Neither Online Account Access nor Online Bill Payment is difficult to use in Quicken. And despite the nightmares that people with delusional paranoia may develop about electronic banking, the service is safe, secure, and very solid. Nevertheless, before you, too, jump onto the bandwagon, you should probably consider a few points:

• If you want to use the Online Account Access feature in Quicken, your bank must be part of the Quicken Online Account Access program.
• To sign up for and use Online Account Access or Online Bill Payment services, you need an Internet connection.
• You should be fairly comfortable with Quicken, especially with account transactions and transferring money between accounts. Therefore, if you're new to Quicken, you should at least record a handful of checks, make some deposits, and reconcile your account before venturing into Online Account Access.
• Make sure that your records are completely up-to-date and reconciled with the last statements you've received from the bank.

This stuff usually isn't free. You bank will set the charges, but a good guess is between $5 and $10 per month — and that adds up over the course of a year. But in choosing to use Online Account Access or Online Bill Payment, do consider the hidden costs of the normal way of banking and paying bills. Gasoline, time, cost of checks, and postage can all add up, and these almost-hidden costs may make the costs of the online services appear more reasonable.