Wow, 4 votes. Seems security not a big issue. Should be as I read a couple million accounts a year have had sort of fraudulent usage. Phishing was the main culprit but keylogging has been a growing problem. Not worried about phishing and only safeguard I know of for keylogging is by keeping up to date on Firewall and Virus protection, Plus I type password really fast
Found there is protection for us under Federal Regulation E.


Below shows some of it points:

What's covered
Any transfer initiated through an "electronic terminal, telephone, computer, or magnetic tape for the purpose of ordering, instructing, or authorizing a financial institution to debit or credit an account." These include point-of-sale transfers, automated teller machine transfers, direct deposits or withdrawals of funds, transfers initiated by telephone, and transfers resulting from debit card transactions, whether or not initiated through an electronic terminal


Consumer liability
When a debit card or other "acccess device" is lost, such as an online banking password, consumer liability is capped at $50 for those who notify banks within two business days. Consumers who notify the bank within 60 days have their liability capped at $500. After 60 days, if the consumer doesn't inform the bank, any charges which occur become the consumers' responsibility. If no access device is lost, and fraudulent charges mysteriously appear on a consumer's account, the liability clock begins when the bank notifies its customer of the activity, usually through regular monthly statements.

Got this email from BOA yesterday. When I clicked on it's link it brought me to a very real looking BOA site and asked to update all sorts of info. Looked official but I highly doubt a bank would ask for this info by email. Sent it to abuse department at BOA but no response from them, when I tried to click on it again this morning a warning came up from AOL telling this link is now blocked as they feel it is phishing. Kind of strange that AOL seems to be looking out for me better than the bank it's self Anyone else get it?
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Click here.

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So no one has an opinion on this? I guess most here are just looking for those referral and sign up bonuses

I voted yes, Am nervous with online accounts. I will never fall for a phishing scheme, I don't answer anything online and if it's real figure someone from the bank will eventually call. I subscribe to two different credit monitoring services that would alert me in minutes if any credit was opened in my name but there is not much in the way of banking protection available. Still trying to determining your liability if your account is hacked. Did notice a statement on an online agreement that said something about them not being liable for unauthorized use of your password and user ID

Katrina will put damper on the economy for several months and the Fed will probably suspend further rate hikes during that period. I have not locked in any CD's for a while but now think maybe it's time. Would not want to go out to long but have seen a few one year term at over 4.5%.

My only problem I had with ING is that because I did not use for awhile the account went into a dormant status and i had to call to get it active again. So for anyone just parking money they should do a small transfer every few months

I went with everbank. Out of the 12 different banks I use I find it the simplest . Great service, Had very good intro rate on checking account and when it was over I just transferred most into one of their CD's that have very competitive rates and I like the fact my interest just transfers from that every month to my checking and then I can just write a check out of it if I want some extra cash. Have now been setting up all my new CD's to transfer right into my local checking account and saves me from worrying about lost checks. Just got my first transfer from Amtrust and went very smooth. Did anyone else here take advantage of their 4% 4 month CD? Not sure why ING is winning, Rates are only fair, Customer service lacking and they lock your account as dormant if you don't do a transfer every few months

My brother gave me a 1,000 U.S savings bond 7 years ago when my Daughter was born. I have searched high and low for it but seems it's lost for good. Someone told me there is a way to provide info to get a replacement. Anyone here ever done it ir know how to? Thanks in advance scott

http://www.centennialrates.com/
4.23% Passbook savings. Problem with most Passbooks accounts is you need to go into the bank.

Mark, Probably best to remove that link. I wanted to see the scary guy so clicked and instantly got a warning from my anti-virus software that I picked up the "Exploit-MhtRedir.Gen" Trojan. Luckily software removed it instantly.

For 100,000 and short term CD of only 4 month try AmTrust, a division of Ohio Savings bank. I just did one and was very easy to open
http://www.amtrust.com/

Does this count as a bonus? In my mail yesterday (10/17) I had a box from Emigrant , Had a nice hat in it and a letter thanking me for opening my account, Which I did about 4 months ago. Also the letter stated my rate just went from 3.25% to 3.50%. Guess either mail is very slow or they are a little behind.

My Corus account just joined the 4% club with 4.01%, ING will have to move soon or I am in on telling them I will close

If you suddenly have a big jump in your credit card debt it will lower your FICO. Unless your planning on getting a mortgage or other loan soon should not be a problem as it will come back up after paying down

Thought long and hard about which to vote for then decided I couldn't do it. For me choose a bank it must meet a few of those criteria's With so many banks to choose from nowadays I will not settle for less. First and foremost I am an interest rate whore so that is where I start, But then a bank must be financially stable before I would consider it. Will not use any bank that is not at least 3 star rated. I know they have FDIC but would not want the hassle if bank had problems. For about 7 years now I have searched online and opened accounts all over the country mostly just to park money so for those banks the customer service aspect not a big deal for me. When it comes to a local brick an mortar bank where I will do most of banking thru then service becomes the main criteria. I use Citizens Bank as my Primary . They list their MM at 2.25% but have found if your a good customer these big banks do have leeway and I get 3% from them. While that's still less than any other bank I have, I find it worth it to have a good in at a large local bank

Even if the offer is good nationally would hardly seem worth the trouble of opening an account and having yet another 1099 form, for $8.50 a month in interest Just a silly leader offer

AmTrust http://www.amtrust.com/ Did a hard pull on a CD I did with them
Not sure why you listed utilities like Verizon. Comcast and Cingular, Those would be considered credit accounts. I was surprised recently when my home phone thru Verizion suddenly showed on my report after having it for over 10 years, Did not mind as it made my FICO go up. Anyone interested in maintaining a good credit score had better now treat utilities bill payments just like credit card and loan payments

Can not beat Middlesex Savings Bank CD offer for any term from 3 months to 71 months at 5.25%.
Another great thing is they have DIF so could put in as much as you want, Also they are 4 Star rated and over 4 Billion in size

http://www.middlesex...l/rates_cds.asp

Called the American Dream ‘My Way CD’ should have been called "No Way CD" 5% for 18 month CD is horrible and ranks way down on CD rates. Would have thought ED would have come out with something better.

