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Labels: new features

Money Management Tools are Live!

Money Management Tools are now available in the history section of Web Branch. As I mentioned in a previous post, there are a ton of new features to help you manage your accounts with UW Credit Union. And, we have plans for many future enhancements--stay tuned for more information.

We've invested quite a bit of time in our help section for using the new tools. Our "Ask a Question" system has been updated with answers to many questions. In addition, we have created six demo videos to walk you through how do use the different functions. Help is available in the Web Branch main menu bar and under the Settings tab of the history screens.

We are so excited to bring these features to our members.

Labels: help, money management, new features, Web Branch

Money Management Tools Sneak Peek

We are putting the finishing touches on Money Management Tools. We will have extensive help available on Web Branch along with videos detailing the features available and how to use them. One of the videos is a general overview and is available now to get a sneak peek at the features.

Money Management Tools Overview Video Demonstration

Look for more details here, on the Source Code blog, next week.

Labels: education, help, money management, new features, tips, Web Branch

Web Branch History is about to Get Smarter

After tons of hard work and planning, we are excited to announce one of our biggest enhancements ever for Web Branch: Money Management Tools. The new tools will be available in about two weeks and will significantly enhance the functionality of Web Branch. And, they are free.

Money Management Tools will add the following features to Web Branch:

• Categories--auto categorized based on your past preferences.
• Transaction notes
• Labels--add an additional layer of information to your history to track spending across categories.
• Extended history storage--we'll have history dating back to December 2008 right away and will continue to store more history going forward.
• True searching of all your history--easy ways to find transactions.
  
• Advanced searches--search by date, amount, description, category, label and notes in any combination.
• Transaction alerts--get e-mail or text messages based on new transactions appearing in your history. Find out when a particular check clears, a transaction over a certain amount posts or a transaction posts from a particular store.
• Reports--spending reports, income reports and cash flow.
  

The new tools are integrated right into your existing Web Branch history. There's nothing you need to do to start enjoying the benefits of the new system. Once we go live, you'll see a new categories column in your history. We'll do our best to categorize as many of the items as we can. From there, you can start categorizing transactions based on your personal preferences. You'll be able to immediately see spending reports from 2009 right up to the present. You can start setting up alerts if there are any particular transactions, or transaction types, you want to keep up-to-date with.

We are excited to bring these new features to Web Branch. Tons of work has gone into making this the easiest way for you to track your spending and stay on top of your accounts with us. We aren't going to stop there, however. We are already planning on adding new functionality like the ability to split single transactions into multiple categories. We will also add the ability to see pending items like recent debit card purchases and upcoming Web Payments and transfers in your history so you get a better sense of your true available balance. We also have plans to add budgeting tools and better ways to set savings or spending goals.

Keep your eyes on the Source Code blog for the next couple of weeks as we'll be adding a sneak preview soon and more details as we launch Money Management Tools.

Labels: money management, new features, Web Branch

Web Pay Add a Payee Simplified

We've simplified the process for adding a new payee to Web Pay. In the past, you had to search for your payee by name and you may have been unsure which payee to pick from the list. Now, all you have to do is enter the information exactly as it appears on your bill. We'll search our list of electronic payees automatically. If possible, we'll validate the address and account number you entered. If the data validates, you'll immediately be able to add the payee as an electronic payment.

If you don't have an account with the payee (like when you are just paying a friend), you don't have to bother searching. We'll just send your payment as a paper check.

If the address or account number from one of your bills can't be validated, and you are sure it is correct, you can proceed and we'll send the payment as a paper check. In the future, the payment may still upgrade to an electronic payment.

We hope this will lead to less confusion when adding payees and allow for more of your payments to be processed electronically.

Labels: new features, tips, Web Branch, Web Pay

Secure Messaging Enhancements

We've made a few updates to our secure messaging system. First, we've added cases. A case is a set of messages that are all related. When you send in a question and we respond, our response is grouped with your original message. If you then reply, your response will be grouped with the first two messages and so on. This will help you keep track of related messages. Just click on the subject of a case in your inbox to see all the messages within the case. If you've already read a message, we'll minimize it to only show you unread messages within that case. To view the read messages, click the plus sign next to the message. If you are inquiring on a new issue, please start a new message using the Compose New Message link on the right of the secure messaging screens so you'll get a new case.

We've also enhanced our messages so we can include links within the message. If you ask one of our member service specialists where something is in Web Branch, they can now just include a link in their response. Since this is secure messaging and not e-mail, you don't have to worry about any fraud or phishing within the system. And, as a reminder, because the Web Branch secure messages are sent back and forth encrypted, and the messages never leave our servers, you can include private information like account numbers without worry (never include them in e-mail).

Finally, another reminder, you can sign up for our secure message alerts where you'll receive an e-mail or text message whenever you have a new, unread secure message. With the alert, you never have to worry about missing an important account update between the times you login to Web Branch. To add the alert, just edit your Alert Preferences under the Profile & Services tab.

Labels: new features, tips, Web Branch

See Web Branch Data and History in a Calendar View

It's been quiet on the Source Code blog for a while. That's not because there's nothing going on. We've been busy developing a number of exciting new features that will come out later this year to make staying organized and managing your finances on Web Branch even easier.

Today we've launched a new feature that gives a bit of a preview into the direction we are going. A while back we introduced a new widget for the side toolbar in Web Branch. The new widget just showed a monthly calendar. Now, you can expand the calendar by clicking Full View (see right) to be taken to a calendar view of your Web Branch transactions.

You can page through month by month. If you go back, you'll see historical information. If you go forward (past today's date) you'll see upcoming transactions like scheduled transfers and Web Payments.

You'll note it says "Showing:" at the top of the calendar. You can choose, by clicking on Calendar Options, between seeing Web Branch items (like Web Pay and transfers) and Account History. You can choose exactly which items or accounts you'd like to see as well.

What you end up with is a convenient calendar view of those items so you can see, in a visual way, what is happening with your accounts. We've also included links to the calendar view on many pages within Web Branch. Just look for the Calendar View link at the top. If you use those links, they will show the item or account history corresponding to the section you were in on Web Branch.

If you don't have the calendar widget, click Add/Remove Widgets at the very top of the side toolbar and check the box next to calendar to add the widget.

Labels: money management, new features, tips, Web Branch