Total Banking Convenience with ING DIRECT
Tired of waiting long hours over long queues in your bank? Need to reorder checks but have to wait for days and have to bring the paper around with you? Do you have to immediately transfer funds but your bank is closed? Do you suffer from different bank charges, fees and penalties? Are your interest rates low? Is your bank’s system just totally complicated? Are you confused? Worry no more, ING DIRECT is here!
A lot of banks give a lot of promises to customers-high yields, convenience, and a lot more. But why do you seem to end up frustrated? Do you need a bank with online banking features and more services that give you total convenience in just a click away or a push of a button? If it’s total online banking convenience that you’re after, what better way to do banking than through ING DIRECT?
ING DIRECT, an FDIC insured national bank is a totally innovative bank that helps you Save Your Money. It offers one of the highest savings rates with no fees and no minimums. Their innovative approach in banking such as banking online, by phone and by mail saves them overhead and operational costs that traditional banks have. In turn, they pass these savings on to customers. As a result, they have created amazing products and services that are totally hassle free!
Electric Orange is a checking account that let’s you earn big interest rate. What’s even amazing about this service is that it’s so easy to use and it’s completely paperless, making it America’s first. With Electric Orange, you can pay your bills online, have easy access to cash with an Electronic orange MasterCard Debit card, have free ATM access, and more. This product provides you ease of a checking account with the earning power of a savings account.
The Orange Savings Account let’s customers save with absolutely no fees, penalties or service charges helping you earn high interest on your money. Most of all, it requires no minimum balance. No matter have much you have in your account, the rate for your deposit earns the same rate.
Another great service from ING DIRECT is the Orange Mortgage. Here, there is no application fee and the application process is as simple as ABC. What’s more, helpful associates are in full attention to your needs and inquiries thereby erasing your confusing on buying or refinancing your home. It also features a one-of-a-kind Solutions Calculator to help you find the right solution for your mortgage needs and where you can see how much you can save in seconds. With Orange Mortgage, rates and closing costs are super low and there’s no tax escrow required. You can save thousands of dollars on your mortgage.
Those are just one of the many wonderful products and services from ING DIRECT. No matter who you are and what products and services you choose or avail of, you are sure to find a notch higher of banking convenience compared to traditional banks. With ING DIRECT banking has never been so simple and easy. Now everyone has a reason to save. Save more and earn more.
Originally posted 2008-10-16 11:40:08.
Benefits – Online Banking and Online Savings Account
Online Banking is absolutely safe. You can bank online with the ING DIRECT knowing that they use state of art safety technology. All information which you share is held in the strict confidence as well as is in compliance with safety standards followed by all foremost Canadian monetary institutions.
Benefits – Online Banking and Online Savings Account -
Since the Internet becomes available to many people as well as the broadband penetration increases across the US and all around the globe, lots of people are selecting to do their banking online. With the recognition of ING Direct and HSBC, lots of people are also opening online savings accounts. Online banking as well as online savings accounts offers a level of ease that brick as well as mortar banks lack.
There are lots of benefits of online banking. The 1st benefit is that you need not have to stand in line to speak to a bank teller. In spite, you can check your bank accounts, transfer money between accounts, as well as pay bills online in the ease of your own home. Not having to drive to the bank is a great improvement.
Another benefit of online banking is that you can execute your banking on your own time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You are no more obstructed by those dreaded banking hours. Despite, as long as you have the Internet access you can disburse bills as well as make transfers.
Many online banks also proffer credit services. This might be in form of debit cards, credits cards, online loans and payday loans. You can discover some great online rates for credit card and mortgages offers. There is actually no reason why you would require a brick and mortar bank for these online credit services.
Another advantage is that online savings accounts are paying a high rate of interest than any other bank. Because of not having the high overhead connected with running lots of bank branches, it is inexpensive for online banks. These savings can be passed through to investors in form of higher interest rate savings.
Besides great online savings accounts, lots of online banks are now opening online checking accounts. Such online checking accounts are providing higher interest rate free checking services. Many brick and mortar banks never pay interest on their checking accounts. Though, this may be changing with the opening of free online checking products such as ING Electric Orange checking accounts.
What to do if there is a cheat on the line –
If you ever get a doubtful call, never provide any sensitive or personal information and get in touch with that specific financial institution to follow up on the inquiry.
Spoofing –
Spoofing is when somebody is able to pretense as someone else online by utilizing a program which can alter data. It is done by way of comparatively cheap automated systems which make it seem that the Spoofer is somebody who they in fact are not.
