Chapter 6. Quicken and the Web: Online Banking

Before online banking, your bank balance was like the surprise ending of a cinematic thriller: You had to wait until your bank statement arrived by snail mail to discover how much money you had on hand, which checks and deposits had cleared, and whether you were overdrawn. But with Quicken and most financial institutions offering online banking services, you can view your bank balances and transactions any time, download them into your Quicken data file, and take evasive action to avoid fees for bounced checks and low balances.

You can also pay bills online without having to write checks, lick stamps, or drive to the post office. For the ultimate in convenience, you can set up recurring online payments so you can go on a long vacation without worrying about missing your mortgage payment or other bills.