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One very simply type of the banking services out there is advice about where to put your money. When you open a new account at a new bank, you are going to talk to someone who works there. They are going to help you set up the accounts that you ask for, but they can do more than that in most cases.

This type of banking services can guide you to other kinds of accounts that have a higher rate of earning, or that may be more in line with what you want to do with your money. If that person cannot help you, they can refer you to someone else within the bank that can.

You can find banking services can greatly enhance what your money does in each account. You may get a decent interest rate on the money you have in your savings, but you can get accounts like the money market that give you more.

You have to have a certain amount in your account at all times, which can be as low as two hundred dollars and fifty dollars.

Getting below the minimum amount gives you fees, however, you are getting more money for your money. You can always ask if these banking services are not offered to you.

You may find benefit with many other banking services your local bank has to offer. You can simply ask what they have, or you can look your bank up online to find out more. These are sometimes free to customers, or come with a lower fee than if you were to go anywhere else.

Banks are interested in making money, and they need your money to do that. What that means is that they want to share in the profits with you for the use of your money. Banking services help you make more money, so they can make more money. Take advantage of the advice they have to offer.

Article by Chris B, you can find more about him on his profile.

Email

• Be alert for fraudulent (sometimes called “phishing“) emails. They may appear to come from a reputable business or a trusted friend but are actually designed to trick you into downloading a virus to your computer or directing you to a Web site to disclose sensitive or personal information.
• Immediately delete any email that requests your personal information; do not reply to it. Reputable businesses never request personal information (Social Security or credit card numbers, for example) via email.
• Never send your personal information via unsecured email. More Tips

This article contains some great tips and ideas in Online Banking Security and protecting your ID.

Your Online Security Authority
Bill Wardell

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Phishing (read: ‘fishing’) is a term used to refer to the method used by many internet scammers and fraudsters to illegally obtain personal information from you.  This information will include your name, passwords, user IDs, PIN numbers, credit card numbers, bank account details, and other such data that they can use to either assume your identity or access your financial accounts to make unauthorized transactions.  Bottomline: it’s the fine art of stealing, internet-style.  Here are 10 signs you should watch out for because they might be an indication that you are about to become a victim of phishing:

1.  You receive an e-mail asking you to re-activate your account.

Most phishing attacks come in the form of e-mails that are supposedly sent to you by companies you regularly transact with, such as your bank or credit card companies or even a subscription service.  The e-mail looks legit enough, telling you that the company would like you to re-activate your account or run the risk of getting it suspended or de-activated.

You are then provided with a link to a site where you will be asked to input your personal details.  Once you do, it will only be a matter of hours or days before your identity gets stolen and your credit and banking accounts compromised.
 
2.  You receive an e-mail notification informing you of your bank’s newly installed security system.

Another sign that you are about to become a victim of phishing is an e-mail asking you to use a company’s new customer security system.  It is then followed by a series of instructions that will end with a request for your personal details and account information.  Ironically, it’s supposed to be installed to make sure your account is protected.

3.  You are sent an e-mail asking you to join an e-payment service of some kind.
Be wary of anything that has to do with your money.  This e-mail will offer you an electronic payment system that is supposed to make your online transactions a breeze.  Again, you will be asked to input your personal information.

4.  You’ve won a contest or raffle draw and the company needs your credit card to make sure it’s really you.

You don’t know it, but you actually won a prize for a raffle draw you didn’t participate in.  To claim it, you’ll need to provide your credit card information to verify your identity so they can send you the money.  Before you fall for this common phishing trick, think about this: how can you win in a contest you didn’t join? 

5. If you receive this message, do not reply to it, just delete it immediately.

6.  You are being asked for your personal details and account information.
You know you are about to become a victim of phishing if someone wants your personal information badly.  Unless it’s legitimate, do not readily provide your information because it could mean trouble for you.

7.  You’re supposed to be under investigation for credit card fraud.

This is a phishing attack that scammers hope you will fall for by scaring you.  Since you believe the police are involved, you will be pressured to provide all the information asked from you.  Of course, this is a trick.  If the police want you, know that they will find a way to your doorstep and don’t need to communicate with you through e-mail.

