Updates Coming to Money Management Tools
Members are loving Money Management Tools and we are just on version 1.0. As you'd expect, we have plans to continue to enhance the system over the course of this year and beyond.
Here is a summary of just some of the things we are working on. Most of these will be available over the course of the next 2-6 months.
- Pending debit transactions--we'll show debit card purchases you've made but haven't cleared your account in your history so you'll have a better sense of your real balance.
- Splitting transactions into multiple categories--we realize that for many stores, you buy groceries, household items, automotive items, etc. all in one transaction. We'll allow you to break up the purchase into multiple sub transactions so you can assign individual categories to each type of spending.
- More flexible category customization options--you'll be able to add (and hide!) top level categories as well as subcategories. You'll be able to customize as much as you want to fit your needs (keep in mind that for auto-categorization to work well, you should try to use as many standard categories as possible).
- Budgets and goals--all the data is great, but today you have to do most of the work to take that data and make it actionable. You'll be able to set savings goals and spending budgets to keep better track of areas you want to monitor.
Labels: money management, new features, Web Branch
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.
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
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 Added to Supported Browser List
Microsoft recently released a major update to its Web browser Internet Explorer. Version 8 of the browser is available for download. In keeping with our attempt to provide the best experience with our Web site and Web Branch no matter what browser you use, we've tested Internet Explorer 8 and made it an officially supported browser.
If you are an Internet Explorer user, upgrading to the latest version will give you a number of benefits including: faster page rendering, enhanced security features and quicker access to the sites and functions you use most.
We highly recommend upgrading if you still use Internet Explorer 6. This version of the browser is over seven years old. There have been many enhancements to Web site development since then and using a browser this old means you may not be getting the full experience. It also doesn't have the latest security features like phishing site warnings and secure site enhancements.
Labels: browsers, Web Branch, Web site
See Credit Card Transactions Since Last Statement
We've added the ability to view only those credit card transactions since the last statement date to Web Branch. This was a highly requested feature by members and we're happy to say we were able to add the feature.
To see your recent transactions, click the "Recent Items" link above your credit card history. That link applies a filter to your history where you'll only see transactions that haven't appeared on a billing statement. To go back to viewing your entire history, just click on the "All Items" link.
Labels: credit cards, help, tips, Web Branch
One Less Thing to Worry About with Auto Pay
We all have enough to do and logging into Web Branch to make sure your bills are paid on time doesn't have to be something to worry about. That's why we created Auto Pay. I wanted to mention it here for those who haven't discovered it yet.
Auto Pay allows you to set your preference for how to pay your lines of credit and credit cards with UW Credit Union. You can set each account individually to either pay the minimum due or the payoff amount each month. Then on the due date, we'll transfer the necessary amount (since the amount due on these types of accounts can change from month to month) to make the payment.
You can still make payments to your accounts during the month. Auto Pay can just be there as an insurance measure to make sure you're never late with a payment. Also, if you still owe something towards the minimum payment or payoff, we'll still transfer the necessary amount on the due date to cover the rest.
Access Auto Pay by going to the Transfers & Payments tab on Web Branch. Check the box next to the accounts you'd like to set up and choose whether to pay the minimum or in full and we'll take care of the rest.
Labels: tips, Web Branch
Support Added for Google Chrome Browser
Today, Google announced their new Web Browser, Chrome, is no longer in beta. We've certified it is compatible with our Web site and Web Branch and added it to our supported browsers list.
We love Chrome for its speed and simple design. You can also make "application shortcuts" to easily launch sites you use often (like Web Branch!).
Find out more about Chrome here and download it here. It is currently only available for Windows, but Mac and Linux versions are in the works.
Labels: browsers, Web Branch, Web site
Web Branch Design Refresh Completed
As most of you have probably noticed, we've completed the design refresh of Web Branch. We hope you like the new look and find it modern and easy on the eyes.
Besides updating the look, we've used the latest Web design techniques to make the site load faster and be even more responsive. We made no changes to the functionality of Web Branch, nor did we move any of the tools or links that you've become familiar with.
Let us know what you think.
