Conference 7.286::dcu

I'll fwd your suggestion to DCU (without your name attached of course) and
post an answer if/when I get one.

Actually, what would be really spiffy is if I could pull my statement from
DCU electronically right into my 320sx PC.  Say, once a month on the 2nd, I
dial in to DCU (via compuserve or somesuch) and downline load my statement.

The format of course would be "standard", and quicken or any of the other
packages could then pull the statement in for me to reconcile.  The package
would of course need to have this feature, but they might add it if the
idea were to catch on.

This would save DCU paper/printing/postage costs - which might offset the cost
of the service.  Even if it was initially more expensive, I might be willing
to pay a nominal fee for the service, with the understanding that when the
cost of the service becomes less than the cost of the traditional method, that
the fee would be dropped.

--Scott

    
    	Re: .2
    
    	No thanks, at least not until network security has reached a point
    where you can't pull _my_ statement either accidently or on purpose...
    
    							-craig

RE: .3

Huh? If security were a problem then we wouldn't have EasyTouch. How is
EasyTouch more secure than communicating via a computer?

-Glenn-

One neat statement option my Canadian bank does is to provide with the
statement, additional sheets with scanned copies of cheques on them ...
3 across, and about 5 down.  It really is useful, especially where the
bank doesn't return the cancelled cheques.  They charge for the service ...
something like a dollar a month, which is waived for a minimum balance.
It sure does help solve the ... "who did I write that cheque to" questions!

Stuart

    
    security ???
    
    I'm sure if the US Mail were so secure the major credit card
    companies wouldn't be considering delivery services to curb the 
    'disappearance' of new credit cards that never reach their rightful
    owner.
    
    It's not like ANYONE can't get a copy of your credit report for
    a fee, lisitng all your numbers and balances, or snatch your number off 
    old reciepts.....it's easier than you think.
    
    All it would take is an access record, and when you dialed in
    for the first time that month you'd know whether anyone was
    able to access your statment.
          

    Re .5 and copies of checks.
    
    It's also nice when you mismatched the plastic and duplicate, and did
    not enter the check into your book.  (It's happened to me).
    
    Plus, I really dislige the duplicate checks.   Yes, scanned, small
    copies of even the front would be real nice.
    

    
    	I was reacting to the part about connecting to compuserve, I
    suppose.  Yes, I know that nothing is really secure (having come from a
    security group that notion is _well_ pounded into my brain), but there
    certainly are degrees of security.  And as to EasyTouch, I wouldn't
    mind seeing an option where a member could disable their account from
    being accessible via EasyTouch.  I don't use it to access my account
    and would prefer to know that noone else could either.
    
    							-craig

For what it's worth:

Intuit, the company that makes Quicken (a leading personal finance
tracking tool for PC's) offers a credit card with your choice of 
statements by floppy, mailed to you, or statements by dial-in access,
downloaded into your Quicken database.  No annual fee for the credit
card, but a monthly fee for the floppy in the mail, and some other costs
associated with the dial-in statement.

   Gary

    How about asking the Software company to be more flexible in the way
    they handle the input of data?

I've sent in the suggestion and will try to remember to ask about it today.
Yes, it's simply a matter of software - they will do anything we want
as long as we pay for it. Also, when DCU diverges from the standard source,
all of a sudden support and upgrade can easily becomes a nightmare. Remember
that if this software doesn't work, it's not like you can just abort it and
re-run it. It's the software that keeps track of how much money is in
your and my account so DCU understandably needs to be very cautious when
they do any changes to this software.

I'm not very happy with the current format of the monthly statement. I find the statements
from my other banks (Baybank and Bank of America) much easier to deal with.

- Ganesh.

I am in agreeement here. I find that most financial institutions
now have separate columns for deposits and withdrawls.

I'll look into it.

Gim

    This has been a pet peeve of mine for years.  I like using the DCU, but
    hesitate to use it regularly for all banking because the statements are
    not arranged like other banks.  The historical approach -- as
    transactions come into the bank -- is difficult to work with.  Also,
    the transactions should be separated by catagory:  ATM, deposits,
    and checks should all be different catagories arranged in numerical
    order (checks) or in chronological order if they are not numbered.
    
    Makes using Quicken a breeze.
    
    Peter

    
    >>transactions should be separated by catagory:  ATM, deposits, and
    >>checks
    
    they already are.  I never look at the detailed list unless I have a 
    discrepency with a particular line item.  I've used DCU and Quicken for 
    4 years.  The category seperation you want is done at the bottom of the 
    checking account list: 'Drafts', 'Withdrawals', 'Deposits and other 
    Credits'.
    
    I think it's fine the way it is....the above three categories line 
    up very nicely with the way Quicken categorizes things when you
    want to reconcile an account.
    
    --Bert

Someone asked about including YTD interest on the statements.
The DCU is looking into it.

This is YTD dividends and interest paid to the DCU on loans.

Gim

Re .16

Well, now that DCU has looked into it for nearly six months :-)
are they planning to do anything about it.

I'd like to check if my '96 tax witholding is on track,
and it will save me a lot of work if I can look up
YTD interest from the most recent monthly statement
(my "other bank" has been doing this for years).

- Ganesh.

Ganesh -

Do you use PC Branch?  The YTD interest is available there on the Balances page you get when you first dial in.

Elaine

Still, it would be nice if it were on the monthly hardcopy
- it beats having to dial in..

- Ganesh.