Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Online Banking

How do I sign up for Online Banking?
What is my access code?
How can I change my access code?
Does your site provide security to prevent my account information from being intercepted online?
Why do I get a message saying that your site´s certificate has expired or that I need to upgrade my browser?
When I click on your Online Banking logo a message box pops up telling me the site cannot be opened. Does this mean your web site is down?
I am able to successfully log into Online Banking. I can see my Name, Account Number, the Share Type, how much is available and my balance. When I try to click on any of the links however, I get the following: "The account number or personal access code you have entered is incorrect."
What browsers can I use?
I just upgraded to Internet Explorer 5. When I type in my account number, my password is automatically inserted. Why does this happen and how can I prevent it from happening in the future?
Is there a cost to use New Horizons Credit Union’s Online Banking Service?
What can I do to protect my accounts?
What does the following message mean: "This page has expired due to inactivity"?
I have never logged on before. When I logged on for the first time, the system notified me that my last successful log on was on xx/xx/xx at xx:xx. Why is this happening?
Can I connect to Online Banking from within another network (i.e. from work)?
What do I do if I see the following error after I click on the Online Banking icon: "Error message: MCW software needs to be restarted"?
When trying to access my account, why do I get a Security Alert box on my screen?
How do I sign up for the security system?
How much will it cost?
When will I be asked for more information?
What is unusual or uncharacteristic behavior?
How are you able to detect unusual or uncharacteristic behavior?
Will I be asked for more information all the time now?
How do I know it is working?
Is my personal information still safe?
How will this help prevent online fraud?
I already have anti-virus and a personal firewall. Why do I need this?

How do I sign up for Online Banking?
On the Online Banking sign-on page, click "Online Banking" on the menu and click "Sign-up", then follow the directions.

What is my access code?
Your access code is a four digit number that you specified when you signed up for Online Banking or Voice 24. Important - The same access code is used for both Online Banking and Voice 24.

How can I change my access code?
When inside Online Banking choose "Other Options" on the menu, then "Change Password". Important - Your access code must be a four digit number and it will be used for both Online Banking and Voice 24.

Does your site provide security to prevent my account information from being intercepted online?
Yes. We provide secure financial services through a protocol known as the Secure Sockets Layer. The Secure Sockets Layer prevents other computers along the route from eavesdropping by encrypting all data transmitted between our site and your computer. Intermediate computers would see each packet of information as a meaningless jumble of bytes. The sending end encrypts, or encodes, the data with one key before it is transmitted. The receiving end decrypts, or decodes, the data with another key.

The Secure Sockets Layer validates the identity of our site to you through the use of a digital certificate. After you connect to our site in secure mode, our site sends your browser a signed digital certificate, which contains the name of our Web server, its public encryption key, the certificate´s validity dates, the name of the certification authority that issued the digital certificate to our site, and an unforgeable digital signature. The digital certificate authenticates to you that you are indeed connecting to our site.

Why do I get a message saying that your site´s certificate has expired or that I need to upgrade my browser?
New Horizons Credit Union´s certificate is valid and has not expired.

The first thing to check is that the date is set correctly on your computer. Your browser checks the certificate´s validity against the date on your computer. If the date is set incorrectly, your browser may determine that our digital certificate has expired in error.

If you are using an older browser your root certificate may have expired, if so you can download the latest version of Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer free of charge.

When I click on your Online Banking logo a message box pops up telling me the site cannot be opened. Does this mean your web site is down?
If you have Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) turned off, you will receive an error message stating that the web site could not be opened. You must turn on SSL in order to access your account on Online Banking and to view secure web sites.

I am able to successfully log into Online Banking. I can see my Name, Account Number, the Share Type, how much is available and my balance. When I try to click on any of the links however, I get the following: "The account number or personal access code you have entered is incorrect."
This error can occur when you have the cookies setting set to "disable all cookies" in your browser. You must have your browser set to "always accept cookies" when using Online Banking. This error can also occur when you input your account number with the leading zero´s. If your account number is 00123450 you should enter it as 123450 in Online Banking.

What browsers can I use?
Basically, any browser that provides for the handling of the SSL protocol and cookies can be used. We recommend using Netscape Navigator 4.0 or newer, Internet Explorer 4.0 or newer for PCs, Internet Explorer 5.0 or newer for Macintosh computers. Also, now is a great time to download the latest and greatest version of your browser of choice because most browsers are being offered free of charge. By having a new browser, you can take advantage of the latest technology on the Internet.

I just upgraded to Internet Explorer 5. When I type in my account number, my password is automatically inserted. Why does this happen and how can I prevent it from happening in the future?
This is a new feature with Internet Explorer 5. It´s called "autocomplete". It can be turned off easily. Under the Tools menu on Internet Explorer, click Internet Options. Click Content. From the personal information area, click Autocomplete then uncheck "user names and passwords on forms. Click OK, then OK again.