Labels: new features, Web Branch
Integrated Credit Card Data Now Live on Web Branch
UW Credit Union credit card data is now available on Web Branch. You'll notice a number of new things right away:
- History includes "processing" and "authorized" transactions. Theses are transactions that will post or are authorized to post in the next couple of days. Remember, some authorized amounts will vary from the actual amount of the transaction (many gas stations authorize your card for $1).
- Credit card history is now available on Web Branch mobile. Authorizations are included there as well.
- Payments made via Web Branch from a UW Credit Union account will instantly update your available balance. For example, if you have a $5,000 limit on your card and have $1,000 worth of charges, you have $4,000 available credit on your card. A payment of $500 on Web Branch will update your available balance to $4,500. The payment will show as authorized in history and will post in 1-2 business days. At that time, your current balance will be reduced by the amount of the payment.
- Web Statements are available for credit cards on Web Branch going back to January 2007 (in the next few months we'll turn off paper statements for credit cards as we do for other deposit and loan accounts).
We still have a bunch of work left to enhance the integration, but as you'll see, this is a great first step. We are working on getting caught up posting transactions and payments. Rest assured, all activity will appear on Web Branch in the next day or so. Then, we'll be working to fix any issues we find and respond to member feedback to make the system easier to use.
We'd love to hear your feedback as you use history and make payments. We'll do our best to make updates as needed. We appreciate your patience as we move through this major enhancement.
Labels: credit cards, mobile, new features, Web Branch
Text Messages for Web Alerts Now Available
Web Alerts are now available as text messages to your cell phone (in addition to e-mail). Now you can be informed whenever your balance alerts are met or if overdraft protection is advanced wherever you are.
Just choose your mobile carrier and enter your cell phone number in Profile & Services to enable the feature. Then edit the individual alerts to enable the alert to be sent to your cell phone.
We also have added the ability to have a second e-mail address on file. That way, you can choose to have individual alerts delivered to e-mail accounts at home, work or both, for example. This feature is enabled in the same way as text messages.
Because we realize you may not always want to be notified, there's a do not disturb feature where you can "snooze" the alerts during certain hours each day. The alerts are stored and sent when your set time period ends.
Labels: mobile, new features, Web Branch
Web Branch Design Refresh Preview
We're hard at work doing a design refresh for Web Branch. The new design brings Web Branch in line with our redesigned Web site that launched in April. Rest assured, we aren't changing any functionality or where you find things--the changes are purely cosmetic. However, we continue to optimize our use of graphics and layout to make the pages load as fast as possible.
Look for design updates to Web Alert HTML e-mail messages and the mobile site in the future as well.
The new design should go live in the next month or so.
Labels: Web Branch
Money Link Invitations Just Got Easier
We created Money Link to make it easy for members to receive money from anyone with a bank account in the U.S. (if that account is with UW Credit Union the transfer is instant--otherwise it takes 3-4 business days). This free service is already used by many members.
Today, we made it easier to invite people to send you money. Just go to Money Link under the Transfers & Payments tab in Web Branch and choose to "Create a New Money Link." Now, you can easily import the names and e-mail addresses of your contacts from AOL, GMail, Hotmail and Yahoo mail. We just pass on your e-mail address and e-mail password to those services so there's no need to worry about your account information being used or compromised. And, of course, we never store or sell the e-mail addresses you enter.
Money Link is a great way to share in expenses with roommates, split checks when getting lunch or for parents to send students money at school. If you haven't tried Money Link, now is a great time to start.
Labels: Money Link, new features, Web Branch
Enhanced Credit Card Integration Coming to Web Branch
We are starting to work on a project that will enhance the integration of our Visa credit card data with Web Branch. Currently, a summary of information is available on Web Branch and the majority of information such as transaction data, alert set-up, etc., is available on another site called "EZCard."
This Fall, we'll eliminate the need for the EZCard site and will have the transactional data and alerts available in Web Branch. We're excited about this change as it will make the user experience consistent with that of Web Branch and give us the flexibility to better address member feedback when it comes to accessing their credit card information.
Look for more details this Fall.
Labels: feedback, new features, Web Branch
Browser Support Updated for Firefox 3
A new version of Firefox is now available. Version 3 adds a bunch of new features and improvements to page loading speed and memory usage. We've fully tested the new version with our Web site and Web Branch and have added it to our supported browsers list.
