Very clever! Manage all you financial online accounts in one place. (internetbankingplus2.firstdirect.com)

Member Name: kappari

Product:	internetbankingplus2.firstdirect.com
Date:	31/05/09 (249 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy access to all your accounts

Disadvantages: Initial inputting of data

Internet Banking Plus, courtesy of First Direct, is a great facility. This fantastic free service allows you to consolidate, view and manage all your various online accounts in one place. You will be able to add most of the major banks and credit and store cards as well as utilities, email accounts and bonus programmes. See below for a list of all the organisations that can be accessed.

With just one username and password, the service 'tracks' information from other accounts into the balance screen You are able to see exactly how much money you have got (or haven't got!) in 'real time'. To be honest I have been using this service for some time now and I would be really 'lost' without it!!

**Benefits**

*Internet Banking Plus is a great way to make managing all your available online accounts a lot easier.

*In order to access all your accounts you do not have lots of passwords to remember.

*If you want to see other accounts you just click on them.

*You do not need to be a first direct customer to register for the service.


**Disadvantages **

If you want to use Internet Banking Plus' on more than one PC. You will need to download the passwords of every account to each PC you will use to access your other bank accounts.


Registration is simple. However, selecting the banks and the accounts you want does take a little time as you have to enter the security details for each account. In my opinion, however, it is well worth it. Once set up the site is easy to navigate and use... and you can make payments quickly and easily etc from one account to another. To register visit internetbankingplus2.firstdirect.com

I will now give you a little more detail about how this service works.

**How does it work?**

When you register you are provided with a 'digital safe' that will remember all your organisations' security details. Your IDs and passwords are private to you. Your details are encrypted and securely stored in the digital safe, which is created personally for you and stored on your PC.

The on-line account information is updated using the security details you provide for each account. Your security details go directly from your PC to the organisation's site in the same way they would if you logged on directly yourself. Internet banking plus just makes it simpler by automating the process for you. Your account updates are initiated and controlled by you.

*How do I set up an account?**

You register for the service from the First Direct website. You will be required to set up some security questions and answers. Then you will be directed to download a referred to as a "digital safe" onto PC. When you log into the system you will be asked which organisations you want to include. For each account, you will be required to input your personal security information for each organisation. Once set up you will only need to remember your Internet Banking Plus security questions. By logging on, you are shown a list of your accounts, together with their balances. By clicking on the "update" button, the system will log into each of your accounts and get the balance updated. To complete transactions online you just click the relevant account and a new window opens with the bank's website running. You can then perform any transactions that you need to carry out in the usual way.

Here is a list of some of the accounts you can include on Internet Banking Plus. It is not exhaustive! The full list can be found on the web site.

**Financial services**

All the main bank and credit card companies.

**Investments**

There are many including, Fidelity Investments, first direct sharedealing,
Friends Provident, FT MarketWatch, FT Portfolio

**Bonus programmes**

Including AirMiles, BAA WorldPoints, Hilton HHonors, Nectar and many more.

**Telecoms**

Including BT, Carphone Warehouse, O2, One.Tel
**Utilities**

These include British Gas, E.ON, Scottish Power

Want to know more? Then take a look at it - there is an excellent 'demo' on the site.at http://www.firstdirect.com/ourservices/internet-ba nking-plus.shtml

Summary: A great free service