With the advent of the Internet in the 1990s, confidence in this new form of collecting and transferring information was an obvious pathway for banks to pursue. It gave bank customers what they never had before -- access to their money 24/7. Features have become more sophisticated and user friendly through the decade. Today's banks offer online banking services which allow users to conduct a variety of transactions - everything from account to account transfers and paying bills to applying for a loan or making an investment. Especially convenient, online banking allows users to instantly view their accounts, balance the books, and monitor spending. And with the use of personal finance programs, data can be easily imported making personal financial management easier than ever. Some banking programs even allow users to monitor all of their accounts at one site regardless if they are with their main bank or with another institution.