Many first-time users come to online banking to access their account information such as account balances and check activity. That is followed by the ability to transfer funds between accounts. And finally, many users then move into online bill pay. Perhaps they start with paying a few utilities online at the utility's website. They may then look into the online bill pay service offered by their bank. Now, banks are seeing more and more users receiving bills electronically.

Yet for some bank customers, concerns about identity theft keep them from trying online banking. Interestingly, their counterparts who do use the Internet to conduct banking do not seem to hold those same perceptions. Most are satisfied with the level of online security offered by their banks. The challenge then for banks lies in the continued education of their customers to try online banking and discover for themselves the high level of security in place at most banks. Once those customers give online banking a try, perceptions of risk seem to decrease, reports indicate. Surprisingly, these same reports discovered that today's security measures put in place by PC users and banks have many ID thieves targeting potential victims offline.

The following are a few tips to consider when choosing an Internet bank account:

1.The Annual Percentage Yield (APR) may be higher with Internet bank accounts, and therefore one of the most important attractions for those looking for a high yield. Conducting transactions online may save the bank money, and those savings may then be passed on to the online customer, most often in the form of higher savings rates.

2.Ability to access money. Online users need to consider what steps are involved in accessing their money in an online account.

3.Ability to link accounts. Users want the ability to link various accounts to one another, making it easy to move money seamlessly between online bank accounts.

4.What types of additional services are available? Potential users should be interested in not only banking online, but purchasing CDs, applying for a mortgage, and paying bills online.

5.Security. Users must confirm that their online bank is FDIC insured and that the security system can be trusted.

6.Ability to set up automatic savings account. There's no reason not to save today with an online account that electronically deposits money into a savings or money market account.

Protecting your personal information online is vital to Guaranty Bank & Trust. We go to great lengths to see that your transactions are confidential and secure.

The Internet Banking Service utilizes a comprehensive security strategy to protect your accounts and transactions conducted over the Internet. Prior to activating your access to the Internet Banking Service, our Internet Banking Department will verify your identity and authorization against information associated with the Eligible Account (s) that you request to be linked to the Internet Banking Service.

One way your Online Banking transactions and accounts are protected is by your User ID and Password. Be sure to keep them a secret. Memorize them and if you need to keep a written record of them, store it away from your computer and do not carry it in your wallet. Make sure no one watches you enter this information. Remember to log off the Guaranty Bank & Trust Online site whenever you leave your computer. If your computer is left unattended with the browser running and your User ID and Password have been entered, anyone can gain access to your accounts.