For those of you not familiar with Firefox, it is made by the Mozilla Corporation, a non-profit company based in California. Firefox was introduced in 2004 and quickly took off. It is the second most popular browser after Microsoft Internet Explorer.
For those of you still using Firefox 1 and 1.5, those versions are no longer supported by Mozilla. Now would be a great time to upgrade to make sure you aren't vulnerable to any security flaws.
Labels: browsers, help, tips, Web Branch, Web site
Use Web Branch to Place Stop Payments on Checks
We've added the ability to place a stop payment on a single check to Web Branch. If you ever have a need to stop payment on a check, just login and go to Disputes & Stop Payments under the My Profile & Services tab. From there, you can provide the details of a check you wrote or choose from a list of past Web Payments. There is a fee for stopping a personal check, but stopping Web Pay checks is free.
You can also view past stop payments and cancel stop payments you've placed.
If your checkbook is lost or stolen or you need to place stops on a range of checks, you'll still need to contact us so we can consult with you as to what your best options are.
Labels: new features, Web Branch
Web Pay Enhancement--Last Payment Date
We've made a small change to the Pay Bills screen in Web Pay. We now show the date last paid under each payee. This should help you stay organized and make sure you are making monthly payments on your bills.
We also added the ability to sort your payee list by the date last paid (along with alphabetical as it always was).
If you've never used Web Pay, now is a great time to give it a try (or try it again if you once tried it). We've added many additional electronic payees over the last two years and now most major billers are electronic. The Web Pay service is free with all of our checking accounts.
Labels: new features, Web Branch, Web Pay
Thanks for Your Donations
UW Credit Union members helped raise almost $11,000 to support the Red Cross International Response fund. While we've taken the ability to donate via Web Branch down, you can still donate by going directly to the Red Cross Web site.
Look for another opportunity to donate to charities via Web Branch during the holiday season.
Labels: Web Branch
Use Web Branch to Support Disaster Relief in Myanmar
We've added the ability to donate to the American Red Cross using Web Branch to support disaster relief for the cyclone victims in Myanmar. This feature was very popular in the past with members for the Hurricane Katrina and Stoughton Tornado tragedies and before that the tsunami in Thailand.
Labels: Web Branch
Two Ways to Move Money—External Transfers and Money Link
We’ve received some questions from members on how our External Transfers and Money Link services work. While both systems have similar characteristics, they do very different things.
External Transfers involve accounts you own. One is here at UW Credit Union; the other is an account you own at another bank or credit union. External Transfers lets you move funds between your accounts here at UW Credit Union and your accounts at another institution. Moving money to your UW Credit Union account is free and there is a small fee for moving money out of your UW Credit Union account. You can transfer up to $2,000 each day and up to $5,000 each month. The funds take 3-4 business days to transfer. However, a one-day transfer option is available for a $10 fee. We are also working on increasing the daily and monthly limits for these transfers—more on that soon.
To get started with External Transfers, just login to Web Branch and go to the “Transfers & Payments” tab and choose “My External Accounts.”
Money Link is a way for anyone to send money to a UW Credit Union member. This system involves your UW Credit Union account and an account owned by someone else either at UW Credit Union or at any other financial institution in the country. This system is similar to PayPal, but it’s completely free.
To get started using Money Link, you need to invite someone to pay you. Perhaps someone owes you for lunch, or you share household bills and need an easy way to collect from your roommates. Maybe you’re in school and you’d like an easy way for your parents to send you money. Money Link is perfect for all of these situations and many more. To invite someone, login to Web Branch and go to the “Transfers & Payments” tab. Click on the Money Link logo and choose “Create a New Money Link.” From there all you need to do is enter the person’s name and e-mail address. They’ll get an e-mail from us and the system will guide them through the process. If the person you invited is a UW Credit Union member, they can connect one of their UW Credit Union accounts and transfer money to you immediately. If that person is not a member, they’ll have to go through a few additional steps to set up their account at another bank or credit union. Those transfers take 3-4 business days to be completed.
We hope you’ll find these services useful and a way to make your financial life even easier.
Labels: External Transfers, feedback, help, Money Link, Web Branch
Open a Certificate in 60 Seconds on Web Branch
We've had instant deposit account opening on Web Branch since July 2007, but certificate accounts were not available. We've added certificate account opening to the new account tool. It's a simple process to open a new certificate:
- Choose the type of deposit account you'd like to open.
