Resource Centre
Senior Support Centre
Resource Centre
Senior Support Centre
TIP: Having trouble viewing this page?
Adjust the font size by holding down the control button on your keyboard and the ‘+’ to increase or ‘- ‘to decrease or by following these steps:
Step 1: With your browser, select ‘View’ or ‘Settings’ menu option.
Step 2: Choose “Zoom” and “Zoom In” from the file menu and the screen will zoom in by one increment. Repeat until the appropriate zoom percentage is displayed.
Step 3: Select the “View,” “Zoom,” and “Zoom Out” menu options to reverse the Zoom In tasks completed.
Supporting seniors’ banking needs, and those who love and care for them, is fundamental to building stronger communities. This is why Alterna offers easy ways to manage your money and ensures equitable access to all our members no matter how they choose to bank with us.
Here are some resources to help you bank with confidence:
Support Person: For individuals needing a support person when calling our Contact Centre or visiting a branch, Alterna will:
Permit the support person on premises/on the phone
Allow support person, if requested by the member, to attend meetings
Request permission from member to discuss confidential account information with support person present
Ensure the member and support person understands that the support person is there to accompany the member and therefore cannot direct or act for the member
How to print your Account Statement Your monthly Electronic Statement (eStatement) is available in Online Banking for printing and viewing:
Log in to Online Banking.
Select the “View eStatements” link, found in the left-hand menu on the My Accounts screen.
Once the eStatements page opens, choose the eStatement you wish to view from the list available.
You will then be able to view or print your eStatement, including cheque images.
TIP: eStatements are more secure, reliable and better for the environment.
Braille Statements: Can be requested through our Contact Centre by calling 1.866.560.0120 or if you opened your account in a branch, directly there.
Help planning your financial future
Here are some resources that will help ensure your financial plan continues to meet your future needs:
Direct Investing: With Qtrade® Investor, make decisions with confidence and achieve your financial goals with tools and resources tailored to your unique situation.
Power of Attorney (POA) and Joint Deposit Account (JDA): These may be used if you wish to give someone else authority to do banking for you. Keep in mind, there can be both risks and advantages to POAs and JDAs. You can find important information about POAs and JDAs here(Link)
Financial Planning Calculators: We offer calculators that can help you work out the details of your financial plan and assist you in reaching your goals such as:
Mortgage Calculator
Loan Calculator
RRIF Calculator
TFSA Calculator
Foreign Exchange Calculator and more.
TIP: The Government of Canada provides programs and services to help you ensure your later years are safe and secure. Visit their website.
Keeping safe when banking online
We are committed to providing you with a safe and secure banking experience that ensures the integrity of your account information. You also have a role to play in staying safe when transacting online.
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. There are a variety of methods scammers use to take advantage of their victims. That’s why recognizing and understanding different types of fraud is your responsibility and can keep you and your finances safe. Click here to read more about avoiding scams.
You can learn more about how Alterna protects you and the role you play in protecting yourself by reviewing our: Security and Privacy section.
TIP: To keep up to date with the most recent scams targeting Canadians, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website, www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
Once you’ve obtained your temporary password, log in to online banking with 4 easy steps:
TIP: Create a Strong Password: It’s important to choose a unique word or phrase that you will remember. You should use a combination of both lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers and symbols (such as “!” or “?”). Remember, the more complex the password, the stronger it will be.
Frequently Asked Questions
First, make sure you’re on the correct website, since Alterna Savings members can’t log in on the Alterna Bank site, or vice-versa. You can either click on the link below, or paste into your address bar.
Alterna Savings https://www.alterna.ca
Alterna Bank https://www.alternabank.ca
Please note: If your account number or user ID starts with a zero, please enter your ID without the zero and try your login again.
Online Banking will prevent unauthorized viewing of your account information if you are careful to ensure you logout when you’re finished banking. This feature prevents pages from being cached (stored) by your browser and will help ensure clicking a previously viewed page in your Online Banking is not possible. It is always important to fully log out of Online Banking, especially if you are using a public or shared access computer.
For security reasons, your Online Banking password can only be changed through our secure online banking, in the Profile and Preferences section. If you can’t remember your password, call us to have it reset and obtain a temporary password. Then, log in to Online Banking using the temporary password, go to Profile and Preferences, then Change Password to change your password to something you'll easily remember.
Our ‘mobile-friendly’ version of Online Banking is less resource-intensive than our regular site, and is easier to read and use on a mobile screen. The iPhone App has a sleeker appearance and extra features built in, like at-a-glance account balances and accessing secure messages. Both the mobile web and iPhone app will let you perform banking functions, but the iPhone app provides a better user experience, tailored specifically for the iPhone.
Mobile Banking with Alterna is free, whether you use the mobile web or iPhone app. We do not charge for account balance inquiries, bill payments, transfers to, from or between Alterna accounts unless you’ve exceeded what’s included in your banking package. See our Personal Service Fee Listing for details of fees on our other services. However, standard data and messaging rates may apply - check with your mobile device carrier (Fido, Rogers, Bell, Telus, Virgin, etc.) for service fees related to your plan.
Your security is top priority, which is why our Mobile Banking uses the same level of secure protection as our full Online Banking. You log in with the same credentials, and once you log out, your secure session will end.
