Online bill paying is more cost-effective, environmentally friendly, quicker, safer, and more convenient than the traditional open-the-envelope, write-a-check, lick-the-stamp, and place-in-your-mailbox method. Do you need any more compelling reasons?

TAKE ACTION TODAY

  1. Go to your bank's website, click on "Online Banking," and follow the instructions to set up online bill pay.
  2. Print out statements, view transactions, check balances, pay bills, transfer funds, and look for other financial information at your own convenience.
  3. Stop receiving bank statements and bills in the mail by signing up for online delivery.
  4. If you're not able to connect online, then set up automatic payments over the phone. You may still receive a statement, but your payments will be automatically deducted from your bank account.

FACTS

  • On average, 4.8 pieces of mail are delivered every day to over 149 million addresses.
  • One of the fastest growing robbery crimes is identity theft by stealing mail.
  • With password protection, more than one level of authentication, secure sites, and 100% protection in case of fraud, online bill paying is much safer than putting a check in the mailbox.
  • Internet use and electronic account monitoring is the fastest way to detect fraud and decreases losses from identity fraud.
  • Banking information can be accessed via the Internet anytime, anywhere.
  • Paying bills online saves the average consumer $6 in stamps and 4 hours of time every month.
  • 18.5 million trees would be saved annually if consumers viewed and paid bills online.
Excerpted from: Every Monday Matters: 52 Ways to Make a Difference by Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza Copyright © 2008 Every Monday Matters LLC. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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