GMAC offers the best rates on $500 min CD's. Right now 6 month 4.81% and 12 month 5%

Many Banks do a hard credit check when opening an account. I use MyFico.com to track my score and they sent me an email stating my score dropped 19 points because of those checks. Have no idea why giving a Bank money would require them to do a check on you. Most Banks that offer special deals know that there are many of us rate chasers around and do so with the understanding many will just open for the bonus or promo rate then close but figure they will pick up a percentage of people that will stick with them. Yes, At Tax time you will have a stack of 1099-INT but my account say's they are a lot easier than the numerous stock trades I had when I was day trading

Capital One now 3.75%

Looks like you must go in to open. Saw this equally good offer on FW and open to everyone. Looks very easy to open online and they are a nice size bank at over 3 Billion in assets and Bankrates Safe&Sound give them 4*.

https://www.dimedirect.com/6mocd5.htm

Dime Savings Bank - 5.00% APY 6 month CD
$500 min, 250K max, expires on February 21, 2006
One account per household

https://www.dimedirect.com/6mocd5.htm or call 800-321-3463
PROMO CODE 3169615

Just opened up a 4 month 4% CD at AMTrust a division of Ohio State Bank. Has to be a jumbo but was very easy to open
http://www.amtrust.c...ter/default.asp

DIF stands for "Depositors Insurance Fund" Unlike FDIC it is not backed by the Government but I feel very safe leaving large amounts at banks with DIF. Massachusetts has very tough banking laws and DIF is audited by them. DIF was around before FDIC and was the model that FDIC was created from. Below I pasted some info on DIF and you will see that no one has ever lost a penny in a DIF insured bank. I have had one DIF bank fail on me and the very next day my account was just moved to a different DIF Bank. I got this info from the Salem Five site and if anyone is interested they have a great checking account that allows unlimited check writing, free global ATM plus many other benefits. Does require a $200,000 min but is paying 4.38% now and adjusts on the first of every month to the 1-month libor rate posted in the Wall street Journal. If you look at the history of the 1-month libor you will see it stays ahead of our FED Fund rate so this is a great account if your tired of chasing rates

http://www.salemfive...ashAccount.html

It works like this: As in the case of all FDIC-insured banks, the first $100,000 per depositor is covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). At Salem Five, however, amounts in excess of $100,000 are covered by the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF). The result? Your deposits are completely protected--without limitation.

The FDIC was established by the U.S. Congress in 1933 with a mission to insure bank deposits. Originally set at $2,500, the FDIC's insurance limit has increased over time to the current coverage of $100,000 per depositor.

The DIF was established by the Massachusetts legislature in 1932 and started insuring deposits in 1934. Today, the DIF is a private insurer covering over $7 billion of depositors' funds in excess of the FDIC limit, in over 100 Massachusetts chartered savings banks.

We are pleased to provide answers to many commonly asked questions surrounding the specific benefits of both the FDIC and the DIF deposit insurance programs.


Questions & Answers

I've noticed that my bank displays the FDIC and DIF symbols. What does Member FDIC/Member DIF mean?
Both organizations insure depositors' funds against loss. The first $l00,000 per depositor is insured by the FDIC. All deposits above this amount are insured by the DIF.


Do all banks offer FDIC and DIF insurance coverage?
No. While there are other insuring entities, only Massachusetts-chartered savings banks offer the additional protection of DIF insurance.


Are all my deposits in Massachusetts chartered savings banks insured in full?
Yes. All types of deposit accounts are covered, including savings, checking, and NOW accounts; money market accounts; certificates of deposit; IRAs and Keoghs; and all other deposit accounts held with Massachusetts-chartered savings banks.


Has any depositor ever lost money in a Member FDIC/Member DIF bank?
No. The FDIC has always paid deposits in full up to its insurance limit. The DIF has always paid all deposits in excess of the FDIC's limit. No depositor has ever lost a penny in an FDIC/DIF member bank since either Fund was established.


How financially strong are the FDIC and the DIF?
The FDIC is backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. While the DIF is not backed by federal, state, or local governments, the Fund is very strong and has extensive recourses. The banking crisis of the late 1980s serves as a poignant example of the DIF's financial strength. In this period, 18 DIF member banks failed. These banks contained funds from over 6,300 excess depositors. Their excess deposits totaled $250 million. Each and every depositor was paid in full. This was the worst period in the history of the Massachusetts thrift industry, yet the Fund has more money today than it did at the start of the crisis.


Is the DIF subject to any form of regulatory scrutiny?
Yes. The DIF's financial records are examined regularly by the Massachusetts Commissioner of Banks, and audited annually by an independent auditor.


If a Member FDIC/Member DIF bank ever got into financial trouble, how would I get my money?
Based on past experience, arrangements would be made for all deposits to be automatically transferred to another bank. All your deposit funds would be available with no interruption of service.


I'd like to buy a CD for $125,000. Is it fully insured if I place it in one account, or will I need to open two accounts in different names?
You can buy a single CD for the entire amount. At a Member FDIC/Member DIF member bank, your deposits are fully insured, even if they exceed $l00,000.


Does the FDIC or the DIF insure investments in bank mutual funds?
No. Both the FDIC and DIF only cover deposits.


Where can I learn more about the FDIC and DIF?
Both the FDIC and DIF maintain websites where you can access additional information. Just click on the links for more information.