You may be one of the 175 million people who have become comfortable conducting their banking business online. And, why worry, because, with all of the security and redundant data encryption used in banking website, you’re as safe banking online as you are braving the traffic driving to your bank. It saves time, money and it keeps many of us more on track financially.

If you really want to save, or make more money, you may want to consider true online banks – those that exist only in the internet cloud without a brick and mortar presence. Without the overhead of physical locations, they can sweeten the banking relationship by offering higher savings rates or more competitive loan rates, and they usually don’t nickel and dime you for many of those pesky fees for checks and minimum balance requirements. In fact, many of them will actually reimburse your account when you need to access an ATM machine not of their brand.

While it may not be as convenient to make deposits, they are well-suited for direct-deposits and are adept at facilitating bank transfers. If you find, like many people, that you rarely visit your bank, it may be worthwhile to check out an online bank.