@SoCalGardener wrote:
@CreditInspired wrote:Now, granted, anyone can have a hiccup, but the way I make sure this doesn't happen--I check my bank and credit card accounts every single day--no exception. No kidding!
Same here!! On my browser's bookmark toolbar, I have a folder called 'Banking' and it contains the login pages of EVERY SINGLE account I have, anything related to finances. So, for example, BofA, Amex, Credit Karma, Citi, Discover, Experian, etc. I just go through, alphabetically, the whole list every day--except for accounts that i KNOW haven't been used lately. With those, I check them about twice a week, just to verify there's still a $0 balance. I also have alerts set up on ALL my accounts, for everything from any sized purchase to payments due to payments received, so if I noticed that I HAVEN'T received an alert I should have, I know to look into it.
BTW, I filled out a survey recently about financial products, and it asked 'in the past 3 months, how many times have you' and it had choices like 'logged in using a computer,' 'logged in using a smartphone app,' and so on. Three months? *numbers crunching in my brain....* At least 90 just for laptop. At least 90 just for smartphone. Toss a few more in because it's not unusual to check an account(s) more than once in a day for some reason. So I entered '200' as my response. It wouldn't accept it!! It said the answer had to be 90 or less.
That last paragraph tickled my funny bone 🤣😂😆
@CreditInspired wrote:
@SoCalGardener wrote:
@CreditInspired wrote:Now, granted, anyone can have a hiccup, but the way I make sure this doesn't happen--I check my bank and credit card accounts every single day--no exception. No kidding!
Same here!! On my browser's bookmark toolbar, I have a folder called 'Banking' and it contains the login pages of EVERY SINGLE account I have, anything related to finances. So, for example, BofA, Amex, Credit Karma, Citi, Discover, Experian, etc. I just go through, alphabetically, the whole list every day--except for accounts that i KNOW haven't been used lately. With those, I check them about twice a week, just to verify there's still a $0 balance. I also have alerts set up on ALL my accounts, for everything from any sized purchase to payments due to payments received, so if I noticed that I HAVEN'T received an alert I should have, I know to look into it.
BTW, I filled out a survey recently about financial products, and it asked 'in the past 3 months, how many times have you' and it had choices like 'logged in using a computer,' 'logged in using a smartphone app,' and so on. Three months? *numbers crunching in my brain....* At least 90 just for laptop. At least 90 just for smartphone. Toss a few more in because it's not unusual to check an account(s) more than once in a day for some reason. So I entered '200' as my response. It wouldn't accept it!! It said the answer had to be 90 or less.
That last paragraph tickled my funny bone 🤣😂😆
Thanks! I realized after posting that it's actually not clear--in my head, it was perfectly clear what I was THINKING, but I didn't type it out that way. I meant JUST my BofA account. 90 times per day on laptop, etc., JUST for my BofA account. The survey asked about each individual account, and the one it rejected was BofA with 200. (That was the first card they asked about; I'm sure the result would've been the same on all remaining cards, too, but I didn't waste time trying. I just put '90' and let it go at that.)
@Have1 wrote:
@SoCalGardener wrote:
@CreditInspired wrote:Now, granted, anyone can have a hiccup, but the way I make sure this doesn't happen--I check my bank and credit card accounts every single day--no exception. No kidding!
Same here!!
Me too. When I was running my business every morning I sat down at the computer with my coffee and reconciled all the transactions from the day before into my accounting software. Some scumbag stole my business debit card info from a vendor and I caught the two charges they made (in grocery stores in Europe) before the transactions had even cleared. After I closed the business that habit transferred to my personal accounts.
I do not have any banking apps on my phone and I just can't see any reason to. I cannot think of any time in my life that I have thought "Gee, I'm out of the house doing something. I should check my bank account." I also hate trying to do anything complicated on a cell phone. Reading, playing simple games, looking at emails, sure. But actual research or writing anything of consequence? No.
The experience of trying to do anything "real" on a phone reminds me of trying to build a ship in a bottle: It can be done, but why would you want to other than for the challenge? I realize there are a lot of people for whom their phone is their only computer. I feel my life would be significantly less enjoyable if I was one of them.
I totally understand what you're saying about phones! I *SO* much prefer my nice, big, 17.3" Linux laptop with full keyboard, including numeric keypad, to my 6.5" phone. However...
When I was in hospital for six months, I used my laptop to do 'real' stuff. But, I'm really, really glad I also had all the apps on my phone. If I could've focused my eyes better, I'd have been able to use my phone to make payments or whatever. I HIGHLY suggest having financial apps installed on your phone, because you never know when you may end up in the hospital like I did.
