So just like I was the last one to get an iPod, I’m pretty sure I was also the last one to get an ING Direct savings account. They have incredibly good interest rates (4.75% on all new deposits before April 15), but I was always skeptical about doing banking solely online. I finally broke down to try it, and things have gone well thusfar. The really impressive part to me, though, is the security of the login screen.

In order to log in to your account, you need to enter three pieces of information. The first is your customer number, which is always the same. The second is a rotating question about some of the digits of your Social Security number. It’ll ask you for 3 or 4 numbers of it. The last field is for a PIN, but the brilliant thing is that you can’t enter the PIN directly, you have to look at a keypad and type (or click) the letter corresponding to each number in your PIN. Of course, the letters always change each time you visit the page.

I must say, this is one of the most comprehensive logins I’ve ever seen. I appreciate the extra security, which clearly involved a lot of thought. Good job, guys.