If you or anybody you know has been a sufferer of Phishing, Vishing, or any other monetary fraud, report all incidents to the concerned monetary institution to avoid future issues from taking place. Online safety is everyone's task to share in so that we can all stay protected.
Originally posted 2008-09-19 13:49:37.
E*Trade Financial Savings Account
An article published by MSN Money on July 26th, 2007 points out that when it comes to online savings account with a brokerage, these companies do not want your business if you are not having investments with them. In fact, its author Kelli B. Grant cited an example on E*Trade, saying that one needs at least a $5000 balance to enjoy the advertised 3.25% APY checking account.
However, if one were to look at savings account instead of its checking account, the notion that E*Trade do not welcome savers are just absurd. The fact is, its savings account interest tops HSBC Direct by 0.02% at 3.3% APR, a show of sincerity of welcoming savers and their money. And why wouldn't they? On one hand, they have cash flow to lend in order to generate profit and on the other hand, savings account holders may just convert to being investors due to the convenient linking offered deliberately by the brokerage firm.
Online savings account are all the rage now that people can enjoy higher interest rate than those offered by conventional banks. Online banks have much lower overheads than normal banks and the high interest they hand out to consumers are virtually nothing compared to the savings they obtained from not having to maintain branches and hiring employees. In the end, both the online banks and the consumers benefit from this arrangement clever arrangement.
Like ING Direct, E*Trade only offer its debit / ATM card to checking account customers. As a checking account customer, you can use it's Visa brand debit card to make purchases as well as to conveniently withdraw funds from many outlets without having to request and wait for checks to be cleared. Based on this point alone, signing up for checking account is worth the effort. Just remember to keep a balance of $5000 in your checking account monthly to avoid the $15 penalty. Once a member, one can also conveniently make unlimited free bill payments from your account.
Any U. S residents above 18 can apply for E*Trade's high interest savings account with as low as $1 in order to enjoy the high APR. While all online facilities such as funds transfer, electronic statement and customer service are free to use, the real cost will rear its ugly head once you start to request a paper statement or have anything to do paper and extraordinary services. For example, if one were to request an account research from E*Trade, the company can charge $25 per hour for the service. Likewise, if one do not have a Visa debit card from the checking account, requesting for a bank check will cost $15. Alternatively, one can also transfer the funds from one's E*Trade account to other accounts that can be easily accessed.
Try E*Trade Onine Savings now!
Originally posted 2008-10-14 10:47:00.
Are Online Banks Safe And Legitimate?
By now, you have probably heard about online savings account and it's high interest returns, and you're even thinking of signing up for an account yourself. To many people who are not tech savvy, internet bank accounts are something intangible and this may prevent them from reaping the benefits of having one. Some are concerned that they will never see their money again and most are not too sure about how it works. Just how safe and legitimate these banks are? Let's find out.
The issue of protection should not arise if the online bank is a member of FDIC. This is the organization that guarantees your money in normal bank accounts, and you can expect to get your money in full if your bank were to go out of business. Just look for a 'Member FDIC' logo on the online bank's website or in their product description. Some online banks put a cap to how much protection you can have. For example, E*Trade offer FDIC protection up to $100,000 and ING Direct's protection by FDIC is capped at $250,000 per person.
Originally posted 2008-10-26 07:25:17.
4 Tips on How you can Ensure Safety with Online Banking
A lot of people would tell you the many wonders and convenience of online banking. Less travel time, easy access and fast transaction are just a few of the benefits that you can reap with online banking. But still, even with the "secured" system of such a contemporary way of banking, a lot of people still opt to do their bank transactions the traditional way. Why so? The fact is, there is still an existing opportunity for theft and identity fraud whenever you do your banking online. If there are ways for hackers to remotely access your computer, then what would stop them from checking on your bank accounts to? But you don't have to fret. There are several ways on how you can ensure safety in doing your online banking. Here are some tips:
1. Choose your bank wisely
Unknown to a lot of people, there are actually fraudulent banks on the Internet. It doesn’t mean the when you have a professional looking website- you got one genuine company. Always check if the bank that you would sign up with is legitimate. They should always have a local branch that you can drop by in person. Make sure to check out the bank's profile, history and addresses. You can also call their costumer service so you would get a chance to talk to a live person and discuss your concern. A couple Online Banks I recommend are ING, and HSBC.
2. Make sure that you are on the right website
This may sound like a common-sense tip, but they are actually a lot of people who would mistype the website URL of their bank and end up on a fraudulent website cloaking the look and the feel of your original bank's website. This is also commonly known as "phishing". Once you entered your username and password on the site, this information can be used to hack into your account. It would be a good idea to add your bank's website on your folder of favorites or bookmark it. This would ensure that you are on the right website every time you would do your online banking.
