Okey-dokey. After a day of instability, it looks like the Emigrant Direct website has settled down… Last night before I went to bed I fired up my web browser and was able to login without any problems. The first time through the login process on the new site has a few extra steps. Here’s what you can expect:

(1) Enter your username — this is the username that you’ve used all along.
(2) Authenticate your identity by entering your SSN, DOB, and the Secure Access Code that they mailed out.
(3) Choose a new password (minimum of ten characters consisting of a mix of letters and numbers).
(4) Answer at least five of their ten security questions for future verification.
(5) Read and agree to various disclosures/agreements.

And voila, I was in.

The first thing I noticed is that the interface is far more slick/professional than it used to be — in fact, it makes me feel like I’m dealing with an actual bank. Another thing that I noticed is that my account number changed!!! I’m not sure why they’d bother changing account numbers, but it looks like they did. So beware — it’s quite possible that links from outside banks to your Emigrant Direct saving account are now broken.

In an attempt to sort this out, I just set up a test transfer of $1 from our ING Direct account to our Emigrant Direct account, and will report back once I know whether or not it works. I really hope that it does, as we use Emigrant Direct as a conduit for shuttling money between ING Direct and HSBC Direct, and it’s no longer possible to create such links from ING Direct to Emigrant Direct.

More to follow.