Positive Ageing - New Ways Of Doing Your Banking

Banking these days doesn’t need to involve chequebooks and expeditions into town.
It’s possible to conduct all your banking business over the phone or the internet. It can be a cheaper option too, where it cuts out the charges and fees that banks impose for some of their face-to-face services.

If you’re confident using the phone, banking by telephone is an easy way of paying bills, transferring funds, checking your account balances, and ordering statements and cheque books. Telephone banking is possible with any push button phone or mobile phone.

Your bank will set up this service for you. You will need a personal identification number (PIN) if you don’t already have one. Telebanking is straightforward; you ring your bank’s telebanking number and a pre-recorded voice guides you through the steps, using your phone buttons.

Generally there are no fees for signing up for telebanking but be sure to check first; some banks do charge extra fees for telephone bill payments. Some banks may also charge fees for each telebank call, or charge after a certain number of free calls.

If you can send emails from your computer then you are likely to be able to handle internet banking.

Banks have secure websites where you can do most banking transactions.

You will usually have to be set up for telephone banking first, and your bank will add internet banking to your service.

Most internet banking is free, but some transaction charges may apply. You will require an email address, user number, and a password. As with other forms of electronic banking, you must never disclose your password to anyone.

No legitimate bank or retailer ever asks you to provide details of your account number by email or over the telephone. Sometimes bogus callers will try and suggest there is a problem with your account or that they want your account details to lodge funds. Never give your account details in response to this kind of contact.