10-ways-online-banking-saves-you-time-and-money

Many people have not yet ventured onto their bank’s website. They prefer to make the trip to the bank in person or make a phone call to conduct their banking business. Their reasons for doing so may vary, however, in some cases it may be that they just aren’t aware of the ways that online banking can save you both time and money.

1. Preventing overdrafts. Overdraft fees can add up quite quickly and be a very expensive oversight. By accessing your bank account online on a regular basis, a person can often catch a potential problem before it happens. At the very least, you could see the overdraft the day it happens, instead of finding out about it a few days later when you receive the notice in the mail.
2. Less mistakes. A person who checks their bank balance online is less likely to overlook mistakes in their checkbook. A significant difference between your online balance and your current checkbook balance will usually be noticed. You will also be able to see debits to your account from your debit card that you may have forgotten to record
3. Online bank statements. There is no need to wait to receive your bank statement in the mail. You can log on to your bank account and see, or print, your bank statement the first day that it becomes available
4. Online account transfers. Transferring funds between your bank accounts can be done quickly, and at your convenience, when you do it yourself online. No need to wait on the phone or stand in line at the bank.
5. Less postage. With your bank’s online bill pay feature, you will save money on postage. You also can schedule the payments go out in plenty of time so that you don’t ever have to worry about being late on a payment.
6. Fewer checks. Using the bank’s online bill pay feature will also mean that you use fewer checks and spend less time writing out checks. It’s a great way to save both time and money.
7. Stop payments. This is another service that you can take care of through online banking. Requesting a stop payment on a check you have issued can be done very quickly through your bank’s website. It also doesn’t need to be done during banking hours.
8. Visual/printed copies of checks. Many banking sites have a viewing feature which will allow you to pull up an image of your checks. This way, you can view both the front and back of a check to verify who the check was made out to and who endorsed the back of the check. If you need to send a copy to someone else for verification, then you simply print what you were viewing on the screen.
9. Open new accounts. With online banking, a new bank account can be opened right from your home computer. It eliminates the need to take time during banking hours to go in and personally set up the account.
10. Integration with banking software. Online banking also allows you to integrate your bank account with your banking software, such as Money or Quicken. This can save you a lot of time when it comes time to reconciling your checkbook.

The easy access provided through online banking has provided a great convenience to the account holder and generally allows for a much more accurate accounting of their funds.

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IDBI Bank

Step by Step – Cheque Printing IDBI Bank

I spent considerable time in using my computer and printer to print cheques. We need to use large number of cheques for borrowing loan we need it. I decided to put it online to save time for me and others.

1. Set paper size to custom and the size 9.4 cm x 20.4 cm, Orientation – Landscape, Margins – Narrow (1.27 cm all 4 sides)
2. Font I selected is – Calibri 11 (Any arial font would do) 
3. (My cheque had pre-printed squares where the numbers need to sit properly in ddmmyyyy format.
4. Insert Text box-1 for Date Field. size: 0.5 cm x 4.58 cm. Absolute position is from page horizontal 15 cm and from page vertical 0.9 cm
5. Inside this text box, insert a single row, 8 column table. Row height 0.5 cm exactly. Each column width 0.58 cm.
6. Set all margins for text box and table cell space ‘0’.
7. Insert text box-2 for name field. Text box size: 0.5 cm x 8 cm. Absolute position is from page horizontal 3 cm and from page vertical 2 cm. Set all margins ‘0’.
8. Insert text box-3 for Amount in Words field. Text box size: 0.5 cm x 8 cm. Absolute position is from page horizontal 3 cm and from page vertical 2.8 cm. Set all margins ‘0’. 
9. Insert text box-4 for 'Amount in Numbers' field. Text box size: 0.5 cm x 2 cm. Absolute position is from page horizontal 16 cm and from page vertical 3.5 cm. Set all margins ‘0’.

PRINTER SETUP

1. Select Paper size - 9.4 cm x 20.4 cm.
   Save size as quickset ‘cheque’ or as you like.
2. Select Print document On ‘cheque’
3. Leave ‘portrait’ for printing direction. 
4. While printing , insert cheque , date and signature position to go first into printer.
5. First print in cheque size cut plain paper. Keep overlapping real cheques and be sure all matters print exactly where we need. If required make minor adjustments. And then print in real cheques. 

Source From : Navnit Narayanan

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Online Banking Made Easy

Even if you don't know the difference between a fishing net and the Internet, or you think a web is something you clean out of the attic, you can still be a pro at online banking. It's easy, convenient and, best of all, safe -- maybe even safer than the traditional banking that has served you for so many years.

Bank from Your Living Room

Forget about "bankers' hours." With a few clicks and keystrokes, you can have all your accounts and up-to-the-minute financial information on the screen in front of you, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Transfer funds, pay bills, balance your accounts or apply for a loan -- all from your sofa, your SUV or Sydney, Australia.

Online banking has come of age, thanks to the ease of the Internet, and most banks -- and even local credit unions -- now offer the option of transacting your financial business from the comfort of your living room.

