3 On Your Side: Online & Mobile Banking On The Rise
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A new survey finds more Americans than ever before embracing online and mobile banking. 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan looks at the findings and offers some helpful advice for keeping transactions secure.
Banks offer more options than ever for conducting transactions, from a desktop computer to on-the-go with a smartphone app. New numbers from the Pew Internet and American Life Project find digital banking on the rise. Fifty-one-percent of adult Americans bank online, up from 46% in 2010, and 35% of cell phone owners use their mobile phone for banking, up from 18% when Pew last surveyed in 2011.
Not surprisingly, younger Americans lead the way. Two-thirds of those ages 18 to 29 say they do their banking transactions online. Pew says the numbers point to an increase in trust in those online and mobile transactions, but consumers can still take extra steps to keep data safe especially when using a mobile app.
Creditcards.com recommends password protecting the app and your smartphone. Staying logged into an app allows quick access to information and transactions, but losing that device puts that information at risk. Be sure that you know how to remotely wipe a device of personal information in case of theft or loss.
Finally, when banking on-the-go, switch data from public Wi-Fi to your 3g or 4g network.
For more on the Pew Internet and American Life Project, visit: www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Online-banking.aspx
