Secure Key

HSBC has upped their online security. they have sent all their customers secure keys, which they need to use to generate a code EACH TIME they want to access their accounts online.

i have been with hsbc since i first came to UK. i love how straightforward their online services are. unlike other banks that i've opened accounts with, i didnt have any problems with money transfers - they always go in the same day (unless of course it's the first time you transacted with that account). they also let you transfer as much as you want on any given day (they still have limits but im not that rich for that kind of money lol).

anyways, i regularly check mine and tantan's accounts. at home, at work, or sometimes, on the go (via 3g). i appreciate hsbc's efforts to tighten up their security, especially since the money that we entrust them is hard earned. but im not really a fan of this secure key. it's small enough to misplace but big enough that it's bulky already (they said it's the same size as a credit card - not! it's a lot thicker!). and if you're like me, it can easily get lost in my disorganised bag (it wont fit in my wallet!). i may even drop it without knowing!

im not worried that if i lose it someone might use it to hack into my account. that would be impossible (they would have to know other security details to operate it, and of course, guess which account it belonged to!). but the hassle of getting a replacement?! even if i dont lose it, what if i leave it at home and i badly need to check my account when im out? and what if tantan wants to check his account, but i've got the key coz im the keeper? HASSLE!

it will tell you when the battery's running low. it tells you if you still have 2 months of battery life left, or a month or if it needs replacing already. but someone like me, busy running a household with 2 small kids, can easily forget about things like these! that means i wont be able to access my account until they send a replacement device. hassle! yes, they say i can still access my account via phone, going to the bank, or atm. pero HASSLE pa din d ba?

i dont mind the extra layer of security they are providing. but they should have thought this through a million times. parang checking my account online got stressful for me.

enough about me, what do YOU think? havey o waley? =D