Is there a cost to use New Horizons Credit Union’s Online Banking Service?
No, there are no charges to use New Horizons Credit Union’s Online Banking service other than your home/office Internet charges.

What can I do to protect my accounts?
Even though we are making use of technology to keep your data safe as it passes over the Internet, you still play an important role in keeping your account safe. You should memorize your password. Do not write it down. Doing so may reveal it to others. It is a very good idea to change your password often, especially if you access Online Banking from work.

When you are done with Online Banking or if you need to step away from the computer, sign off. Our system will automatically sign you off after 10 minutes of inactivity. But, if you sign off every time, you decrease the exposure window.

What does the following message mean: "This page has expired due to inactivity"?
If you are logged onto your account but do not click on any of the links or perform any transactions for 10 minutes, the system will automatically close out your Online Banking session. When you try to click on a link or perform a transaction after being closed out, you will see the message that the page has expired. All you have to do is click on the Restart Session link, reenter your account number and password and you will be back inside Online Banking.

I have never logged on before. When I logged on for the first time, the system notified me that my last successful log on was on xx/xx/xx at xx:xx. Why is this happening?
The Online Banking system and Voice 24 use the same account record to track system use and set user privileges. The date being stated is the last date you accessed Voice 24. If you use both Online Banking and Voice 24, the last use date and time may be from either system.

Can I connect to Online Banking from within another network (i.e. from work)?
You may experience difficulty connecting to Online Banking if you use a computer from within another network, such as a LAN (a computer from work). Security barriers on many networks can prevent connection to secure, encrypted Web sites. Ask your network administrator about possible interference caused by security barriers.

What do I do if I see the following error after I click on the Online Banking icon: "Error message: MCW software needs to be restarted"?
This means that Online Banking is temporarily unavailable. Most likely we had to take down the system in order to perform some type of regular maintenance. We will announce all maintenance tasks that cause Online Banking to become unavailable to our members on our home page.

When trying to access my account, why do I get a Security Alert box on my screen?
The Security Box that appears is just letting you know that you may be about to access a page that is not apart of this site. Your information will still be secure and there will be no problems, all you need to do is click the "Yes" button.
What is the online banking security system?
As our member, we know your typical financial behavior: what types of transactions you conduct, when and from where. If we detect any activity that does not seem like your typical behavior, we will prompt you to further verify your identity so that we can ensure it is you and not a thief attempting to compromise your account. This will only happen on rare occasions. Normally you will not be asked for any additional information. For example, if someone tries to sign in with your user name and password from a computer in a foreign country shortly after you have logged off from your normal computer at home, we may decide to verify that it is really you trying to access your account.

How do I sign up for the security system?
Expect to be prompted at some point while banking online to enter additional information. This may include choosing several security questions that only you know the answers to. Once this occurs you have added a layer of protection to your account.

How much will it cost?
There is absolutely no cost associated with the security system.

When will I be asked for more information?
You will only be prompted to enter additional information when a particular activity or transaction appears to be unusual or uncharacteristic of your typical behavior.

What additional information will I be asked?
If any unusual or uncharacteristic behavior is detected you will be asked to answer several of the security questions you chose.

What is unusual or uncharacteristic behavior?
Uncharacteristic or unusual behavior is anything that appears out-of-the-ordinary compared to how you normally would bank online and where you normally bank online. If the action being requested does not appear to be something you would normally do, we will ask you for more information to make sure it is really you and not an unauthorized user.

How are you able to detect unusual or uncharacteristic behavior?
The security system takes into account factors such as the type of transaction you ordinarily perform, the computers you typically use to access your account or the typical security settings for your computer. Hundreds of factors, such as these, create a profile that is unique to you that allows us to make decisions about whether the person conducting a given activity and transaction within your account appears to really be you.

Will I be asked for more information all the time now?
No, you will only be asked for more information when unusual or uncharacteristic behavior is detected. This will most likely be a very rare occurrence.

How do I know it is working?
You only need to complete the set-up process once; after the security system will work automatically. That means you are being protected every moment - when you are online and more importantly when you are not.

Is my personal information still safe?
Yes. In fact, your personal information is safer that ever before because we are making sure it is really you and not an unauthorized user trying to access your information.

How will this help prevent online fraud?
If your user name and password are stolen, the theif would have to be able to answer your security questions correctly before being able to access your account or complete a fraudulent transaction. If the user is unable to provide this information, the activity will be blocked.

I already have anti-virus and a personal firewall. Why do I need this?
Be sure that you keep both software programs up-to-date for the best possible protection against viruses, Trojans and hackers. This security feature protects against other kinds of threats such as a stolen user name and password. It works with your other personal security programs, but it does not replace them.