Save Money Are you social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak? Try banking online

If the coronavirus has you self-isolating, you’re likely more concerned about staying in touch with loved ones and carefully planning your grocery excursions than about changing your money routine.

But if you’re concerned about how to do your everyday financial tasks from home, consider starting to bank online — especially if your bank has temporarily closed its locations. Handling your finances remotely can be convenient even after you feel safe returning to a branch.

What is online banking? Online banking lets you manage your accounts through your desktop or mobile devices. You can typically perform tasks such as transferring funds, paying bills, depositing checks and checking your account balances.

If you have questions that you need a human to answer, you can usually reach out to the bank’s customer service reps via phone, social media, email or online chat as well.

There are many online-only banks, but these days, most brick-and-mortar banks also have online services their customers can use from home (or elsewhere).

Is online banking safe? Banking sites and apps take many steps to keep your money secure. Mobile banking apps often offer two-factor authentication, which requires you to log in with your password as well as an additional code sent via email, call or text. Smartphone logins can be protected with passwords and sometimes biometric measures, such as fingerprints or face recognition. Bank websites also encrypt your data to prevent third parties from accessing it.

These mobile safety features can make other financial tasks simple and secure as well, such as using your smartphone’s wallet app to make contactless payments.

• Most banking services can be done remotely. The only thing you can’t do from home is deposit and withdraw physical cash. If that’s a necessity for you, most banks have large ATM networks, and you can use your bank’s website to find a nearby machine. Of course, be sure to wash your hands when you’re done.

• Banking online saves time. Instead of driving to a branch, waiting in line and talking to a teller, you can finish your banking with a few taps on your smartphone.

• Sometimes you’ll get better interest rates. Online-only banks, which don’t have many (or any) branches, tend to have better interest rates. They save money on operational overhead, allowing them to pass on the savings to consumers.