Ally Bank’s New Online Banking Website
If you’re an Ally Bank customer, you may have noticed that Ally has made several changes to its online banking interface. It appears that the main reason for the change was to simplify the interface. There are also a few new features. One reader who emailed me about this change said he was disappointed with some of the website’s new features. When I logged into my Ally account, I also noticed the changes. I’m not disappointed in the changes, but I’m not thrilled by the changes either. What do you think? Do you like the changes? Please leave a comment or take the poll.
The first difference that you’ll probably notice is the new login page. It is very simple. The reader who emailed me said the simplicity of the login page gave him the impression that the login process is now less secure. I can see how one might get that impression, but I’m confident that Ally has maintained its high standards of security. They still have their online and mobile security guarantee clearly listed on their security center.
If you want to familiarize yourself with the changes, Ally offers a tour of the online interface features. Just click on "Take a Detailed Tour" link on the top right of the page after you log in. The tour starts off with a description of the first thing you now see when you are logged in: the account summary:
The snapshot provides your total balance along with a color-coded circle that breaks down the dollar values that are in your checking, savings and CD accounts. The circle is divided into segments with arc lengths that are proportional to the dollar values of one's various accounts. The current balance of each account is listed to the right. My problem with the "Accounts Summary" page is that there is no longer any total value listed for all of your CDs. The reader who emailed me was disappointed that the account summary page lacked a simple printable table of all of one’s Ally accounts. There is now no obvious way to print a concise table of one’s accounts.
As you take the online banking tour, you can see the other features. Most everything is now accessible by clicking on either the main menu icon or the profile icon. As websites migrate to accommodate smartphones and tablets, these icons appear to be the new standard.
One thing that I believe is a definite improvement is in the account navigation. You can now quickly switch between the accounts with the new navigation. Another definite improvement in my opinion is the account history. You can now quickly display transactions for previous months and previous years. You can also quickly list upcoming transactions for transfers and bill payments scheduled to be done in the next 30 days.
Overall, I’m getting used to Ally’s new online banking website. I’m seeing advantages of the new site as I’ve been using it. What’s your opinion? Please leave a comment or take the poll.
What bothers me, however, is Ally joining the recent trend of making their web site the same as or similar to their mobile application. The way there is now a menu button and a setting button, the larger print, and mostly simplified navigation is all about making the web site mobile-friendly. My local paper, the Austin American Statesman did this, and the new web site sucks *ss. At least Ally's redesign is an improvement, IMHO, over their old one.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure much can be done about this. The research these companies pay for tells them that all you Millennials want to do everything on your d*mn phones, so those of us who do banking on a PC, or at best use a phone to access banking services on occasion, are getting ****ed.
I don't think it has to be this way. Amazon clearly has not dumbed down their web site for mobile use. The mobile version of their web site is just a distillation of the full web browser experience. Ally could certainly go in the opposite direction, e.g. providing a full web browser experience that builds upon the streamlined mobile rendering without breaking the mobile experience. This would be a nice thing to see, but I don't have high hopes for it.
I also much prefer the new logon process. Having separate user name/password screens adds little to security. The account picture was also pointless for the average user that logs on from their home computer. I use a password manager and can log on much quicker with the new combined screen. Longer, more complicated passwords are much more important when it comes to security.
Do not like it a bit.
Frankly the site looks like it was designed by a 4 year old.
I will probably get used to it but it wasnt broke.
I have a feeling the entire internet is going to be not very good for those of us that dont use a smart phone to access it.
I used to keep up with my various giftcards at gowallet.com but now, I am unable to remove old cards because I dont have a smart phone. Seriously.
To be clear, since the auto censor leaves too much room for doubt, the starred word in my post rhymes with "flew", not with "duck".
I cannot access my accounts, it won't let me either use or change my password
and nobody seems to be able to help me. The worst customer service ever!
I am cancelling all my accounts asap!!!!