Checking Out: Online

ANCHOR LEAD IN:
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE NOT ONLY DOING THEIR
BANKING ONLINE, THEY'RE ALSO PUTTING THEIR MONEY IN
ONLINE BANKS. AND WHILE HIGH INTERST SAVINGS
ACCOUNTS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR AWHILE….AS
_____TELLS US, NOW, SEVERAL BANKS ARE ROLLING OUT A
NEW WAY TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MONEY---HIGH
INTEREST ONLINE CHECKING ACCOUNTS. HERE A HEADS UP!

TRACK ONE Length :08
KIRA BOTKIN IS A FAN OF HER ONLINE BANK. SHE HAS FIVE
SAVINGS ACCOUNTS ALL EARNING A HIGH YIELD. SHE JUST
WISHES FOR MORE SERVICES.

SOT
KEY @ :09 Kira Botkin, Online Banker
"I did kind of hope they would open a checking account someday."

TRACK TWO Length :05
THAT DAY HAS COME. KIRA'S BANK RECENTLY ROLLED OUT
HIGH INTEREST CHECKING ACCOUNTS.

SOT
KEY @ :18 Kira Botkin, Online Banker
"I signed up for it basically the first second that I saw that I was
allowed."

SOT
KEY @ :26 Greg McBride, Bankrate.com
"You're seeing yields of 3, 4, sometimes 5 percent compared to a
national average on a checking account that is currently 0.3%."

TRACK THREE Length :09
BANKRATE DOT COM'S GREG MCBRIDE SAYS YOU CAN
USUALLY BANK ON OTHER PERKS TOO… LIKE NO FEES AND
NO MINIMUM BALANCE REQUIREMENTS. THAT'S WHAT LURED
KIRA IN.

SOT
NO KEY Kira Botkin, Online Banker
"You can have $10 in there and it will still be earning interest."

TRACK FOUR Length :13
BUT MCBRIDE SAYS THESE ACCOUNTS AREN'T FOR
EVERYONE… YOU HAVE TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH ONLINE
BANKING AND CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS ARE MORE
COMPLICATED WHEN YOU CAN'T JUST WALK INTO A
NEIGHBORHOOD BRANCH.
SOME E- BANKS DON'T ISSUE CHECK BOOKS… TO WRITE A
CHECK YOU…

SOT
KEY @ :59 Greg McBride, Bankrate.com
"Go online, type in the information, the bank prints out that check and
mails it out to whoever you designate."

TRACK FIVE Length :10
AND ALTHOUGH YOU CAN HAVE DIRECT DEPOSIT FOR THINGS
LIKE PAY, OTHER CHECKS MUST BE MAILED IN.
KIRA LIKES THE HIGH INTEREST RATE BUT HOPES HER E-
BANK BECOMES EVEN MORE USER-FRIENDLY.

SOT
NO KEY Kira Botkin, Online Banker
"They're missing a couple of very core traditional features that I'd like
to see, but I'm hoping that they roll those out in the future, and I can
take advantage of that."

ANCHOR TAG:
MCBRIDE SAYS BEFORE SIGNING UP FOR A CHECKING
ACCOUNT WITH AN E-BANK, REMEMBER THERE ARE NO
BRANCHES SO YOU HAVE TO RELY ON ATMs TO GET CASH.
MAKE SURE THE BANK HAS SOME IN YOUR AREA THAT DON'T
CHARGE A FEE. WITH MOST, YOU CAN SEARCH ON THE
BANK'S WEBSITE FOR ATM LOCATIONS IN YOUR AREA.
ONE OTHER NOTE, NOT ALL OF THESE ONLINE BANKS OFFER
INTEREST RATES AS HIGH AND THREE, FOUR AND FIVE
PERCENT. SOME ARE LOWER BUT STILL ABOVE THE
NATIONAL AVERAGE.

SOURCE LIST
This information may be posted on your website at the bottom of the NewsProNet script if your station has an extended license that includes your Web property.

Greg McBride

http://www.bankrate.com

A Few Internet Banks Offering Checking Accounts:

http://www.ingdirect.com

http://www.everbank.com

http://www.firstib.com

http://www.netbank.com

https://us.etrade.com/e/t/banking/checking

ADDITIONAL SOURCE INFORMATION
FOR CLIENT-STATION USE ONLY
The additional information provided below is for client-station use only.
This private contact information cannot be given to viewers nor posted on your Website. It is for internal station use only. It is provided to help you obtain answers to any additional questions you may have and to help you localize a story. Thank you.

Greg McBride
Bankrate.com
PR Contact:
Chantal VonAlvensleben
cvon@bankrate.com

Greg McBride is a senior financial analyst with Bankrate.com. He
says while banks have long offered high yielding checking accounts,
more and more are getting into the checking game. They have
already established a customer base, and now, the internet banks
are solidifying that relationship by offering checking accounts as well.