Here is a list of forms that may assist you when doing your day-to-day banking transactions:
Please note: to access these forms, you must first log in to your Online Banking.
Alterna Bank offers banking packages to suit your needs and lifestyle. If you’re looking for a free, easy-to-use account, consider our no-fee eChequing account which can be opened online.
Note: Alterna Bank customers who previously opened an account in branch should refer to the Personal Service Fee Listing for available banking package discounts for persons who have reached the age of 59 or above. Customers on the Seniors GoodLife Account Package can find more details here.
TIP: Need to find a surcharge-free ATM? Visit our ATM Finder.
Alterna is committed to supporting seniors and protecting them from financial abuse and other fraudulent activities.
Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario (EAPO) is the provincial organization recognized for its leadership in elder abuse prevention in the province, providing education, training, resource development, and information about the increasingly complex issues of elder abuse.
Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario
416-916-6728 | www.eapon.ca
Here are some additional resources from EAPO on Elder Financial Abuse Prevention: Click HERE to open
Examples of Financial Scams Targeting Seniors
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is
Depending on the type of scam, criminals will use a variety of methods to target and approach a potential victim.
Examples:
The many identities they assume are endless, and they will target anyone. Including you.
Each year thousands of Canadians fall victim to scams. While the scams can take a variety of forms, the end result is the always same: financial loss.
Be vigilant - don’t fall prey to scam artists
Being aware that scams exist and educating yourself on how to avoid them is your best defense.
Here are some examples of financial scams targeting seniors
Grandchild Emergency Scam
Someone calls claiming to be a grandchild and asks for funds due to financial troubles or an emergency situation. Click HERE for more details.
Romance Scam
Romance scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. A fraudster sends a friend request through social media or a dating site. Once the friend request is accepted, they build an online relationship with the senior. The fraudster then asks for money due to fabricated financial troubles or an emergency. Click HERE for more details
CryptoCurrency Scams
Crypto Currencies are a digital medium of exchange across computer networks. While cryptocurrencies have been gaining in popularity, so have the CryptoCurrency Scams. Fraudsters selling fake cryptocurrencies have professional-looking sites and make promises of excellent returns. Click HERE to learn more.
Charity and Donations Scams
Make sure your charitable donations are going to a legitimate organization. Often fraudsters use high-pressure tactics to get you to donate immediately. If you are contacted, take the time to research the organization and send donations through a legitimate website. Click HERE to learn more.
For more information on avoiding scams, visit the Security section of our website and use these helpful resources.
Internet, email and telephone scams - Canada.ca
Internet Fraud and Scams Fact Sheet - Royal Canadian Mounted Police (rcmp-grc.gc.ca)
Current Frauds and Trends Affecting Seniors - Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario (eapon.ca)
Please note that Alterna Savings provides the above information for your personal use only, and will not be held liable for any loss or damage as a result. Alterna Savings does not guarantee that the information provided is complete or accurate. Links from this website to other websites, or references to products, services or publications other than those of Alterna Savings, do not imply that Alterna Savings endorses such websites, products, services or publications.
Seniors Code Annual Report
Alterna is committed to supporting seniors with their banking needs. We at Alterna have in place all the requirements needed to meet the Code of Conduct for the Delivery of Banking Services to Seniors (“the Code”), which guides Canadian banks in their delivery of banking products and services to Canada’s seniors.
Alterna regularly reviews and updates the policies, procedures and training regarding the Seniors Code. These are designed to help employees have a better understanding of how they can serve and communicate with senior customers, how to protect them from financial abuse and other fraudulent activities, and provide details on how to escalate any concerns in this regard.
Our Seniors Champion leads the implementation and the compliance with the Code; builds awareness with Alterna employees of matters affecting seniors; and engages with seniors, organizations representing seniors and subject matter experts.
“Supporting seniors’ banking needs, and those who love and care for them, is fundamental to building stronger communities. This is why Alterna offers easy ways for seniors to manage their money and ensures equitable access for all our customers no matter how they choose to bank with us.”
Frugina Ball, Seniors Champion and Region Head, Member Experience, GTA
Our public website and our internal information resources are available to increase visibility and education around banking for seniors. These include:
In 2022, additional seniors’ fraud prevention webinars were attended online by numerous employees in order to further strengthen the awareness and ultimately the prevention of potential fraud on our senior customers.
Additionally, in 2022, when Alterna Bank published its new online banking platform, Alterna reached out to senior customers to understand their needs and took seniors feedback into consideration when building its new online banking platform. After the launch of the platform, Alterna also communicated with our senior customers individually to help them with various questions they had about using the new online banking platform.
Alterna Bank is a digital bank. Customers can access branch services through select branches of Alterna Savings. A decision by Alterna on whether to close a branch follows the Alterna Savings branch closure process.
Alterna Savings looks at market demographics when proceeding with branch closures to determine if additional steps need to be taken to assist seniors. These steps may include:
To ensure that we continue to meet the requirements of the Seniors Code we have integrated it into our regulatory Seniors Code compliance management framework.
Contact Centre Hours
Monday to Friday
8:00 am to 8:00 pm (EST)
Saturday and Sunday
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (EST)
Welcome to client centered banking and award-winning service, products and total transparency that truly puts the good in banking.
Stay in touch. Be the first to know about news, promotions and announcements. Signup Now!