If you\u2019ve had to introduce Mom and Dad to one of your surlier significant others \u2014 you know, the one who just couldn\u2019t drop politics at the door \u2014 then introducing them to mobile banking should be painless, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not necessarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People who don\u2019t use mobile banking have their reasons: They don\u2019t see the need for it, they\u2019re happy with their current setup, or they have security concerns, to name just a few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s according to a Federal Reserve Board report<\/a> that also found that only about 1 in 5 respondents age 60 and over with a mobile phone and a bank account used mobile banking in the 12 months before the survey was taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s how you can teach your parents about a technology that is bound to make their lives a bit \u2014 and maybe even a lot \u2014 easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Fed found that people shun mobile banking largely because they think their banking needs are already being met. In other words, they just don\u2019t see the point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your parents are reluctant to take the mobile-banking step, point out the advantages, starting with convenience: Mobile banking makes it significantly easier to monitor balances in checking<\/a> and savings accounts<\/a>, deposit checks and communicate with your bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Antonia Donato\u2019s mother, Katherine, was one of those who thought mobile banking was pointless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe just couldn\u2019t understand why it was necessary to use a smartphone for paying for things, checking account balances and monitoring activity,\u201d says Donato, a 28-year-old public relations professional in New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her mother \u201cwas very set in her ways\u201d and worried that \u201cmobile banking would be more of a burden than a convenience,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily for Donato, one text message was all it took to help her mother see the light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At dinner one night, her mother observed how Antonia received a text from her bank regarding a potentially fraudulent charge in her account. Antonia immediately replied saying that she recognized the transaction and that no further action was necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katherine \u201cwas amazed,\u201d according to her daughter, and never looked back. Today, she uses mobile banking \u201cfor everything, from paying her bills to checking her account status,\u201d Antonia says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00bb MORE<\/strong>: How \u2014 and why \u2014 to stop wasting your time banking offline<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n AJ Saleem, the 30-year-old director of a tutoring and test prep company in Houston, recently introduced his parents, both in their 60s, to mobile banking. Like Donato\u2019s mother, Saleem\u2019s parents were reluctant to give the technology a go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI managed to get them over the hump by showing them how to deposit a rebate check,\u201d Saleem says, adding that since his parents were busy preparing for the holidays, they had less time to go to a branch location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The mobile check deposit feature was a welcome addition. Saleem\u2019s parents now use mobile banking for paying bills and monitoring their transactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aside from convenience, don\u2019t forget to explain to your parents how mobile banking might even help them save money. Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00bb MORE<\/strong>: How to write a check like a Nerd<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Security concerns are another reason many don\u2019t use mobile banking. If your parents are in this category, you can reassure them of the extensive security measures that banks take. You don\u2019t have to launch into a super technical rundown of mobile security features, but it could be helpful to explain the basic measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alliant Credit Union, for example, uses fingerprint login and a backup PIN for its mobile app, and it will automatically log out if you leave the app, said Angi Milano, Alliant\u2019s mobile channel manager. Other financial institutions are incorporating many of the same features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another reason Mom and Dad might not be using mobile banking? Small screens and other usability issues. The good news is that Alliant and others are trying to make the experience as seamless as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCompleting transactions is intentionally simple,\u201d Milano says of Alliant\u2019s app. \u201cWe even made the font sizes within the app responsive to the user\u2019s general phone settings, to address various vision needs for app users and improve the overall experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, some mobile apps are better than others. Some might not incorporate responsive font sizes, for example. If that\u2019s the case, you may want to introduce your parents to online banking<\/a>, which may be easier for them to navigate. Though a slightly more extreme measure, switching banks<\/a> because of a poor mobile app is also an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00bb MORE<\/strong>: NerdWallet\u2019s best banks and credit unions for mobile banking<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mobile banking can be intimidating and can trigger a flurry of concerns. As valid as some of those may be, they shouldn\u2019t stand in the way of your parents giving mobile banking a shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a technology that really can help lighten the load, and though it won\u2019t solve all of life\u2019s problems, it\u2019s a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tony Armstrong is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: <\/em>tony@nerdwallet.com<\/em><\/a>. Twitter: <\/em>@tonystrongarm<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The article Introducing Mom and Dad to Mobile Banking<\/a> originally appeared on NerdWallet<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEmphasize convenience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Depositing checks and saving money<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Worries about security<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The user-experience question<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
More from NerdWallet<\/h4>\n\n\n\n