My phone sits here (on Wi-Fi only) untouched 99% of the time. I use my laptop for everything. But, at night, after putting it to bed, I do like to pick up my phone and cycle through each financial app, just to look. I don't *do* anything, just look. I don't even do e-mail on my phone--I've used the same e-mail client for decades, on my computers, and have carried my mail with me through those decades. I can't imagine pecking out one of my very verbose e-mail messages on a phone!
But back to banking apps on phones: I find them handy, and it's comforting to know they're there in case something happens again. You might want to at least try each of yours and see what they're like, maybe familiarize yourself with each one's features so if you NEED to use it at some point, it won't be new territory.
@SoCalGardener wrote:
@Have1 wrote:
@SoCalGardener wrote:
@CreditInspired wrote:Now, granted, anyone can have a hiccup, but the way I make sure this doesn't happen--I check my bank and credit card accounts every single day--no exception. No kidding!
Same here!!
Me too.
I totally understand what you're saying about phones! I *SO* much prefer my nice, big, 17.3" Linux laptop with full keyboard, including numeric keypad, to my 6.5" phone. However...
When I was in hospital for six months, I used my laptop to do 'real' stuff. But, I'm really, really glad I also had all the apps on my phone. If I could've focused my eyes better, I'd have been able to use my phone to make payments or whatever. I HIGHLY suggest having financial apps installed on your phone, because you never know when you may end up in the hospital like I did.
My phone sits here (on Wi-Fi only) untouched 99% of the time. I use my laptop for everything. But, at night, after putting it to bed, I do like to pick up my phone and cycle through each financial app, just to look. I don't *do* anything, just look. I don't even do e-mail on my phone--I've used the same e-mail client for decades, on my computers, and have carried my mail with me through those decades. I can't imagine pecking out one of my very verbose e-mail messages on a phone!
But back to banking apps on phones: I find them handy, and it's comforting to know they're there in case something happens again. You might want to at least try each of yours and see what they're like, maybe familiarize yourself with each one's features so if you NEED to use it at some point, it won't be new territory.
What if I told you that I find my laptop too tiny for regular use, too. It'll do in a pinch, but. I'm using a system with a pair of monitors (a 27" and a 30") which is just about comfortable. Once you get used to having real estate it's hard to feel comfortable in a studio apartment. 
As to my emergency protocol, I have all my regular expenses set to pay/be paid without need of my active participation. The only things I have to actively cause to happen are the PIFs for my cards. If I wake up dead some morning, or get locked in a ward, my daughter has all the keys to the kingdom and my wife has a PoA.
If I am simply made remote, I can use the laptop and my password manager to log in and get things set up for the duration. My "house" phone is the one the companies have (So I can avoid them bothering me constantly. Why do companies think simply because they have your number that means you want to hear from them constantly?) and I can simply have that brought to me to take care of the TFA stuff.
I have very few applications on my "carry" phone. Some web browsers, mail clients, weather apps, navigation tools, data managers and a couple word games. I don't usually have any problem figuring out a UI, provided it is vaguely well written. So, if I had to suddenly install and use an application I think I would be alright.
I also worry, especially with banking apps, that once you agree to their terms you will be locked into using the application whether it works for you or not. And if it automagically becomes your TFA token (which I believe is one of the "benefits") there are all kinds of annoyances that can attach.
I run my "carry" phone in "Do Not Disturb" mode 24/7. If you are not in my contacts you go to voicemail. If you aren't a starred contact you go to voicemail during my sleeping time. The media volume on the phone is muted at all times: I get no audible alerts that way. I have turned off almost all the emergency notifications that can be turned off. Because:
One winter day I was driving down a snow covered road in heavy snow and my phone went absolutely mental. Blasting at full volume and vibrating like heck. So, here I am trying to drive in adverse conditions and my phone is trying to tell me something really, really, really important!!! There's no safe place to come to a stop and it just won't shut up. Now I'm trying to drive and trying to fish my phone out to shut it up and find out how long until the nukes land on my head.
The message? Oh, it was a snow squall warning. Because that is obviously something that requires a full blast warning in January in lake effect country. After that I went into settings and silenced all the warnings except the extreme emergency one. That way I will at least know about any nukes inbound.
Well, that went wildly off topic. I hope it was mildly entertaining/informative/something.
@Have1 wrote:
@SoCalGardener wrote:
@Have1 wrote:
@SoCalGardener wrote:
@CreditInspired wrote:Now, granted, anyone can have a hiccup, but the way I make sure this doesn't happen--I check my bank and credit card accounts every single day--no exception. No kidding!
