Michael Brannigan can pretty much name the day that his lack of internet know-how began – in 1988, when he was quitting his job in the automotive industry to become a farmer.
Now 69, Brannigan has become one of hundreds of over-65s attending ASB's Better Banking Workshops to find out how to master online banking.
He needed the workshop, he says, because – in an accident of poor timing – he left his job to go farming just as the boss announced that the company was going fully computerised: "So I missed out on all that which would probably have given me more confidence."
Instead, he threw himself into becoming a dairy farmer near Dargaville – an occupation which did not much involve computers in those days – and entered the first of 32 years of farming. Now, he is transitioning into running a small beef farm instead because, he says, "I'd had enough of getting up at 4.45am every day."
Like many over-65s, he and his wife used cheques to pay their bills and run their finances but he knew his computer literacy ("I knew pretty much nothing") needed improvement and jumped at the chance to attend the Better Banking Workshop in Dargaville in March.
His first effort at learning more about computers failed: "My father-in-law was quite computer-literate so, about 15 years ago, I asked him to give me a lesson. It turned out that while he was quite well-versed in computers, he wasn't really a teacher. He rattled off a few things and then just left me to it."
It didn't work, though Brannigan kept trying. He bought a computer and slowly learned to email and how to visit a few websites for reading purposes – "but I can't do anything technical". However, he was still wary of the internet for the same reason as many over-65s: "I was nervous about it because I'd heard so many awful stories about people being scammed not just out of a few hundred dollars but thousands of dollars."
That fear of being scammed is a common barrier for seniors contemplating online banking. ASB research shows they are not only concerned about being scammed, they also have a fear of making mistakes while online banking – and forgetting passwords.
Which made Brannigan's visit to the Better Banking Workshop so rewarding, particularly as he warmed to the ASB team: "I was really, really impressed. They pointed out several things to us – there were about eight people there – but the really valuable time was the one-on-one tutoring we all had.
"The ability of that team who taught us was so good – they were straightforward, almost as if they were talking to a friend, and they didn't mind anyone asking a question – even if that question seemed strange to the other people there."
Brannigan says he would not yet describe himself as "confident" using ASB FastNet Classic internet banking service on his computer but says his confidence is growing.
"I am certainly paying bills online; it's still a bit of a struggle but I am getting better each time I do it. I managed to make a mistake by using the wrong account to pay a bill – but I was able to tidy that up."
Meanwhile 83-year-old Claire Young, of Mangawhai, had similar worries about online banking. She was also afraid of being subjected to scams. She has never had a computer – "I am just not electronically minded" but now uses her smartphone for online banking after attending a recent ASB Better Banking Workshop in Wellsford.
Her big step forward has been in shifting most of her bills to direct debit instead of using cheques and the workshop allowed her to set up her phone for online banking, though she admits she is still learning and is taking baby steps.
"I am partly using it for looking up my accounts. I still have a few bills that aren't on direct debit, like I have a place in the Coromandel and I get the lawns mowed here – and you never know when that bill's going to come.
"I have paid it once online, so I wouldn't say I am confident yet but I am lucky to have a daughter-in-law who shows me a lot and I am working with the phone and the booklet I got from the workshop, which is very useful. The workshop was excellent – they showed us a video and then explained things individually.
"There are still a few things that confuse me but once I get the hang of it and do it once, I don't forget."
ASB's support for customers to make everyday banking easier includes:
ASB How-to Hub – step-by-step guides showcasing how to register for 'Fastnet Classic internet banking' and the 'ASB Mobile Banking app', and specific features of both online services, like transfers or paying someone.
asb.co.nz/how-to
Better Banking Workshops – ASB in-branch workshops run by local teams, educating customers on banking options and 1-on-1 time with an ASB team member to talk through specific questions and assistance setting up online banking if required.
asb.co.nz/workshop
65 and over priority phone line – a dedicated phone line supporting customers 65 and over with banking needs. 0800 272 119
ASB FastPhone - direct access to accounts at any time of the day or night whether you're moving money, paying bills or just checking your balance.
To set up FastPhone, call 0800 803 804
asb.co.nz/fastphone
