Change Is Never Easy

I’m sure you’ve noticed that our online banking has been going through some changes this past month, but I wanted to take a moment to explain some of the changes and why these changes are all happening now. One of the biggest changes is to increase the security of your account.  It may seem like a pain to make changes to your user id and password, but it’s important to understand that as more and more people use technology to do their banking that also means more, more criminals take to the Internet to commit their crimes. They are looking specifically for weaknesses in financial institution sites, so it’s important to us to make changes to keep them locked out and keep your money safe.

First if you have been using your account number as your “username” that’s the first thing you will need to change. You will be prompted to change it to a minimum of six characters and they can’t be just numbers, they should be made up of a combination of letters, numbers and the following special characters: @$*_-=! ~

                TIP: Sometimes it’s easier to create a user id and password that is unique and special to you and replace the letters of the word with numbers and special characters. For instance instead of a word like “password” it can be changed to “P@$$w0rd” Change the a to @ the s to $ and the letter o to the number zero. (please don’t actually use this as your username or password, it’s still too common). 

Your password will also need to meet new requirements – it must be six or more characters and also contain both letters, numbers and/or the same symbols allowed for your username.

After you’ve changed your username and password you will still need to go through one more new steps so our system can identify that it’s really you using that particular device. You will be asked to provide your land line or cellphone number for a phone you have with you and we will immediately send you an access code via voice or SMS text message – you tell us which you prefer.  We also can send you an email to the email address you have on file if you don’t have a phone with you if you select “I do not have access to a phone” during enrollment.  Once you get the access code, you can then enter that access code into your computer to complete the new login process. If the computer is one that is secure and one you use a lot you can choose the option of bypassing this step on the next login by selecting the option that it is private, but if you’re using a public computer or one you don’t usually use, you will not want to choose this option, but the next time you login from that computer you will need to go through this process again. You will also go through the same process for each new device you log on from.

                Tip: No matter what computer you’re using when EVER you’re conducting business online that requires you to enter any secure information like usernames/passwords/credit card info, etc. you should make sure to protect that site with Trusteer – the security software we offer TFCU members for free. Once downloaded on your computer make sure to click on the gray arrow in the upper right of the address bar and secure that website (click here for more information on how Trusteer works).

Once you’re logged into your account the top portion of the page will look different, and there will be some navigation changes:

Upper right hand corner

My Profile - Change your login credentials, update security contacts, maintain alerts and notifications, Update account nicknames, User Options – change email, email promotions, account nicknames, change postal address and change phone number (not for OTP)

HELP – view help text online

Support – how to contact us

Logout – ALWAYS use to log out of Online Banking properly

Main Navigation Bar

My Accounts – view your accounts, transaction history, check images, export transactions, make a transfer

Bill Pay –Save time and money Pay your Bills Online!

Move Money – Make a transfer, Schedule a transfer (one time or recurring)

Manage Money – Finance works and Turbo Tax

Additional Services – Mobile Banking Alerts, eStatements, TFCU Loan Payment Center, Tropical Mortgage, EZ Deposits, Products and Service - Reorder Checks, Account Opening,

Secure Forms – Cross Account Transfer, Account information update, Election to convert you existing checking account, Student checking

Credit Cards – Online Access to your Tropical Credit Card.

To put all these things into place you probably have noticed that we have had some downtime and I’m afraid this weekend, Saturday December 15^th, we will be down for one more upgrade. The change will start at 9pm on Saturday and again will last around 4 hours. During that time you won’t have access to your online banking, telephone banking (Homebranch), or mobile banking.

If you have questions about the process, check out the frequently asked questions about the new security changes.  We apologize for any inconveniences and we appreciate your understanding as we continue to work toward bringing you the best and most secure online banking experience possible!

^Amy