Digital finance 101: tips for budgeting & investing
While you can still balance your books on paper, the internet is full of financial resources to help you manage — and make more — money. These resources are not only convenient but also secure, easy to use, and able to sync multiple accounts.
Here are a few tools help you get started with banking and investing, all from your computer.
Online banking
Most bank have online portals for their customers, allowing them to access their checking and savings accounts, manage funds, deposit money, and more. In order to create your online account, you’ll need to gather your account numbers, which should be easy to find on paper statements or checks.
In order to ensure you’re visiting the correct website, check your paper statements or the back of you debit card — both of which should have your bank’s website listed.
You’ll need to go through the registration process, creating a username, a secure password, and security questions. You may need to respond to a text, email, or call to verify your identity.
Once your account is set up, you’ll be able to:
- Access your accounts 24/7
- View pending and cleared transactions
- Pay bills online
- Apply for loans or lines of credit
- Make automatic deposits
- Send and receive messages to and from your bank
- Transfer money to and from accounts
- Receive electronic statements
- Sign up for alerts and notifications
If you run into any issues with your online account, you should contact your bank directly. Be sure to follow best practices for keeping your account information safe.
Online investment tools
Ready to take you online finances to the next level? Thanks to apps and websites like Acron, Robinhood, and TD Ameritrade, investing online is easier and more accessible than ever before. Getting started with investing is as simple as setting aside $10 a month and allocating it to the stock of your choice. While the stock market has ups and downs, if you invest smartly, you can benefit from inflation and make an impressive return.
In order to get started, you should pick where you want to hold your investments. Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons of each option.
Many people choose to invest 10% to 15% of their income each year in order to prepare for retirement. While stocks as always changing — making frequent research crucial to investing success — there are a few options that are reliable for beginners.
For more information on getting started with your investment journey, consult these resources:
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