adventures in online banking...part 1

A few years ago I got miffed with my local credit union when they changed the rules about charges for debit card transactions. (Who knew that UNLIMITED meant 40?) I closed my accounts and took ALL my money (all $141.78) down the street to the local Alberta Treasury Branch (ATB for short). It's worked out well for me. "Unlimited" meant "as many as you want" and the ATB has been especially consistent, if not a little archaic in the way they do business. Nothing ever changed and I always knew what to expect from my ATB.

A few years later I graduated from "telephone banking" to "online banking" and an entire universe opened up for me!!! And the online website NEVER CHANGED! It was always the same and I knew exactly what to expect.

That is, until last week. The bank actually CLOSED all online access for two days for "upgrades". 

I don't know about you but in my universe "upgrades" is code for "screwing around and messing everything up". 

Well, I finally tried to get on my online banking today and things weren't as bad as I expected. The only thing that seemed a little odd was that all the bills that I usually pay online were no longer listed by the name of what it actually is. For example Telus Mobility, BMO Mastercard, etc, etc. Suddenly all my bills were just numbers and I was supposed to make a nickname to identify each company. 

Just as I was thinking of the raunchiest, rudest names to call my bills I was reminded that whatever I chose would be readable on the teller's screen at the bank. I guess I won't use "freakin' filthy fone bill" after all.