Accounts for seniors are offered by few banks, and internet accounts dedicated to elderly people - even less. Nevertheless, there is nothing to prevent you from using online banking.

A pension that goes directly to your account and you don't have to go to the post office every month or wait for the postman at home, is a very convenient solution. Especially since it is easy to withdraw money from the account at an ATM. All post offices and many shops also offer this option. That is why more and more people of retirement age have a bank account. Maybe it is worth going a step further and decide to start the electronic banking option, and if the account does not offer such an option, change it to another account?

Contents :

  1. Online account: advantages
  2. Online account: disadvantages
  3. Online account: how to set up?
  4. Internet account: how to use?
  5. Online account: security rules

Online account: advantages

Let's start with the benefits of having an online account.

Internet account is first and foremost a convenience. Having such an account, all banking operations, including paying monthly bills, can be performed without leaving your home. It is very convenient for people who, due to he alth or age, have problems reaching the bank or the post office, and also when the weather is not favorable - it is too hot or too cold for such walks.

Internet transfers are also savings: in many banks they are free or cost several dozen groszy (for those made at a post office or bank branch, you have to pay from 3.5 to 5 PLN, and even more when the transfer amount is large ).

You don't have to remember about monthly fees: if they are fixed (e.g. in the case of fees for satellite TV), you can set up an automatic payment order.

The account owner can perform operations or check the account balance at any time - even in the middle of the night - because he is not dependent on the opening hours of the facility, and due to the fact that he only needs the Internet for this, he can also do it anywhere This allows you to monitor the status of your finances on an ongoing basis - you can look at the account history at any time, check what the most money went to, and thanks to the tools,offered by some banks, you can also use the analysis of your own household budget by grouping expenses into different categories - then it is easier to decide what you can save on.

It is also worth emphasizing that the costs of servicing such an account are usually lower than in the case of traditional accounts (which, however, depends on the bank) - usually fees and commissions for maintaining the account, card, etc. are lower.

Online account: disadvantages

This account also has disadvantages. The first is that people living alone to some extent deprive them of contact with other people, even if they were only bank or post office employees. The second is a multitude of technical innovations, which not everyone can easily find themselves in, and which need to be known to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by such an account. Finally - security issues. The weak point of online banking is usually the user's computer, which is insufficiently protected against hacker attacks. Lack of anti-virus software or inattention of the user may result in the loss of funds accumulated on the account.

Online account: how to set up?

First of all, it is worth checking what the bank in which you already have an account offers - perhaps it is enough to access online banking to take full advantage of the possibilities of your account. When you do not have an account, or your account does not allow access via the Internet, you can choose from two options: you can change the account to one that has Internet access or set up an online-only account (but run by a real bank - e.g. Inteligo in a bank PKO BP). Before making a final decision, it is good to check the offer of each account: compare commissions and fees, as well as benefits. Accounts often have additional profits in the form of, for example, assistance and medical insurance, discounts on purchases in pharmacies or grocery stores, etc.

An online account is not only independence and convenience, but also savings

Internet account: how to use?

The internet account can be used in two ways: via the website, logging on to it from your home computer, or via an application installed on your smartphone.

The first solution is much more convenient, if only because of the transparency of information - the page in the mobile application is much smaller, and some of the options that are visible on the classic website are available on the phone only after expanding the menu, which is not always convenient.

To access the system, you need login details. Usually, each customer receives a login and a password from the bank that enable the first login, andwhich need to be changed for security reasons. It is important that the new password is strong - it should contain uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers, then it is more difficult to crack them.

What the electronic banking website looks like and what possibilities it offers depends on the bank - usually the service is quite intuitive, but it is worth reading the tutorial, as well as checking the FAQ section - frequently asked questions where they can be found all important information.

Online account: security rules

It is worth remembering that the internet is full of scammers who are just waiting for an opportunity to rob someone. Therefore, when using online banking, you have to follow certain rules, thanks to which the risk of losing funds accumulated on your account is significantly reduced. Here they are:

  • The computer or phone through which you log into the bank must have legal and regularly updated anti-virus software with the option of protection against hacking attacks and the option of anti-malware - it protects against data encryption programs and demanding a ransom to unlock them.
  • Do not download banking applications from sources that are not fully legal - a similar rule also applies to other applications (they may contain viruses that will steal your bank login passwords).
  • Do not use open WI-FI networks - log into the bank only from your home network.
  • Do not give anyone your login and password for online banking, and do not store them in a way that would allow an unauthorized person to log in. No institution, including a bank, will ever ask the client to provide such data - if you receive such a letter or e-mail, notify the bank immediately.
  • Before you log in to the bank's website, make sure that you have not been redirected to a page that is confusingly similar - the real one should have a characteristic padlock in the upper left corner (where the website address is) - this is a certificate safety. At the beginning of the page address must be "https" - it means that the connection is encrypted.
  • Do not click on emails from unknown senders and do not open attachments that you are not waiting for - even if they were sent to you by someone you know. Her computer may have been infected and the attachment may contain a virus.
  • Do not log in to the account by clicking on the attachment sent by e-mail - always use the direct login address.
  • Record when you logged in to the bank and check if it matches what is displayed on the website - if not, immediately change the login password and notify the bank that someone else has used your account.
  • When transactionsyou approve with an SMS code, read such messages carefully and check if the transaction amount and the recipient's account number are consistent with the transfer you plan to make.

Category:

Geriatrics