How to Check Account Balances Online

Check balances online at home.

It's important to check your account balances often, and online is the easiest way to do that. Identity theft is common, credit card fraud is rampant and phishing emails lure unsuspecting users into giving away secret account access. Waiting for a monthly statement to check account balances can be financially crippling with these electronic crimes. Checking your account balances, daily if possible, will give you an opportunity to stop one of these thieves before your assets are gone.

Things You'll Need

• URL of your financial institution
• PIN or password
• Unique user identification

Instructions

1. Find the URL (Internet address) of your financial institution to check your account balances online. Banks, credit card companies and utilities frequently print their URLs on monthly statements. You may also find the URL printed on credit and debit cards and membership cards. If you're unable to find the Internet address, you can call your financial institution and ask for it.

2. Set up your user profile and unique identification on the website. Many financial institutions issue a temporary identification number that you must change immediately after signing on the first time. Others use your Social Security number the first time but also prompt for immediate change. Choose a user identification and password that's easy for you to remember but not obvious to others.

3. Sign into your account to check your balances as often as you need to using the ID and password that you established. When you first sign in, you'll probably see a summary page with your account balance.

4. Become familiar with the website of each account that you need to check online. There are usually individual tabs or icons to click on using your mouse pointer to check account details, make payments and transfer funds.

5. Sign out immediately when you're finished checking your account balances online. Also sign out whenever you must walk away from your computer, to reduce opportunities for thieves.

Tips & Warnings

• Change your PIN often, at least once a month. Avoid using public computers to check account balances. Avoid using unlocked wireless access to check account balances.

• Never give your PIN to anyone. Never enter your PIN after following a link from a suspicious email.

Resources

• Wikipedia: Online Banking