Think outside the mailbox and go paperless!

With the growth and maturity of online statement delivery, paperless statements are fast becoming the norm in the banking industry.

Financial institutions brand paperless statements under different service tags ranging from E-Statements, Email Statements, PDF Statements, Online Statements and so on. However, the end objective of all paperless statements is to save time and reduce paper.

Paperless statements look just like paper versions and should typically be accessible much before the paper versions reach you via snail mail.

They can be made available through emails, e-banking services or over websites and are usually free of charge.

Why go paperless?

• Speed, Convenience and Ease. Fastest way to track your finances and manage your accounts online at any time.

• Get More Organized. View, save or print your statements as and when you like and never misplace your statements again.

• Eliminate Clutter. Paperless statements significantly reduce the amount of mail and paperwork you collect.

Go ahead and take advantage of paperless statement services by contacting your financial institution. En route to a paperless life, do not forget the e-banking basics:

• Guard yourself. Anyone using the Internet should have a good firewall and software to combat pop-ups, spy ware and viruses. If you plan to manage your financial life on the computer, then you need to be particularly diligent about making sure your protections are in place and updated regularly.

• Track your accounts. Whether you transact or not, most security experts will recommend regularly monitoring your account online at least once a week.

• Sign up for any alerting services offered. Some banks e-mail you when account events like payment due date or exceeding limit occur. It's a good idea to supplement paperless statements with alerting services to ensure that you continue to stay on top of your finances.

So go paperless and save time, hassle and paperwork.