Same here!!
Me too.
I totally understand what you're saying about phones! I *SO* much prefer my nice, big, 17.3" Linux laptop with full keyboard, including numeric keypad, to my 6.5" phone. However...
When I was in hospital for six months, I used my laptop to do 'real' stuff. But, I'm really, really glad I also had all the apps on my phone. If I could've focused my eyes better, I'd have been able to use my phone to make payments or whatever. I HIGHLY suggest having financial apps installed on your phone, because you never know when you may end up in the hospital like I did.
My phone sits here (on Wi-Fi only) untouched 99% of the time. I use my laptop for everything. But, at night, after putting it to bed, I do like to pick up my phone and cycle through each financial app, just to look. I don't *do* anything, just look. I don't even do e-mail on my phone--I've used the same e-mail client for decades, on my computers, and have carried my mail with me through those decades. I can't imagine pecking out one of my very verbose e-mail messages on a phone!
But back to banking apps on phones: I find them handy, and it's comforting to know they're there in case something happens again. You might want to at least try each of yours and see what they're like, maybe familiarize yourself with each one's features so if you NEED to use it at some point, it won't be new territory.
What if I told you that I find my laptop too tiny for regular use, too. It'll do in a pinch, but. I'm using a system with a pair of monitors (a 27" and a 30") which is just about comfortable. Once you get used to having real estate it's hard to feel comfortable in a studio apartment.
As to my emergency protocol, I have all my regular expenses set to pay/be paid without need of my active participation. The only things I have to actively cause to happen are the PIFs for my cards. If I wake up dead some morning, or get locked in a ward, my daughter has all the keys to the kingdom and my wife has a PoA.
If I am simply made remote, I can use the laptop and my password manager to log in and get things set up for the duration. My "house" phone is the one the companies have (So I can avoid them bothering me constantly. Why do companies think simply because they have your number that means you want to hear from them constantly?) and I can simply have that brought to me to take care of the TFA stuff.
I have very few applications on my "carry" phone. Some web browsers, mail clients, weather apps, navigation tools, data managers and a couple word games. I don't usually have any problem figuring out a UI, provided it is vaguely well written. So, if I had to suddenly install and use an application I think I would be alright.
I also worry, especially with banking apps, that once you agree to their terms you will be locked into using the application whether it works for you or not. And if it automagically becomes your TFA token (which I believe is one of the "benefits") there are all kinds of annoyances that can attach.
I run my "carry" phone in "Do Not Disturb" mode 24/7. If you are not in my contacts you go to voicemail. If you aren't a starred contact you go to voicemail during my sleeping time. The media volume on the phone is muted at all times: I get no audible alerts that way. I have turned off almost all the emergency notifications that can be turned off. Because:
One winter day I was driving down a snow covered road in heavy snow and my phone went absolutely mental. Blasting at full volume and vibrating like heck. So, here I am trying to drive in adverse conditions and my phone is trying to tell me something really, really, really important!!! There's no safe place to come to a stop and it just won't shut up. Now I'm trying to drive and trying to fish my phone out to shut it up and find out how long until the nukes land on my head.
The message? Oh, it was a snow squall warning. Because that is obviously something that requires a full blast warning in January in lake effect country. After that I went into settings and silenced all the warnings except the extreme emergency one. That way I will at least know about any nukes inbound.
Well, that went wildly off topic. I hope it was mildly entertaining/informative/something.
Oh my goodness!! That ice/driving/alert story had me shaking my head. I've driven on ice, and can only imagine the added annoyance of a phone BLASTING me like the world's about to end...
I understand--I mean REALLY understand--your strong preference to use a computer rather than a phone. I am definitely in that camp. You'll never find me with my head buried in my phone, oblivious to what's happening around me....maybe ending up in a fountain or sinkhole I didn't notice because I was so engrossed in my phone. *rolling my eyes* But I'm glad we HAVE smartphones now, you know?
As for banking apps forcing you to use them, no, that doesn't happen. At least not with any of my banks (they're all in my sig). Their apps are just an adjunct to my real method of accessing my accounts, via laptop. I can see various ways they'd come in handy, besides being hospitalized. For example, say that I'm out and get an alert about a charge I know I didn't make. I could immediately log in, figure out what's going on, and contact the bank to shut things down. Better than waiting until I got home!
Also, even though you're proactively making sure minimums get paid (by auto-pay), things can and do happen with that. Just peruse these boards and you'll see what I mean! So while I agree that that's a good safety measure, it's not 100% foolproof.