true4uca

Your bank is already on-line therefore so are your accounts. Weather you access them or not. Mi SIL had the same thoughts as you & she was shocked to find that her accounts were on-line already.

BellaBoo

Anyone not having Life Loc or other identity theft protection regardless if you pay online or all in cash is vulnerable to identity theft. Young children with a SSN are at a high risk of ID theft. A whole new ID using a child's SSN is becoming a bigger problem then most realize. The child turns 18 and finds he/she is in debt with bad credit. The thief is safe for many years before the ID theft is discovered. You can buy ID protection for your children usually for $10 a year if you have the protection for yourself and spouse. Credit Card ID protection safeguards doesn't include your child ID.

oldbalt99

when business ask me to pay online, I remind them how messed up the internet got when the net went crazy for three days and it took me fourteen hours to download a two minuet program. For three days no one could pay a bill. besides its very easy for companies to deleat information, and claim you didn't pay. copies of moneyorders and checks are firm documentation against such practices.

May in Jersey

I guess my resistance to paying online is because we're in the same age group as you, I'm 76 and DH turns 78 next month, and we live on a fixed income. I like feeling in control of our money and paying bills each month, also helps me keep track of what bills are going up and gives me the opportunity to look for better prices. Ex: Anytime we get an offer from a trash collector for lower priced pickup services we contact our supplier and they give us a discount to stay with them. Younger people with more flexible income may go for the convenience and time saving of online payments but most of us older folks don't have those options.

TanyaL

DH and I are in our 70's. We pay bills on line because
1. it is easier
2. You see instantly that it is paid, how much is left in your account
3. You see instantly what you paid and when last month
4. You get an instant print out of the bills paid with percentages to each payor,and each catagory of bill
5. You get a copy of the check when it is received
6. No payment is sent until you authorize it

It is like have having your bank account summary/receipt received each day of the month instead of once a month. It is more detailed than your checkbook. You can still keep your checkbook up to date if you want.

Learner747

We pay all our bills by check via USPS. The decision to never use online bill paying when it first came available. We just couldn't bring ourselves to put all of our financial information on the internet. Two months ago our computers were hacked. They stole all our info - even our email contacts - everything. We are so thankful we have not paid online. BTW, the postal service only raised the price of a stamp by a penny - 1 cent. If you could see what they do for us for that $.45, you would be amazed.

Sewblessed

I have been using my bank's online bill pay for years. Still get the paper statements in the mail but love that I can schedule the bills to be paid in advance if we are out of town. Years and years ago I arranged to have all my bills due on the 1st or 15th. The ones that needed to be slid one way or another were happy to do so with no charges incurred. So that way I only have to sit down twice a month and spend no more than 10 minutes on the job. If a bill needs to be paid by check because they are not in the bank's electronic system the bank sends them a check at no charge to me! I have never had any trouble with the bank's system, never a late payment and can pay my bills from anywhere. The best part is that it is free! Never been happier!

QM

I pay two regular bills by handing the check over. One I pay on line. 5 are paid by automatic withdrawals. Taxes I pay by mail. I always check every statement, whether on line or on paper......Now if I could only get the DH to help with the PLANNING.

ptquilts

Every person you send a paper check to has access to your checking account (routing number and account number). When you send it to a business you have no idea who is looking at it and copying those numbers.

People are even stealing paper checks out of the mail, then they can "bleach" the info you have written off the check and substitute their own info. Your $12.00 check to the phone company becomes a $1200 check to Cash.

There are dangers both ways, through the mail and online. What I like is my main online bank, instead of typing in your password, you click numbers on a key pad. Then if you have a keystroke logger on your computer, the bad guys still don't know what your password is.

Normabeth

I have been paying my bills on line for a few years now, snail mail to too slow for me, unfortunately, the only checks I write out are to doctors!