A company I’ve had great experience with, in contrast to Chase, is ING Direct. I’ve been an on-line customer since 2005 and love the simplicity and savings in time and money I’ve had.

Almost all my bills are automatically deducted from there.  I just make sure I’ve got enough money to cover them and don’t have to take the time to mail bills. If anyone is still doing that, STOP! Why waste the time and postage? Conquering tasks such as bill-paying helps with having more balance in our lives.

This ritual is not fun for anyone and I don’t miss it at all. I see the amounts that go through, so can take action if I see an amount that seems unusual. I’ve also historically gotten a higher interest rate than I’ve seen, which has been going down steadily.

I felt even more validated for my banking choice when I recently read an article in Money Magazine stating we should have an emergency saving account in ING.  Making sure we have at least an emergency savings account is a goal all should try to achieve to feel some basic semblance of balance.  Leave a comment if you are interested in joining the bank and would like a $10 referral bonus.

The more simplicity we have in our lives, the more balanced we feel.