I am sure most of the younger people will remember the trope from our parents

Go to school, get good marks, get a job that provides a pension, and you are set for life.

Then in the 80's we got told

Computers are going to make life easier.I just found out that in order to get into my bank account on my PC, I need to have my phone and go through crap to verify me.

Computers probably would have made life easier, but then along came cybercrime.

If cybercrime were measured as a country, the economic damage it causes would make it the world’s third largest economy, behind only the United States and China. Driven by digital fraud, ransomware, identity theft, and data breaches, cybercrime has grown into a multi trillion dollar industry and one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises on the planet.

Because of that, we now need multiple layers of authentication just to access our own accounts. Mobile phones, text message codes, authenticator apps, security keys, and biometric verification have become part of everyday life. Sometimes it feels like you need half a dozen security checks just to buy a coffee.

Without cybercrime, many digital transactions could still be completed with a single password or a single keystroke. The technology did make things easier. The criminals just made it necessary to add all the extra steps.

You need to keep up with tech otherwise you get left behind, fact. Use apps i much prefer them

5 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

You need to keep up with tech otherwise you get left behind, fact.

That is your overly dramatic go-to line that you use every chance you get. What exactly do you mean by 'left behind'? Starve to death? Lose all their money? Be banished from planet earth? You make it sound as if civilization will move on, leaving the low-tech people stranded in the wilderness to survive on water puddles and grubworms.

I've been struggling mightily just today trying to push back against "progress." I wanted the Windows 95 startup sound on my Windows 11 25H2 pc. Took HOURS. All the Google recommendations were futile until I narrowed it down to the Winaero Tweaker free app.

THIS after struggling to get my Focusrite digital interface to behave nicely with Pro Tools 12. It's never been solid and many reboots each session were required. I just want to play keyboards along with Youtube videos. Finally I gave up and broke out my old Mbox 3. Works like a charm now.

This is NOT the way I wanted to spend my holiday Monday.

"Windows 11 is a GREAT improved OS."

"This new Focusrite interface is MUCH better that the old Mbox"

LIES!!!

28 minutes ago, ColeBOzbourne said:

That is your overly dramatic go-to line that you use every chance you get. What exactly do you mean by 'left behind'? Starve to death? Lose all their money? Be banished from planet earth? You make it sound as if civilization will move on, leaving the low-tech people stranded in the wilderness to survive on water puddles and grubworms.

One day you'll need to use an app to move money to save your life but you won't be able to and too late to learn. Remember all those elderly resistant smartphone guys, i bet most have bought one now. Cash is king guys options are getting less and less with bank branch closures

37 minutes ago, ColeBOzbourne said:

leaving the low-tech people stranded in the wilderness to survive on water puddles and grubworms.

The phone app zombies will be the ones eating the bugs thinking they are saving the planet

from catastrophic 'man made climate change' not realising that the AI systems they are addicted to use huge amounts of electricity and water..or that the carbon removed will be them !!

2 hours ago, Kyoto Kyle said:

Computers probably would have tmade life easier, but then along came cybercrime.

If cybercrime were measured as a country, the economic damage it causes would make it the world’s third largest economy, behind only the United States and China. Driven by digital fraud, ransomware, identity theft, and data breaches, cybercrime has grown into a multi trillion dollar industry and one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises on the planet.

Because of that, we now need multiple layers of authentication just to access our own accounts. Mobile phones, text message codes, authenticator apps, security keys, and biometric verification have become part of everyday life. Sometimes it feels like you need half a dozen security checks just to buy a coffee.

Without cybercrime, many digital transactions could still be completed with a single password or a single keystroke. The technology did make things easier. The criminals just made it necessary to add all the extra steps.

@Kyoto Kyle

@Kyoto Kyle @scubascuba3 @johng @ColeBOzbourne

You are missing my point. The world ran well when you had ATM and banks. It ran well before the smart phone

Whatever the reason apps have not made life easier. It was very hard to get my bank info before.

That's my point. Sorry if you were not around before 85.

26 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

Whatever the reason apps have not made life easier.

I'll tell you one thing, life is better with AI in particular Gemini, it helps with health issues, better bedside manner than any Dr I've met, can discuss anything in detail, helped me set up my TV, stick, subscriptions, buying stuff. Bike maintenance etc, maybe limitless. Definitely better

3 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

You need to keep up with tech otherwise you get left behind, fact. Use apps i much prefer them

Same here. Do you primarily use web apps or does your company require desktop apps?

5 minutes ago, Kandinski said:

Same here. Do you primarily use web apps or does your company require desktop apps?

