Online Checking - Low Risk and High Rewards

Most online checking services allow you to check your balance, review cleared checks, transfer funds between accounts and download transaction records into Quicken or Microsoft Money. In addition online checking services provide electronic bill pay, the ability to maintain multiple accounts with ease, eliminate paper statements and so much more.

Internet Checking - Protecting Your Privacy

Privacy and security should be a high priority when choosing an Internet checking service. Find out if your personal and financial information will be shared without your knowledge. Online financial institutions are required to provide you with a copy of their privacy policy which will clearly explain what information it keeps about you, and what information, if any, it shares. Before choosing your Internet checking provider consider the following:

• Check for an "opt out" option for information sharing
• Check your Internet checking website privacy statement
• Check your browser's options for rejecting and accepting cookies
• Make sure your Internet checking web pages display a guarantee of encrypting your information during transmissions

Safeguarding Your Online Checking Account

Of course, the most important thing to do is to be sure that you are doing your online checking with a legitimate online banking site such as iGObanking.com. Once you know that, consider the following when choosing safe online checking:

• Make sure funds are FDIC insured
• Choose an online bank that covers losses from cyber break-ins
• Create a PIN that includes upper and lowercase letters and numbers
• Don't give your PIN to anyone else
• Download browser security updates when they are offered
• Monitor your accounts continuously for suspicious activity
• Log off your online checking account when finished
• Back up your files
• Before responding to emails, especially when money or personal information is asked for, call your online banking source to be sure the email is legitimate
• Don't download files sent by strangers or click on unknown hyperlinks

It's easy to sign up for online banking. Go to iGObanking.com, member FDIC, to begin your Internet banking today or call us at 1-888-432-5890.