Make sure that any communication you receive about your account is coming directly from your bank. Your bank may text you and ask you to reply to confirm the transaction. You may trigger one of these alerts by using a card outside of your home city (especially when you travel) or from a transaction that’s grossly over your typical purchase. If it’s not, you can set one up so your bank will alert you if they suspect a transaction is fraudulent. Unusual Activity AlertĪn unusual activity alert may be an automatic feature with your bank account.
If fraudsters gain access to your account, it’s not uncommon for them to change information like your email address, username and password to lock you out of your account and give them free rein. Setting up a profile change alert can warn you when there’s been a change to your login information. Your online banking username and password keep your bank account secure. When you receive an alert, you can check to see if the other account holder made the withdrawal or if it’s a potentially fraudulent transaction. These alerts are especially helpful if you have a joint account holder. If you know that you only withdraw specific dollar amounts of cash from the ATM, you can set an alert that will flag larger-than-normal ATM withdrawals. A single transaction alert could warn you of potential fraud. While these alerts may often flag everyday purchases, fraudsters like to use multiple low-dollar transactions to siphon bank accounts. In that case, you can set a single transaction alert to flag when transactions hit your account above the $25 limit you set. For example, let’s say most of your transactions are $25 or less. Suppose you know your daily spending usually falls in a particular dollar range. If you share a joint account with one of your kids or a partner, large purchase amounts can prompt a discussion about spending habits-or let you know a particularly nice birthday or anniversary gift is in your future. Large purchase alerts let you set a dollar amount that will trigger an alert.
It’s another when someone else is doing the splurging for you-and possibly without your permission. It’s one thing to splurge on yourself every now and then. This alert can also serve to remind you to put a little more money toward a credit card payment or car loan, accelerating your debt pay-down strategy.
A high balance alert can let you know when it’s time to move money from your checking account into a savings, retirement or another investment account.
You always want your money to be working for you as hard as it possibly can, and a high balance alert can help. If you have a joint account, a low balance alert can also help you discuss family finances and spending patterns. One of the great things about a low balance alert is that you’ll know when to move money into your checking account from savings or even tighten spending until the next payday. Many banks allow you to customize the dollar amount that triggers this alert. To help you avoid potential overdraft fees, consider setting up a low balance alert. From there, you can consider which alerts you’ll find useful for your finances and lifestyle. The list below can help you learn about some of the most common types of bank alerts. Ultimately, the alerts you choose to activate are entirely up to you. What Are the Different Types of Bank Account Alerts? The best part about bank account alerts is that they’re customizable to your preferences, and you can turn them on or off at any time. Alerts can even remind you that it’s time to move some money around to help you avoid fees or to meet your savings goals. Even if you feel like you’re on top of your spending habits, bank alerts can keep you even more in the know about your account activity.įor example, alerts can let you know that it’s payday or that someone might be using your debit card without your permission. Think of bank account alerts as a digital nudge to let you know that something is happening in your bank account-often your checking account. Then, use the list below to explore your bank’s alert options and match available alerts to your preferences. Learn about the different alerts that may be available through your bank. While the types of alerts available vary from bank to bank, they’re usually free, and you can choose to receive them by email or text. With bank alerts, you can get real-time updates about various types of account activity and use these alerts to better manage your finances. Gone are the days of having to wait for a bank statement to know what’s going on inside your bank account.