3. Check for security encryption
Because online banking deals with sensitive financial and personal information, your bank should invest in creating a safe and secure website for their clients. Online banking websites should have a security encryption. Look for a lock or a key icon on the address bar just beside the website URL. This would insure that any private data that you enter on the website and any transaction that you did would all be kept safe and secure.
4. Use a Personal Identification Number
Banks who want to protect their client's safety and security would provide you with a PIN or a personal identification number. This would be a unique number that you can use to be able to begin your online banking transactions. This is an added security feature so you can ensure safety while doing your banking online.
Just a few tips to keep you safer, again try ING or HSBC which are tested and secure and you'll save your self a lot of time. Happy banking!
Originally posted 2008-10-04 03:31:29.
ING Direct
ING Direct is a worldwide monetary institution of Dutch origin providing banking, insurance as well as asset management to more than 60 million private, institutional and corporate clients in over 50 countries. ING proffers savings account, mortgages, certificates of deposit, loans/lines of credit, and money market mutual funds by another division.
History
In past years, ING Direct has appeared as the primary Internet banks in the globe, and it only began in the year 1997. The birth of this worldwide brand started in Canada, when the 5 massive banking institutions in the nation started providing services that were essentially related to each other. To proffer an excellent option, ING Direct entered the scene as well as gave Canadians a break from the low interest, service charges as well as other banking fees.
ING Direct online banking site provides services with no fees since it is not like the customary brick and mortar banks. This online bank is FDIC insured, as well as has strong safety measures prepared to keep the depositors’ information confidential and private. ING Direct also offers huge services like savings accounts.
Savings accounts on the ING Direct have high interest rates than any other banks since they do not charge overhead fee that banks with local branches usually charge their consumers. You do not have to disburse fees, minimum deposits, and withdrawal charges with this online bank. You can have many accounts with diverse names for saving as well as other purposes with the ING Direct. The savings accounts which are offered by this online banking are connected to a checking account at your local bank. In this way funds transfers among banks can be made earlier and more suitable.
You cannot open a checking account with the ING Direct. Though, they do proffer other services such as mortgages, mutual funds, home equity loans and certificate of deposits (CDs) of changeable lengths. You can gain from the low closing costs as well as the absence of application fee for mortgages with this online bank. You might borrow a huge amount at home equity loans at a lower rate. There would be no annual fees, no application fees and no prepayment fine for this service.
ING Direct also permits you to buy a certificate of deposit (CD) for a 6-month period plus provides a very good interest percent on your cash. Anybody can afford CDs since they have no minimums. This is the best offers accessible if you are able to keep money in for at least 6 months.
You can list direct-deposit transfers to your savings accounts that will be taken from your checking account automatically with this online bank. This feature is user friendly, plus you can without difficulty find a way to hoard money because of decent interest rate. You can even gain rewards by referring your friends to the ING Direct. The online bank would deposit $25 in your account if your friends decide to sign up for a new account. You can save and earn money with this great characteristic.
Originally posted 2008-09-19 13:37:30.
How You Can Help Your Parents Make More From Their Money
Jennifer Wayne was one frustrated women. No matter what she tells her parents about putting their savings in higher return accounts, they just won't be able to accept it. Just like many elder citizens, Jennifer's parents prefer the old way of saving and letting their money grow without risking their money with investments. They have most of their money in CD and a good amount of instantly accessible cash in a normal savings account.
"It drives me nuts every time the Government decides to lower interest rates when it is already dirt cheap," says Jennifer of the impending global economic slowdown. As an executive in a trading firm, Jennifer is seeing first hand how inflation alone can shrink the money that her parents worked hard for. While she herself have a substantial portfolio in stocks and bonds, her parents choose the least risky way to stash their money.
"My parents were not rich and they treasure security among everything else. I would have been able to grow those funds if only they'd let me," she adds. Sure, Jennifer's parents did invest in stocks when they were younger, but they have had bad experiences and now that they are retired, their risk tolerance is also lower.
All that has changed when Jennifer discovered a savings account and CD with significantly higher returns without any additional risk in 2006. "One of my colleague was asking me to open an online savings account and she said I can get $25 right away just by having an account on top of the higher interest rates," Jennifer recalls. Her colleague in return got a $10 reward just by telling her about this high yield account.