I agree that mobile Apps tend to be much more accessible than desktop systems. I have to use both for work and personal finance, but the mobile versions tend to be more user friendly, and whenever I use the desktop version of my banking App, I get auto messages recommending I use the mobile App.

But I also agree that the desktop programs that also require use of a mobile App for authorisation are a nuisance.

MS and Google Authenticator Apps stress me out, and the government systems that require you to juggle your phone and passport whilst on a desktop website are not user friendly.

My parents never told me to "Go to school, get good marks, get a job that provides a pension, and you are set for life.", they were smarter than that.

For me, computers have made banking much faster, easier and more accurate than ever before.

Does no one remember having to actually go to the bank M-F during business hours?

3 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

Computers are going to make life easier.I just found out that in order to get into my bank account on my PC, I need to have my phone and go through crap to verify me.

Well consider yourself lucky that your only problem dealing with electronic devices is with your bank given that many folks have tied the knot and are in deep intimate relationships their internet devices, can even name a few right here on this forum who from the first waking moment till bed time every day in and day out spats and harmonious back patting.

For many years now if you wanted to access your account on your PC (through a browser) you needed an TAN-app on your smartphone for verification already.

Note that using a PC/laptop (rather than a banking app) to access the account, and using the smartphone for verification is considered more hacker-proof than using a smartphone for both. Maximum safety: use WiFi (with VPN) on your browser, and verify on your smartphone through 4G or 5G (with or without VPN).

What I don't like with smartphones is that support (security patches) are only guaranteed for 5 to 7 years. This means having to buy a new smartphone every 5 or 7 years, and reinstall the banking apps on the new phone, which can be a hassle. According to AI, my MacBook bought in 2022 will get security patches until 2031 (until well after the battery dies).

Edited June 1Jun 1 by JackGats

6 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

For me, computers have made banking much faster, easier and more accurate than ever before.

Auto payments really helps with not having to remember making payments.

7 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Does no one remember having to actually go to the bank M-F during business hours?

Being a pay in cash person, finding time to get to the bank was always a challenge, back in the US used to make only about four visits a year to pull enough out to last three or four months.

Banking here is probably the simplest.

1 hour ago, Kandinski said:

Same here. Do you primarily use web apps or does your company require desktop apps?

I'm retired so purely use phone apps for everything

I travel the world without carrying cash and can pay in four different currencies held in one of my fintech accounts with nothing more than a tap of my smartwatch everywhere I go. That’s what I call banking progress. No bills, no coins, and I barely even need a wallet anymore. I have no interest in going back to ATMs, cash, or bank books.

Today, banks are mainly useful for automatic bill payments and local transfers. In Thailand, the digital economy still seems determined to keep banks at the center of many everyday transactions with QR codes and scanning. In many other developed countries, however, banks have largely faded into the background when it comes to daily payments and purchases.

19 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

I am sure most of the younger people will remember the trope from our parents

Go to school, get good marks, get a job that provides a pension, and you are set for life.

Then in the 80's we got told

Computers are going to make life easier.I just found out that in order to get into my bank account on my PC, I need to have my phone and go through crap to verify me.

The way the world is going with the reliance on mobile phones is rediculous .You can't go anyware without your phone and the way it's going you will even have to take it to have a sh*t in the toilet because you will need to get a message with a code to flush it.

20 hours ago, Kyoto Kyle said:

Computers probably would have made life easier, but then along came cybercrime.

If cybercrime were measured as a country, the economic damage it causes would make it the world’s third largest economy, behind only the United States and China. Driven by digital fraud, ransomware, identity theft, and data breaches, cybercrime has grown into a multi trillion dollar industry and one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises on the planet.

Because of that, we now need multiple layers of authentication just to access our own accounts. Mobile phones, text message codes, authenticator apps, security keys, and biometric verification have become part of everyday life. Sometimes it feels like you need half a dozen security checks just to buy a coffee.

Without cybercrime, many digital transactions could still be completed with a single password or a single keystroke. The technology did make things easier. The criminals just made it necessary to add all the extra steps.

It's called progress, making things far more complicated than they used to be. Just today I tried to buy some airline tickets with an app (the only option as PC system no longer works), got to the payment stage, server down. Twice, before I gave up. Before 'progress' you called, spoke to a human who took the booking and your payment details. Done.

Banking is certainly one thing that’s gotten easier thanks to technology and computers. But cyber crime created a whole new set of problems and because of that the banks make us jump through various hoops for security reasons.

And there seems to be no standard. Some banks and transactions require a simple OTP, some require authentication via a banking app, some require a VPN fob that generates a code, some require use of another app, an authentication app. Just last week I had to set up a PassKey for one of my banks.

