What was earlier viewed as a remote possibility, something that you might have seen on StarTrek years ago, has today become a quintessential part of all our lives. It is now an everyday activity for millions of people around the world. Of course, that is assuming that you actually have some money to do any banking with.

For credit unions such as the Illinois Community Credit Union (ICCU) new technology is all about cutting costs for members and returning profits to them whenever possible. Internet banking helps ICCU offer lower rates on Dekalb mortgages and Sycamore car loans while increasing the level of service it can offer its members.

This modern convenience is possible at any time of the day or night, even on the days that your bank branch is closed because of almost revolutionary advances in technology. Internet banking can save you a lot of time and effort, letting you keep tabs on your finances regardless of your location or the time of day.

Here are some of the major advantages of internet banking:

- With a range of internet enabled devices you can access your bank accounts remotely from anywhere.

- You can use your computer, your regular telephone, or a smartphone.

- A record of your transactions can be downloaded anytime.

- You can easily transfer funds between your accounts at absolutely no extra cost.

- You can pay bills online to virtually anyone you owe money to.

- You can go back months and even years to access historical information.

- If you still use checks, you can see copies of them.

- You can enjoy the convenience of applying for an auto loan, or mortgage online.

- You can stay at home if you wish and avoid bad weather and line-ups at the bank.

- Your transaction will process just as quickly via the internet as if you had gone to the bank.

- You can transfer money to friends, family, business associates by using email transfers.

- You can get access to your credit cards, mortgage information, and loan balances online.

With internet banking your money is completely safe. You are protected by pass codes that you select yourself, and banking websites that employ the latest safety controls and backups.

When people think of magicians, they often imagine them doing magic card tricks. But there are several other genres of magic tricks that the successful magician performs. One of those types of magic includes performing dice tricks.

Dice tricks are fun and easy. And even if you have never performed a magic trick before, you can learn to do these…

Keep in mind this simple premise that the numbers on the dice are predictable – opposite sides on the dice add up to seven. You can get a lot of mileage out of these little cubes! Try these magic tricks out:

The Bartender’s Psychic Dice Trick:

You will need three dice, a tumbler full of water and a volunteer for this trick. Get the volunteer to drop the dice into the tumbler and ask them to hold up the tumbler and add up the numbers on the bottom of the dice.

Now ask him to place the tumbler back down on the table. Reach in and grab the dice and rub them on your forehead. Make sure to pick up the dice in such a way, that it is obvious that you did not see the bottoms.

Now reveal the total of the dice to the volunteer. Your audience will be amazed that you are correct.

Of course, you will know the number because you saw the dice’s upward faces. You have added them up in your head and subtracted that number from 21 – the answer you get is the total of the bottom faces of the dice.

Remembering that the opposite faces of a dice always add up to seven, you have three dice, so three times seven is 21. If the bottom numbers were two, three and five, their total is ten. The top numbers will be five, four and two – a total of eleven. Eleven plus ten equals 21. A simple, but effect, dice trick!

Another version of this trick is the Dinky Dice trick. Using three dice, get a volunteer to roll them and then stack them one on top of the other, while your back is turned.

While you can’t see, tell them to add up all five faces of the dice, which are hidden (that will be the two faces on the bottom and middle dice, plus the bottom face of the third die). Now we already know that six faces in alignment will add up to 21. When you turn and see the top dice is the number three, you can quickly tell the audience that the volunteer’s added number is eighteen and you’ll be correct!

Here is another trick that your audience will be amazed by, before they work out the simplicity of it, is the Clock Face and Magic Die trick.

You will need one die and a watch or clock. Tell your volunteer to select a number from the clock, but don’t reveal it.

Now tell them to find the opposite number on the clock (for example, three is opposite nine) and subtract the smaller number from the larger one. To this number they must add one and remember the final number.

The magician (that’s you!) rolls the die and say that the number that appears on the die, plus the one on the opposite side will add up to the number they have in their head!

The two faces on the die will always add up to seven (we know that already), and the math formula from the clock face will always add up to seven, too – tricky, but very effective!

There are plenty more dice tricks like these ones – but a successful magician knows how much to reveal to keep the audience interested. Have fun with these tricks and amaze your friends and family!