It’s 5:01 p.m. on a Friday.
You snap your laptop shut, push back your chair and feel the full, sweet wave of weekend freedom. Maybe you’re getting away for a couple of days, catching up with friends or finally tackling that online shopping list. Whatever your plans, you’ve earned the break.
But all that well-deserved activity — the road trips, the dinners out, the purchases you’ve been putting off — comes with a financial reality check. The weekend is when most transactions happen and, unfortunately, we also see the highest volume of fraud attempts. The moment you relax your guard, two familiar problems can pop up:
Surprise Spending
You’re checking out at the grocery store or clicking “buy” on a last-minute rental when you get that vague, sinking feeling about your balance. Was that auto-payment supposed to clear today? Did you miss a transfer?
The Fraud Spike
The moment you clock out on Friday, fraudsters clock in. They know weekends bring more spending and fewer eyes on accounts, which makes it the perfect time to strike. Because many people don’t notice or report suspicious activity until Monday, weekend fraud attempts tend to ramp up fast.
You deserve a weekend where you’re confident and in control. That’s why we’ve equipped Online Banking with tools that act like a 24/7 financial security team — your command center for protecting both your wallet and your peace of mind.
9 Online Banking Tools for Confident Money Management
Today’s online banking platforms are cleaner, faster and more intuitive than ever. Bank of Utah’s newly updated dashboard, for example, now features easy-to-use tiles and quick-access tools that help you view your finances at a glance and take action just as quickly.
Below, you’ll find nine tools designed to do two things: keep your accounts safe and make managing your money easier — whether it’s Friday at 5:01 or any other time of the week.
Protect Your Accounts
Stay confident knowing your accounts — and your personal information — are protected wherever your weekend takes you. These tools help you stop fraud, monitor activity and keep your data secure.
1. Stop Fraud Cold: Instantly Lock Your Personal Debit Card (Card Manager)
How it helps: Losing your card over a busy weekend used to mean a stressful call and a potentially exposed account. Now, you have a self-defense mechanism. If your card is lost or stolen, you can instantly turn it off from your phone, eliminating the risk of fraudulent charges. When you find it, turn it back on with a single tap.
Try this: Before packing for a trip or heading into a crowded event, check Card Manager to ensure you know how to lock and unlock your card instantly.
Where to find it: Select the Card Manager icon on your Bank of Utah dashboard, in the Quick Links tile.
2. Activate Security Alerts: Get Notified Around-the-Clock
How it helps: The “Fraud Spike” mentioned earlier happens because weekends are busy. You’re out spending, traveling or relaxing, not watching your accounts as closely. Security alerts act as your early warning system, helping you stay in control even when your attention is elsewhere. If someone tries to log in from a new device or change your password, you’ll be notified right away so you can take action — like updating your credentials or turning off your debit card in Card Manager. Then, contact us as soon as we’re open so our team can help secure your account and investigate further.
Try this: Check your security alerts and turn on the notifications that let you know if your password changes or someone requests a reset.
Where to find it: From your Online Banking homepage, go to Settings in the green top navigation bar, then select Alerts. You’ll see the security alerts listed right on the Alerts homepage.
3. Catch Hidden Charges: Review Recent Transactions in Real Time
How it helps: Fraudsters often test stolen card numbers by making small, insignificant charges (e.g., $1.00 or less). By taking 30 seconds to scan your recent activity, you can spot these tiny “test charges” and report the card as compromised immediately, stopping them before they hit your account with a massive, weekend-ruining charge.
Try this: Drill down into recent transactions from your dashboard. Look for merchant names and locations for every purchase. If you see an unfamiliar small charge, contact the bank right away.
Where to find it: View your recent activity right on the main dashboard, or click into your specific account.
4. Protect Your Trip: Easily Add Travel Notifications
How it helps: Nothing ruins a getaway faster than a frozen card. Our security systems monitor unusual spending patterns, including purchases made hundreds or thousands of miles from home. By submitting a simple travel notification through Card Manager, you proactively communicate your plans to our fraud detection team, ensuring your card works smoothly throughout your entire weekend trip.
Try this: Before leaving town for any trip, even a short one, use Card Manager to easily add your travel dates and destinations.
Where to find it: Select the Card Manager icon in the Quick Links tile of your dashboard, then click Manage Travel Plans.
5. Protect Your Information: Enroll in eStatements
How it helps: eStatements add an extra layer of protection for your personal information. Because they’re stored securely within Online Banking, there’s no risk of sensitive documents being misplaced, delivered to the wrong address or taken from your mailbox. You can review them anytime — even on the weekend — without waiting for the mail, helping you stay aware of your account activity and spot anything unusual faster.
