Financial Matters: Cut back on paper

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WVBT) - All week long we're 'going green' on The Hampton Roads Show and local financial institutions are too!

Marilyn Lamb, E-Commerce Manager at Bayport Credit Union, explains how you can make a few simple changes with your account that could help the environment.

What can we do if we're tired of piling up bank statements?

-- E-statements help you reduce paper clutter.
-- E-statements are available in PDF format, which can be easily viewed, printed or downloaded to your computer.
-- E-statements help you find old account statements more quickly. By just logging on to your Internet banking account, you can get the required e-statement in just a few seconds instead of digging through piles of paper statements.
-- An e-mail reminder is sent to you email address each time a new E-Statement becomes available.

Another way to cut down on paper is by paying bills online --

-- Pay bills: either one-time or recurring payments, scheduled by the amount of the payment or payment date.
-- Set up eBills (Electronic Bills): biller receives notification to deliver bill reminder to your bill payment vendor; some billers stop sending paper bills when they start sending electronic bills. In most cases, An e-mail reminder is sent to you each time a new bill becomes available.
-- Maintain a database of payment recipients: easily add, delete or modify payees.
-- View pending payments: verify payment information
-- Set up recurring payments: set up automatic payments for consistent monthly bills
-- View payment history: by just logging on to your Internet banking account, you can review payments over a specified time period by date, amount, or alphabetically.

Other suggestions --

-- ATM receipts are one of the top sources of litter on the planet. Simply answer 'No' the next time an ATM terminal displays, 'Would you like a receipt?'

Watch the Financial Matters segment on The Hampton Roads Show and for more information on BayPort Credit Union, visit them online at www.BayPortCU.org .