In the early days of banking the only means of transacting business was cash. Later came checks, credit cards, debit cards and checking cards. Now, with some banks you can check your checking and savings accounts in person, by phone or at the automated teller machine.

While each of these has its own advantages, I find full-service banking through the Internet to be the best of all worlds and more convenient than having to dial directly into the bank system.

To give you a demonstration of what you can do with a good online account, check out Wells Fargo online. While I am not endorsing Wells Fargo or any other bank, since I have full access to my account there, I am using it as an example.

To start online banking, you first have to establish an account and get an ATM card (for verification purposes). From the home page you can "sign on" and apply for online banking. Expect to enter a short page of personal information to prove it is really you requesting the online account. You are then setup and approved in a matter of seconds and prompted to request a password.

When you are ready to bank, simply log on with your social security number and password. You can then check personal or business accounts (if you have both) including checking, savings, Wells Fargo credit cards and more. You can also see balances, payments, debits and credits or transfer money between accounts.

All of this would be great if it did nothing but display on the screen, but it does more. If you have a software program like Intuit's Quicken or Microsoft Money, you can download the information and have it reconcile your banking accounts for you.

What other things you can do from the Wells Fargo site? You can order travelers cheques, cashier's checks or foreign currency, request check or statement copies, or ask via electronic form about anything related to your bank account.

One of my favorite features is Bill Pay. For $5.00 a month (waived if you maintain over $5000 in your accounts) you can pay up to 25 bills a month with $.40 for each additional check. It doesn't matter if you are sending in a loan payment directly to a bank or need a check mailed weekly for day care. Schedule your payments at anytime and set them up as one-time payments or regularly-scheduled events. With this feature, you may never miss a bill again.

Don't worry about needing to stop or change a payment, you can modify everything 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If all this sounds wonderful, but you don't trust the Internet to keep you information secure, consider that Wells Fargo, like most other banks online, limits your liability to only $50.00 if you notify them within 48 hours of determining fraud or theft. They stand much more to lose than you if their system has leaks. If that still doesn't convince you, read Wells Fargo's statement on privacy and security and see why your information is truly safe.

Finally, it is important to note, due to the enormous costs involved to create such complex systems, most smaller banks have not yet set up these types of account interactions. However, with technology increasing and costs decreasing every month, many banks probably make the move this year. Ask your bank if or when you can start banking online.