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Ally Bank Tweaks Its New Online Banking Platform

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Ally Bank appears to have listened to its customers who didn’t like the redesign of its online banking platform. Ally Bank has changed the opening page that you see when you first log in. This shows a consolidated snapshot of all accounts. The new default snapshot excludes the circular graph, and it shows all of your accounts in a tabular format that allows you to see more of your accounts when you’re logging in from a desktop PC. In addition, the new snapshot page can be printed. I used my browser print function, and the summary page was displayed perfectly for printing. If you liked the other format with the circular graph, you can see that by clicking on the "graph view" link. Click on the "hide graph" link to see the tabular format.

I wrote about Ally’s new online banking platform in January. After my post, Ally issued a press release about the change. Much of the change appears to be Ally wanting to maintain a consistent look for both smartphones and PCs. According to the press release:

Whether on a smartphone, tablet or via the web, Ally customers will recognize the consistent look and feel of the account dashboard that highlights important balance information at login. With fewer elements per page and larger fonts and buttons, the new design also provides improved touch-screen interaction for customers accessing online banking from their tablets.

Having larger fonts and buttons may make it easier to use the website on an iPad, but it doesn’t provide any benefits when you’re on a PC. This change appears to be the main complaint for the readers who commented in my January post. One anonymous reader had the following comment:

I have 30 accounts, checking, saving, cd, ira, etc. It's a complete mess. If I could just turn off that stupid wheel thing so the text expanded across the screen and I could see more accounts on the screen it would be tolerable.

In addition to comments, many readers took my poll which asked Ally customers what they thought of the new design. Most of the readers who took the poll (66%) said they thought the new design was not better than the old design.

These complaints must have had an effect. It’s nice that Ally listened and responded with this change. How do you like the new Ally account snapshot page?

Thanks to the readers who emailed me news of this change.

Related Pages: Ally Bank

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Comments
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #1
I just checked mine and it's still got the wheel.  I don't really mind one way or the other, but then again I only have two accounts to monitor with Ally.
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #2
The web site is optimized for Iphone and will never look good on a PC screen.
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #6
I get far more info screen now than with the old version. Before it had tons of empty white space. Now the screen is used to provide info, even if they use too large of a font, it's still a big improvement.
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #3
How about tweeking your rates
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #4
The simple printable table of accounts on the initial website page after logging in is a step in the right direction.  But it still lacks usefulness because CDs are listed in this table with what Ally calls the balance, but it does not include accrued interest.  To see the actual new daily value of each CD (balance plus accrued interest), one must still click the CD account and visit the separate page for each CD.  There's a nice open column space in the login page's table where the balance + accrued interest could be placed.  I hope Ally adds this useful info to the table.  The fonts are still too large for efficient use of laptop or desktop viewing area.
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #5
When an underlying principle of a design is in error, only bad things ensue.  In this instance, the erroneous belief is in need for consistency of presentation as between PC access and smart phone/tablet access.  This notion is ridiculous on its face because the devices are completely dissimilar.  Here is how it should be done:

Any Ally website visit should commence with a sniffer able to determine the nature of a website visitor's access device.  The design should then present a page optimized for whatever device type the visitor is using, be it PC/laptop or phone/tablet.  Thus would be avoided the undesirable compromises anathema to so many Ally customers thus far. 
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #7
It detects what you are using now and takes advantage of the screen space. Nothing wrong at all for using the same look and style. The new site has more information on screen, and is easy to navigate. 
rjm
  |     |   Comment #8
Transfers became easier with this overhaul.  Before you had to choose ally to ally or whatever.

However, it used to show my accrued interest from my CDs on the first page. Now, it does not.
Not a huge deal.
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #9
As the anonymous user with 30 Ally accounts mentioned above.  I will say the redesign of the redesign has stopped me from closing out all my accounts.  It's certainly better then it was a week ago and I am now taking a wait and see position on Ally.

BUT, they still need to fix their mobile app.  A previous user mentioned it worked fine on iOS, but I can say that's not the case under Android.  Android is a bit of a mess, there are two separate Ally bank apps on the google play store, each with their own look and feel, which kind of calls into question the "making things the same across mobile and desktop" redesign work.

Regardless, like the bank web site did, both mobile apps have the wheel when you login.  If the wheel was a waste of space on my 24" monitor, how big of a waste of space does Ally think it is on my 7" tablet or 4.5" phone?

Ally, keep the ball rolling and fix your mobile apps now!!
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #10
I like it that Ally is listening to its customers.  And thank you for facilitating that!  Not sure if this is a change or if it's always been in this format, but when you click on "statements," January 2015 is down at the bottom with January 2014.  Looks like the months are grouped together, regardless of years. It's not sequential, which makes no sense to me. 
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #11
Just noticed when I downloaded my January 2015 statement that they have not updated the name change of my POD beneficiary, which I changed a few months ago.  It's updated on the screen, but not on the pdf statement.  
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #12
to me it looked like a jumbled unfriendly mess and I could no longer find simple things. I told them so.
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #13
On the positive side, Ally still allows you to view and edit your beneficiaries for each account.  Most other banks and credit unions do not this feature.   The editing feature is good, but at least you would think that they would be willing to display the beneficiaries so that you could verify that your beneficiaries have been setup correctly.

Penfed displays the beneficiaries for regular accounts but never have figured out why they will not show the beneficiaries assigned to IRA accounts?
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #14
Never could see the beneie's at Penfed...any particular trick?  It took several phone calls, etc. to get "their attention" to correct.  Thanks
cumulus
  |     |   Comment #17
Justice Federal Credit Union (JFCU) is one that does NOT even allow you to view your beneficiares!
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #15
To see beneficiaries at Penfed:

Select  "More Account Information and Actions"  on My Accounts and on Ownership Type, click "Display Account Owners".  Your beneficiaries then will be displayed.
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #16
See joint owners but none of the beneficiaries.  Thanks
Anonymous
  |     |   Comment #18
Sent an email to Penfed and just got a reply...b/c I have a joint account with right of survivorship, the other beneficiaries are not shown...at least that was their explanation.  Thus you must not have a joint account.

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