It’s getting so I have to keep notes on which process for which bank! 😂

As for the banking apps, I like them but I also like having a backup copy or a pdf of my online transactions, something most apps won’t allow. Some apps won’t allow you to take a screenshot. Haven’t figured out why. Anyway, for that reason I still prefer online banking from my laptop.

I could be wrong, but I fear that online banking is going to be eliminated by all the banks. They are going to force us to use their banking apps exclusively.

Why? My guess is they’re struggling to support all these different browsers and platforms. Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and I won’t even try to list all of the different browsers.

21 hours ago, ColeBOzbourne said:

That is your overly dramatic go-to line that you use every chance you get. What exactly do you mean by 'left behind'? Starve to death? Lose all their money? Be banished from planet earth? You make it sound as if civilization will move on, leaving the low-tech people stranded in the wilderness to survive on water puddles and grubworms.

Check out the numerous news articles from the US talking about AI causing some BIG businesses to let thousands go off the payrolls as well as graduates finding a well-paying job just about impossible. Yes computers did make some jobs easier and probably affected payrolls too but AI is just the continuation of replacing high cost employees to low cost robotics.

Certainly glad I am OLD and retired and not affected personally but feel sorry for my younger kids and what they will be facing.

19 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

@Kyoto Kyle @scubascuba3 @johng @ColeBOzbourne

You are missing my point. The world ran well when you had ATM and banks. It ran well before the smart phone

Whatever the reason apps have not made life easier. It was very hard to get my bank info before.

That's my point. Sorry if you were not around before 85.

I remember in my lifetime that ATMs were a little controversial and that people resisted them.

I also remember that when cable TV got started, very innocent people thought it would be a breakthrough that would result in people learning French at home on TV and watching government meetings

But people just wanted to watch porn, and then later on, movies.

The world is full of surprises that really aren’t all that surprising

55 minutes ago, Front Row said:

I could be wrong, but I fear that online banking is going to be eliminated by all the banks. They are going to force us to use their banking apps exclusively.

Why? My guess is they’re struggling to support all these different browsers and platforms. Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and I won’t even try to list all of the different browsers.

I think you are right, however, I think the main reason that they and a lot of other businesses are going digital is to save money on staff.

I see a transaction fee in the near future for every payment you make. This is not based on theory but on fact. ATMs and credit cards started as no-fee transactions; when banks got into stores and people got hooked, the fees came in.

We want better access to our accounts and our funds.

This is how online banking and online brokerage trading got started, from consumer demand.

At the same time corporations saw a way to save money. They could close bank branches on Friday nights and weekends and it wouldn’t affect consumers very much. Consumers could do online banking or bank at an ATM. So you are correct. It saves them money.

Yes, they will put forward fees (they already have) but then they’ll waive the fees for certain customers or certain accounts. Banks have ATM fees now, but I doubt anyone but the very poor pay those fees. It’s like when they introduced ’free checking’ all those many years ago. Anyone with $100 in their account paid no banking fees.

Look at T/T fees (wire transfer fees). It used to be $25 or more. Now fees are coming down. And transfers have gotten faster. That might be more to do with competition though, from companies such as Wise.

On 6/1/2026 at 1:44 PM, scubascuba3 said:

One day you'll need to use an app to move money to save your life but you won't be able to and too late to learn. Remember all those elderly resistant smartphone guys, i bet most have bought one now. Cash is king guys options are getting less and less with bank branch closures

No I still don't have a smartphone (or dumb phone).

So you loose the bet.

I am unable to use my Nationwide banking app in the UK because I bought my phone in Thailand even though I have a UK sim I don't have any problems with HSBC, or a foreign bank account, no probs with my Thai bank.

Why in this day and age do you have to buy a phone in the country of that bank? People are so mobile, you lose a phone abroad, you buy a new one simple!

On 6/1/2026 at 10:50 PM, Harry Tuchas said:

I travel the world without carrying cash and can pay in four different currencies held in one of my fintech accounts with nothing more than a tap of my smartwatch everywhere I go. That’s what I call banking progress. No bills, no coins, and I barely even need a wallet anymore. I have no interest in going back to ATMs, cash, or bank books.

Today, banks are mainly useful for automatic bill payments and local transfers. In Thailand, the digital economy still seems determined to keep banks at the center of many everyday transactions with QR codes and scanning. In many other developed countries, however, banks have largely faded into the background when it comes to daily payments and purchases.

And how much do you pay for that? The normal credit card fee is 4% Are you happy giving the banks 4% on everything you spend?