Online banking is a convenient option that most banks offer their customers.

Online banking allows you to check your balance and pay bills online.

If you aren’t a fan of making trips to the bank or are tired of keeping track of your finances with a paper and pen, online banking may be a good option for you.

If you do choose to try online banking, use these tips to make it easier to use and understand.

Tip 1:
Make sure the online bank you use is FDIC insured. While banking online may be a lot easier than traditional banking, it also comes with some risks. Online bank accounts can be hacked and if hackers are successful, they may be able to steal the money from your bank account. Most banks are great about helping you get your money back and if it is FDIC insured, you stand a much better chance of getting the stolen funds back.

Take a look at @IBMSecurity's tips for online banking best practice http://t.co/RM6eVmkGZl pic.twitter.com/p1Gj3aE6Bq

— Cyber Streetwise (@cyberstreetwise) October 7, 2014

Tip 2:
Only do your online bank transactions and log into your account on a browser that offers a secure server. You can tell if a website is being accessed on a secure server by looks for the “s” at the end of the “http” in the website address. A secure site will have “https” at the beginning of it instead of just “http.” This means that hackers can’t see the information you are seeing or that is being sent from your computer to the bank website.

Want to stay on top of deposits & payment due dates? Set up online #banking alerts: http://t.co/sC40UgHZdx pic.twitter.com/vEuOBWvXyH

— Bank of America (@BofA_Tips) April 12, 2014

Tip 3:
When you log onto the online bank, you will be asked for a username and password. To protect your account from being hacked, you need to get creative and use a username and password that will be hard for hackers to guess. Avoid using your name, birthday, phone number or other easy-to-guess words and numbers. If you are worried you will forget your login information, write it on a piece of paper and keep it in a safe place in your home. You can reference it anytime you forget your login information, and eventually you will memorize it.

Online banking makes life a lot easier and if you are busy and don’t always have the time to make it to the post office to pay a bill or to the bank to deposit or withdraw money, online banking could seem like a life saver.