Try this: If you haven’t already, take a look at eStatements as an easy way to keep your financial information both safe and organized. You can choose how you receive them — online only, online with email notifications, or online and by mail — whatever feels most comfortable for you.
Where to find it: Select eStatements in the Quick Links tile on your Online Banking dashboard to view or update your delivery preferences.
6. Use the Secure Channel: Check Your Official Notices Inbox (Secure Messages) or Chat With Us
How it helps: Scammers are experts at sending fake emails and texts that look legitimate. Your Messages inbox is the safest place to view private messages and documents from Bank of Utah. It’s used for secure, account-specific communication, and you can trust that anything you read there is coming directly from us. For quick, real-time help during business hours, you can also use secure Chat, and if you leave a message after hours, our team will respond the next business day.
Try this: Make it a habit to log in and check your Secure Messages Inbox regularly. Familiarizing yourself with how official communications look in Online Banking will make it easier to spot fraudulent emails and texts when they show up elsewhere.
Where to find it: Select the Messages icon in the Contact Us tile on your Bank of Utah dashboard to access your secure Messages Inbox. To start a chat, click the chat bubble in the lower right-hand corner of your screen.
Stay in Control of Your Finances
Keep your weekend running smoothly with tools that help you manage your money on your terms. These features make it easy to track balances, move funds and plan your spending wherever you are.
7. Move Money Instantly: Use Zelle®, Bill Pay and Transfers
How it helps: Whether you’re paying a friend back for dinner, covering next week’s bills or moving funds between accounts, Online Banking makes it easy to manage your money from one place. These tools give you flexibility and control, even when the bank lobby is closed.
Try this:
Zelle®: Send or receive money instantly using just an email address or mobile number — but only to family, friends or people you know.
Bill Pay: Schedule or automate recurring payments so you never miss one, even over a long weekend.
Transfers: Move money between Bank of Utah accounts or linked external accounts to cover expenses and maintain your balance.
Where to find it: Access Zelle® and Bill Pay under the Payments tab in the green navigation bar, and Transfers in the Money Movement tile of your dashboard.
8. Guard Against Fees: Set Critical Balance Alerts
How it helps: Surprise spending on the weekends (and any day for that matter) is often followed by surprise fees. By setting up an account alert, you’ll get a notification before your account dips below a safe threshold. This gives you time to make an instant transfer to cover pending transactions and avoid overdraft penalties.
Try this: Create an account alert that notifies you when your balance drops below a certain amount. Set it a little higher than your largest expected expense (like a major bill or weekly shop) to help prevent accidental overdraws.
Where to find it: From your Online Banking homepage, go to Settings in the green top navigation bar, then select Alerts. On the Alerts homepage, select the + button to create a new Account Alert, choose your account, set the dollar amount and pick how you’d like to be notified.
9. Gain Total Clarity: See Your Complete Financial Picture
How it helps: You can’t truly relax on the weekend if you only have a partial view of your money. Our online banking tools let you link your Bank of Utah accounts with external credit cards, retirement funds and investment portfolios. This gives you complete financial intelligence; you’ll know your total budget, net worth and debt status before you commit to a major weekend purchase or travel booking. By seeing everything in one place, you can spot bigger spending trends and make smarter choices.
Try this: Link all your major external accounts. Once linked, explore the different tools, especially the Budget tool to set goals and the Trends tool to review your long-term habits.
Where to find it: Look for the Spending tile on your Online Banking dashboard. Clicking it takes you to the financial management suite, where you'll find tabs for Net Worth, Budget, Spending, Trends and Debts. Go through these tabs to explore your linked accounts and financial habits.
The Best Weekends Start with Everything in Check
The weekend is for memory-making and being present, not problem-solving and worrying about account status. Before your next Friday at 5:01 p.m., take some time to log in to Online Banking. Make sure appropriate alerts are on, check your dashboard and explore the tools that make managing your money simple, secure and stress-free.
Own your weekend. Protect your peace. And if you ever have questions about Online Banking or fraud prevention, reach out. Our local team is always ready to help.
Jessica Orme has been with Bank of Utah since 2004 and currently holds the position of Vice President of Payments and Online Banking. With a wealth of experience in treasury management and digital banking, she assists both personal and business clients in optimizing payments, enhancing cash flow, and fully leveraging their online banking tools. Her favorite feature in Online Banking is Card Manager, which empowers her to control her debit card access directly — no need to call the Bank.