"It's a no-brainer, really," said Tracey Weber, managing director of Internet and mobile for Citi, one of the largest full-service financial institutions in the world. "There is an education process and an awareness process, but each day, more people are switching over."

Creating a Powerful Password

Most financial institutions have multiple layers of protection, as you will discover when you enroll in online banking. But you can help by adding an extra layer yourself, which starts with a powerful password.
Paul Tichy, president of Appaloosa Business Services in Lake Oswego, Oregon, has these suggestions:
1. Don't make your password something that is easily guessable by both friends and strangers, such as your mother's maiden name, your birth date or parts of your Social Security number.
2. Include at least one number and one capital letter in your password, if possible. Some sites do not distinguish between capital and lower-case letters.
3. Make your password at least six characters long.
4. Try to make your password as random as possible, using combinations of letters and numbers that do not spell out words or use known sequences.
5. Pick a different password for each site you use.
6. Don't keep your banking password with your banking information in your home or on your person. Memorize your password and shred any papers that contain it.

Just Follow the Prompts

First, contact your financial institution to find out whether it offers online banking services. Or do a search online to find the website. Have your account number handy.

"Any Citibank customer can enroll online with their account number," Weber said.

Most other financial institutions that offer online services provide the same ease of enrollment. When you get to the website, just follow the prompts. Different institutions will use different language, but look for words and phrases such as "enroll," "get an online account" or "get a user ID."

When you click on the prompt, you'll be taken through several simple steps to create your online "account," complete with a password that only you and your bank will know. In just a few minutes, you'll have access to your bank accounts, credit card accounts, loans and any other services you access through your bricks-and-mortar bank.

Don't worry about entering your personal information -- just look for the letters "https" in the navigation bar and a padlock at the bottom of the Web page. These features indicate that your information is secure, usually through the use of encryption, which encodes your information so that unauthorized parties cannot access it. You can also click on the padlock to view the site's security information.

If you do not see one or both of these features, do not enter any personal information onto the page. Click "log out" or "sign out" and call your financial institution for help.

Your Money at Your Fingertips

Now that you have online access, you can take care of business in minutes from your own home, rather than spend hours driving to your bank, completing transfer forms, writing checks to pay bills and completing loan paperwork.

"Through online banking, customers can review account balances and transactions, transfer funds, as well as receive and pay bills electronically," said Tara Burke, a spokeswoman for Bank of America.

Most banking websites are designed to allow you to move easily between accounts or see all your balances at once. Take some time to become familiar with all that your institution has to offer online.

Transfer features let you move money quickly from one account to another, to cover that errant check you wrote, or from one bank to another, so your money is right where you want it.

Bill-pay features allow you to set up automatic payments for car loans, utility bills, phone bills and other monthly expenses, ensuring that your bills are paid on time. You can also choose to sign on whenever you want and pay your bills then. You can even sign up to have your credit card bill automatically paid from your checking or savings account every month.

Some financial institutions allow you to set up alerts through text messaging or email. Alerts can notify you when your bank and credit card statements are ready, when your bills are due or when you want timely information about your account.

"I have an alert for when my checking account drops below $1,000," Weber said. "That way, I can make sure that I maintain a certain balance at all times."

Peruse the site to find the various features you want and then follow the prompts to sign up for them. If you need help, or if you have a question or concern about your account, many of the larger institutions offer online chat services, which allow you to communicate with a bank representative right there on the website. Just click on the online chat feature to access this service.

Save Time, Money and the Environment

Establishing an online account saves time and money, allowing you to limit or eliminate paper checks and mailing expenses.

"Online bill pay is less time-consuming because you're not writing out paper checks," Weber said. "And you're not using stamps -- saving 44 cents a bill -- which can add up substantially when people are paying 30 to 40 bills."

Not only that, but the environment also benefits through the use of less paper. You'll write fewer checks and can opt out of paper bank statements and paper bills. In addition, since you aren't driving to the bank, you aren't burning fossil fuel.

And these electronic functions keep you safer as well. "A great deal of identity theft actually occurs with traditional forms of payment," said Brad Blue, a spokesman for Denver Community Credit Union. "Statements and bills are taken straight out of the mail. If you're going to do electronic banking, sign up for an e-statement (electronic statement), and you've taken the ability away from someone to take your statement out of the mail."

The Human Touch

Electronic banking doesn't eliminate human interaction. You can still walk into your bank at any time and talk to a real person, face to face.

"We don't call it a 'switch' to online banking," Blue said. "We call it 'adding a service.' They can still come in and talk to a person."

Weber agrees. "Electronic banking is just one of the ways you can work with us," she said. "It's part of the suite of offerings we have available. People shouldn't view it as an 'either/or' -- it's just an 'and.' "

"Nothing is lost," Blue said. "You can still use all the services you used before. It's just another option -- and who doesn't want another option?"

So, head to your financial institution's website and explore your options. Financial freedom might be just a click away.

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