"Back then, I was getting more than 5% APR, which is higher than any conventional CD in normal banks, and this is only a savings account," she goes on about her ING Direct account. Her parents are reluctant at first, but they too, jump in the ship when Jennifer show them her account. She also got her boyfriend, Thomas Carnegie to open an ING Direct account 'since it's free and it pays'. All of them have been rewarded with the $25 incentive and Jennifer got $30 helping them open their accounts. That's a $130 in total of free money.
Although interest rates has since decreased due to market performance, Jennifer's parents has managed to secure double the rates offered by her conventional CD. "We got in a 6.2% APR and we never looked back," say Diane Wayne, Jennifer's mom. ING Direct's current CD rate is capped at 4.25% for a 60 months period.
Rates for online banks will always be much higher than conventional banks due to low running costs and low overheads from not having to run multiple outlets like normal banks. At the time this article was written, ING Direct is offering up to 8 times the current national saving return average, or as high as 3.25% for balance above $100,000, and 2.75% for lower amounts.
Jennifer feels that although her parents are afraid to take risk in high return investments, they are at least getting their money to work hard using an online bank such as ING Direct. "Now, this is all they talk about to friends and family members who keep their money in a normal bank," she said with a wink.
Originally posted 2008-11-06 18:33:36.
Online Banking - Features of Online Banking
Browser plus Computer Security
Be careful of offers on the internet that assure to progress your computer’s Internet speed, or asking you to download software which will let you to view movies and photos. This may facilitate thieves to check your activities as well as detain personal or sensitive information. In various cases, downloading the software can allow them to cut off all data you enter amid your computer and any site, even if that website is protected. If you require certain software, download software only from trustworthy websites.
128 Bits of Protection
Many browsers now come with the 128-bit encryption that gives strong defense when transmitting confidential data on the Internet. You must upgrade your browser so that your data is scrambled whilst being transmitted as well as cannot be read by anybody who interrupts it.
How to know if banking session is encrypted or safe –
You know that your information is encrypted on a given web page by looking for the padlock icons in lower portion of your web browser or next to the web address.
Cookie -
A "cookie" is a tiny bit of data placed on your computer by a server while visiting some sites. This data generally holds encoded information to evaluate visits. One kind of cookie presently used by ING DIRECT is the session cookie. These cookies are saved in provisional memory as well as will vanish after you leave the ING DIRECT site. These cookies allow you to move back and forth in a protected banking session.
One more kind of cookie utilized by ING DIRECT is a persistent cookie. This cookie is utilized as part of the user authentication process to facilitate ensuring that unlawful individuals are prohibited from accessing your account. This kind of cookie is even used for website personalization, statistics, internal reporting, and marketing and to evaluate user visits. This information does not hold any perceptive details as well as is not shared with outer organizations.
Hackers ban –
Install safety updates when they become accessible. Ensure to have a home firewall; it will assist defend from many Internet threats. Install anti-spyware/anti-virus software as well as keep it updated.
Personal security: your PIN gets you in and ensures that you bank securely
Keep your passwords/Pins secure. Never share, jot down as well as reveal your Internet banking passwords to other individuals, or save them in a file on your personal computer.
When choosing a PIN, evade selecting numbers that drop in a pattern or sequence. Moreover avoid the noticeable choices such as your date of birth. And when picking a secret question, ensure that it's somewhat significant, so you will remember it, as well as personal, so no one else can figure it out.
You can be immunized from the e-mail deception –
By being cautious and staying aware of unpredicted e-mails, you can be immunized from the email scam. If you do not identify the sender, think two times prior to opening or responding to unwanted mails. And never download attachments or click on the links in an e-mail until you are certain that they are coming from a trustworthy source.
Phishing –
Phishing is when somebody attempts to trick you into revealing your personal information such as the user names, PIN or passwords by pretending to be someone they are not. It generally happens through e-mail, however can even take place through instant messaging or by phone when somebody asks you to offer or verify your personal details.
How to avoid Phishers –
To avoid Phishers stay attentive. Treat all unforeseen e-mails with doubt; never give any sensitive information by e-mail or on suspicious or unfamiliar websites. At ING DIRECT, you are not asked to click on links in e-mail communications for your defense. It is also great idea to type in the web addresses in spite of copying as well as pasting or clicking on links from the e-mails.
Vishing –
Vishing (Voice Phishing) is identical to Phishing however done on the phone. It can be utilized to obtain access to your personal monetary information. Unfortunately it is very tough to trace, therefore to stay secure it is best to defend yourself by staying on guard when you obtain a phone call which asks you to offer any monetary information such as a credit card number or PIN.
Originally posted 2008-09-19 13:46:57.