8.  If you click on the link provided, you find a fake or copycat website.

Phishing websites are designed to look exactly like legitimate sites in order to mislead you.  In fact, it can mimic your bank’s or credit card company’s sites.  However, by simply checking its URL, you will find it is somewhat different.  The fake site will also lack certain features and functions of the original site.

9.  You receive an e-mail offering an anti-phishing service and yet, you are still being asked for your personal details.

For more credibility and ironic effect, some phishing scams even offer you a means with which to fight the threat but it’s actually the same trick.  If you read the e-mail, you will still find instructions asking you for your account details and other personal information.

10.  The website URL that appears on the link on the e-mail message does not match the one that appears on the bottom of the computer screen.

A telltale sign that you are about to become a victim of phishing is that the link to the site you’re supposed to go to is different from the one that appears if you roll your mouse over it.  For example, the link that appears on the e-mail address may appear like this:  www.yourbank.com/customeraccounts/activate.  But if you check the text on the bottom portion of your computer screen, you’ll find something like this: www.badbiznezstratxyzzzz.com/form.  If the link and the text don’t mix, be extremely cautious.

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Bill Wardell

1.Computer code, types of viruses, analysis software,
Security software includes firewalls, anti-spyware and antivirus programs, which do a great job in ensuring that your computer is protected from malicious invaders that make your computer vulnerable. Antivirus software can block and/or destroy destructive programs while firewalls can help provide a stumbling block for security threats.

An anti-spyware will protect you from programs that embed themselves into your computer and report your activities (including your keypad or keyboard strokes) to a thief just waiting to use your identity against you.

2. Make sure you know what your bank’s exact URL is.
A single letter, figure or hyphen will make all the difference in a URL. Before logging on and using its online banking services, verify with your bank what their website name is. A simple phone call will save you a lot of headaches later.

3. Learn to read the signs.
When using an online banking service, make sure the pages you are accessing are truly secure. Check your browser to see if the padlock icon is locked. This is an indication that the browser is safe from outsiders.

On the address bar of your browser, you should also check if the URL address begins as ‘https://’ and not just ‘http://’. The extra letter is a sign that you are accessing a safe page.

4. Log off your computer after your transaction.
One of the most common mistakes people make when they’re through using their computer for online banking transactions is not logging or signing off. If this becomes a habit, it can become especially dangerous when you’re using public computers. Anyone who uses the computer after you can use your information and access your private stuff, including your finances.

4. Don’t open e-mails if you’re unsure where they come from.
It’s common sense these days to delete e-mails and e-mail attachments from individuals or organizations you have never heard of before. No matter how attractive the subject is, if you aren’t sure if they’re legitimate, simply delete the message and ask questions later.

5. Don’t use links to access your online banking account.
Most online banking security efforts are compromised this way. An e-mail message asking you to click on the provided link in order to input your personal data and account numbers, usually for verification purposes, is the usual trick. You’ll find out later that the e-mail message is fake.

6. Don’t ask to be remembered.
Most banking sites will prompt you if you want to be remembered on their site or if you want them to remember your password. Ignore this option. If it’s automatically checked, simply uncheck it to ensure that you don’t get remembered on that site.

You might also want to check if your computer is using software that remembers your passwords. If it is, you might want to delete the program or turn it off. Anybody using your computer can easily access your password information and use it.

7. Regularly change your password.
It’s easy to get comfy with the password you’ve been using for a long while. Unfortunately, so will diligent hackers, if you don’t change your password periodically.

When you do change your passwords, make sure they are difficult to guess and try to use a combination of letters, numbers, small and large caps. Instead of typing ‘password’, try pASs12wOrd34 to make it tough to guess. And to keep your passwords and PINs safe, NEVER share them with anyone.

8. Wipe your tracks.
Your computer keeps a reminder of your online banking transaction. To make sure that this is avoided, simple clear the cache so no record of that session is kept.

9. Protect your home or office network.
The first time you use your router, you will be provided with a default password. Change this immediately. You might also want to turn on certain security and encryption options on your computer if you’re using your own wireless router.

10. Use your common sense.
If it doesn’t feel right, it must not be right. If you don’t feel safe using online banking services, check your tools and the available services. Protect your data and prevent access to your personal information at all times. Your bank may implement its own security measures but you should also ensure that you perform security efforts on your own.

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