- For a certificate account, choose the type of certificate and the term (we have a savings advice calculator to help you narrow down the choices and select the account the best meets your needs).
- Read and accept the disclosures.
- Choose the account you'd like to fund the new certificate from and the amount.
- Set up additional account options like a nickname and if you'd like a joint account holder.
- Verify that all the details are correct.
- Congratulations, you have a new certificate. You'll instantly see it on your account summary.
To begin the process, select Open New Account on the Account Summary.
Labels: new features, tips, Web Branch
Web Branch Mobile Now in Open Beta
Due to the large number of requests from beta testers and excellent feedback we've received so far, we are opening up the beta for Web Branch Mobile. All members now have access to our mobile Web site and Web Branch Mobile (see previous post regarding mobile services).
Go to m.uwcu.org to get started. An interactive demo of the functionality is also available.
Labels: mobile, new features, Web Branch, Web site
UW Credit Union Goes Mobile
We are excited to announce the availability of our new mobile banking service. Using your cell phone’s or mobile device’s built in Web browser, you can locate the nearest UW Credit Union branch or ATM, get answers to commonly asked questions, and login to Web Branch.
Web Branch Mobile features account balances and history (with check images), transfers and loan payments, Web Pay and Money Link. It also has the same security and reliability as our standard Web Branch. To try our mobile banking services, go to m.uwcu.org.
The site has been designed to work on mobile devices with small screens as well as iPhones. We are very interested in receiving your feedback on how the site works on your particular device. While we’ve done our best to test and optimize the mobile site for as many devices as we can, there are too many devices to fully test. Our goal is to make it work on as many devices as possible -- and your feedback will help us do so.Because we need your help to test Web Branch Mobile, the service will be in a closed beta for a short period of time. If you’d like to help test, please e-mail sourcecode@uwcu.org and we’ll set you up with access. Update: we've opened up the beta to all members. An interactive demo of the functionality is also available.
Labels: about, mobile, new features, Web Branch
What is a Security Phrase?
The security phrase feature has been part of Web Branch and Web Alerts since 2003. However, we still hear from members from time to time who are confused with how the security phrase works. I'd like to address what the security phrase is and how it protects you and your accounts from fraud.
The security phrase is not a password. You should not include private information in your security phrase like your Social Security Number or mother's maiden name. In fact, it should not be just one word, it should be a phrase. I like to use some of my favorite song lyrics. Other good phrases might be a list of your favorite movies or books, kids' names, or famous quotes. The best security phrase is something you'll immediately recognize as being something you wrote.
We put your security phrase in every automated e-mail we send. E-mail is not secure (it is transmitted as text over the Internet and could be intercepted and read). That's why you should not include anything private in your phrase.
By including your security phrase in e-mails, you can be sure they are from UW Credit Union. With phishing and other types of e-mail fraud, scammers send thousands of e-mails hoping they reach customers who might fall for the scam. However, in their spam, they'd never be able to customize the message to include your security phrase. This means that as long as you recognize your phrase in an e-mail from UW Credit Union, you can be comfortable knowing it is legitimate.
If you're a Web Alerts user with a good security phrase, no action is required. You can continue to use Web Alerts comfortably and confidently. If you use Web Alerts and don't have a security phrase or are using a password or other private information in your phrase, please create or change your phrase immediately. This is easily done by clicking on the Update Security Phrase link in any Web Alert or by logging into Web Branch and going to the My Profile & Services tab.
Labels: feedback, help, tips, Web Branch
Customize Web Branch with User Preferences
Last week we introduced Quick Views (read the previous post here). We realize some members may not want to use this feature so we've added the ability to turn it off to the User Preferences page. This page can be accessed via the My Profile & Services tab.
We have a few other customization options available there now and we'll be adding more choices as new features are added.
Labels: new features, tips, Web Branch
Introducing Quick Views
We've added a new feature to Web Branch--Quick Views. This feature gives you instant access to the last five history items for each of your accounts from the account summary page.
Just hover over the History link next your account and a summary of the last five history items will appear. If you'd like to view additional history or details, click the Full View link in the pop-up box or click the History link you are hovering over. Previews of check images are also available in the same way.
Labels: new features, Web Branch