Finance Your Mortgage Using An Online Bank
It seems that online banks are the natural choice regardless if you are saving money or looking to borrow some. For example, the interest rate for ING Direct's mortgage products starts at 5.25%, a far cry than those offered by conventional brick and mortar banks.
Online banks such as ING Direct are the new generation of banks that offer full fledge banking from the internet. This means that with the absence of physical bank outlets and high overheads, they are in an advantageous position to offer you a savings account or a mortgage at significantly more attractive rates. If you are looking to secure a mortgage, internet banks are your ideal choice because they do not need to employ sales consultants to talk to you, hence they make up for it with more discounts to get your business.
Often, when you shop for a mortgage, some offers that seem fantastic at first lose their appeal once you dig deeper into the details. Interest rates aside, banks can charge you hefty fees that can wipe out any savings you get in the first place. Most online banks will do without these fees as an incentive for you to sign up for their package. When they do not have salesperson to do the selling, they are forced to rely on their numbers to do the talking. This can only be a plus point for you.
ING Direct is one of the leading names in online mortgages and it is easy to see why. If you are not aware of the potentially high closing fees associated with most home loans, here's what you need to know. Closing fee can consist of administration fee, application fee, funding fee, processing fee, tax service, underwriting fee as well as points (usually 1% of mortgage amount). Although they may not seem much, collectively they will set you back $1500 on average excluding points. ING Direct take this amount out of the equation so you can enjoy their attractive rates with no strings attached.
Another good thing about getting your mortgages from online banks is the time saved to go around and shop. With just a few clicks of your mouse, you can compare rates and features side by side and make your decision based on solid numbers. That is why ING Direct allows for a 60 days lock in rates from the moment you express interest for the loan. This is certainly a great way for you to shop around with other online banks while they continue to offer you the same rates even when there's an increase within that time frame. For a refinance package, the lock in period will be 30 days.
If you are seriously considering a home loan from ING, do sign up for its award winning savings account also. With this savings account, you can effortlessly transfer funds to your mortgage account, while making your cash in hand work harder to earn you interest. It also do not hurt that ING Direct is running a promotion that reward each new account with a $25 deposit. If you are planning to get a mortgage from them soon, an existing ING Direct savings account may be a good indicator of your financial standing for aspeedier loan approval.
Originally posted 2008-10-28 21:22:21.
GMAC Bank Review
The GMAC bank, which is part of the General Motors organization has recently released an online savings account which should be reviewed. One of GMAC Bank's marketing points is how they are able to keep their costs low and pass the savings on to you. I won't be posting the rates here as they constantly change, so you should visit the GMAC bank website and read all the fine print if you're considering using their services.
The GMAC bank offers a money market savings account with a few extra features. Of course, the main attraction is the high Annual Percentage Yield. If you're wondering what sets the GMAC bank apart from other online offerings, it's the fact that you have easy access to your cash, no matter when you need it. GMAC provides checks, a debit card, and even links your account with an external banking account so you can transfer any funds you may need into your already established main account. Technically, the GMAC account is a money market account, so you're limited to six electronic fund transfers per statement cycle.
Here are the highlights of the GMAC Bank Account:
- $50 minimum to set up
- No periodic fees unless your balance drops below $500 (Heavy penalties if it does, so be careful.)
- FDIC insured up to $100,000
- Check/Debit Card Available
- 50 Free Checks
Many people have had great experiences with the GMAC bank, but it's offerings seem a bit out of place in today's world of online banking. Many institutions such as ING Direct and HSBC offer the same features with no fees, no matter what your balance is. Because GMAC offers easy access to your money via debit card, you might be willing to pay these fees. However, ING Direct and HSBC Direct are constantly improving their services and may plan to add debit card support in the future, as they already offer linked account support. If you're considering opening an online banking account and what the best deals with as little fees as possible, you should consider one of the alternatives to GMAC bank.
From what I've seen of the customer reviews of GMAC bank, the customer support is top notch. Those that have had problems with the bank have had them resolved quickly and politely with as much help as they needed. The set up seems to be very fast and there is apparently no limit to the number of external accounts you can have linked to your GMAC bank. However, just as with real world banks, GMAC has hefty penalties involved if you fall below certain limits. You should know these requirements fully so you can avoid them. GMAC Bank charges fees for overdrafts, statement research, and ordering additional checks. Keep these fees in mind as you evaluate GMAC Bank if you're considering opening an account and remember my previous advice concerning ING Direct or HSBC Direct.
Originally posted 2008-10-01 16:57:54.
