicken from my checkbook. That way, if there ever is a problem, I can do a fast and easy search for the amount if I happen to be "off" in my reconciliation. There have been times when I entered a different amount in Quicken that my checkbook. So in essence, I can check my checkbook, Quicken on my computer and then purchases that have cleared online. It works very well for us.
If you have any doubt that the information is safe, it might be a good idea to find a different method.
To the person who is considering online banking with BOA, I speak from a few years of experience with same bank. I have had the best experience with them. I have no fees connected with my accounts nor with the online banking, except of course overdraft charges if incurred.
When I receive my email informing me my new bill is ready to view and pay, I save that email in a mail folder named "bills due". Once I pay it, I put it into a "bills paid" folder which then gets deleted when the new bill for that company comes in. Also, my confirmation numbers to the paid transaction simply get recorded right under the entry in my checkbook.
Pat V in Roseville, MI
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