How Do they Rate? Most importantly, how do competing banks rate for their online banking services, fees, and support? I have discovered a number of sources providing key ratings and evaluations of major US and Canadian banks and would like to provide you with these important links that lay out in detail services, fees and rankings offered by banks.

For US Bank Comparisons

According to a Consumer Reports (CR) study that will be published in its February 2002 issue, just over one-fifth (22%) of US households are banking online. About 80% of respondents consider online banking "easy and quick," and 60% of e-bankers are concerned that their banks would share personal data.

Consumer Reports' top five online banks include, in descending order: E*Trade, Citibank, NetBank, JP Morgan Chase and Bank One. For another comparison of PC/Online banking services and fees by US banks visit Bankrate.com at this URL: http://www.bankrate.com/brm/publ/onlifees.asp

For a ranking of top US internet banks in Fall 2001 based on ease of use, customer confidence, on-site resources, relationship services, and overall cost, visit Gomez.com at: http://www.gomez.com/scorecards/index.asp?topcat_id=1§ion=Gomezwire

For Canadian Bank Ratings

A poll done on Canadians by market research firm NFO Cfgroup showed about 24 per cent of adult Canadians have signed up for on-line banking, compared with about 20 per cent who had logged on during same period a year earlier. About 61 per cent of respondents said they clicked their accounts once a week, while 82 per cent reported using on-line banking at least once a month.

The study also found that online banking is less likely to be used for more complicated transactions such as opening accounts, taking out loans or applying for mortgages.

View 2001 Canadian Online Banking Report by Moneysense.ca at: http://www.moneysense.ca/eng/banking_credit/banking/online_banking/showcontent.jsp?cid=576275

Or for those who wish to do their own research, here are web addresses for major US and Canadian banks offering online services. Happy banking!

US Banks

American Bank www.pcbanker.com American Express Centurion Bank www.americanexpress.com/banking Bank Caroline www.bankcaroline.com Bank of America www.bankofamerica.com Bank One www.bankone.com BankAtlantic www.bankatlantic.com BankDirect www.bankdirect.com Chase Manhattan Bank www.chase.com Citibankwww.citibank.com Claritybank.comwww.claritybank.com E*TRADE Bankwww.etradebank.com Ebankwww.ebank.com everbank.comwww.everbank.com Fidelity Deposit and Discount Bankwww.the-fidelity.com First Internet Bank of Indianawww.firstib.com First Union National Bankwww.firstunion.com Flagstar Bankwww.flagstarbanking.com Fleet National Bankwww.fleet.com NBankwww.nbank.com NetBankwww.netbank.com Nexity Bankwww.nexitybank.com Pennsylvania State ECUwww.psecu.com SouthTrust Bankwww.southtrust.com Stonebridge Bankwww.stonebridgebank.com U.S. Bankwww.usbank.com USAccess Bankwww.usaccessbank.com VirtualBankwww.virtualbank.com Wachovia Bankwww.wachovia.com Washington Mutual Bankwww.washingtonmutual.com Wells Fargo Bankwww.wellsfargo.com Woodforest National Bankwww.woodforest.com

Canadian Banks

TD Canada Trustwww.tdcanadatrust.com Bank of Montrealwww.bmo.com Royal Bankwww.rbc.com Scotiabankwww.scotiabank.ca CIBCwww.cibc.com Citizen¡¦s Bankwww.citizensbank.ca President¡¦s Choicewww.preschoicefinancial.com National Bankwww.nbc.ca

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Jim Slobodzian, BComm (Hon) publishes the Enroute.ca E-MONEY GUIDE providing free weekly news and tips on using money online. http://www.enroute.ca or email info@enroute.ca

Tax Tip 5 Deducting Vacation Travel Expenses. Try to combine business (a meeting with a client or possible client, checking out some material or resources for your business, etc.) with your vacation travel. As long as your trip is documented in advance showing an intent to, in some way, build up your business, your travel expenses become business expense deductions. Meals, hotel rooms, plane tickets, car rentals, even certain expenses for entertainment are deductible as business expenses with proper documentation.

Tax Tip 6 Deducting phone, internet service, and utility bills If phone calls, Internet service, or utilities are used for legitimate business purposes, then, with proper documentation, they become tax-deductible business expenses. If you have a credit or debit card solely for your business, and you probably should, annual fees and interest payments are also tax-deductible business expenses.

Tax Tip 7 Cutting your taxes when selling appreciated assets When you are planning to liquidate appreciated assets such as stocks, give them to your child or other trusted family member in a lower tax bracket than you. When they sell assets, they will pay taxes at their lower tax rate. Another excellent method is to donate your appreciated assets to your favorite church or charitable organization. You are allowed to deduct full value of assets as a charitable contribution, and neither you nor organization will pay any capital gains taxes on assets.

It would be advisable to consult a tax professional or accountant for proper planning and documentation for some of more complicated tax strategies, but using these strategies could save you thousands of dollars in taxes. Next time we will take a look at some of less familiar tax strategies useful for individual and family.

Article by: Naomi Knudsen Do you like to SAVE on shopping, medical bills, taxes..? http://ahealthyyou.tripod.com