I was then sent an email with an authentication reference number. To log back on, I'd have to call someone.

Sigh. So I did. And after playing the "Push 1 to do this thing" game, I finally reached a customer service rep.

I had to answer a series of questions related to the account (when did I open it, how did I open it, etc.) and finally he confirmed my reference number.

He then had me log on to the site again, and when I got to the site key, I froze. I completely forgot what it was.

"UGH," I moaned. "I don't remember what it is now. Can you help me?"

Of course they cannot. They have no idea what it is. Luckily, the first guess I made was the right one, avoiding me having to go through the reseting process all over again.

So I wrote down the password and sitekey in a file saved on my computer. This is clearly a terrible idea, but the risk beats the hassle of having to get a new site key or password.

I really like the new sites that have you answer a bunch of random questions like when did you graduate, what was your first car, etc. Those are answers few people (if any) would get right and I would never forget.

Until HSBC improves its log in, I'll probably just let my $200 deposit grow without any new ones, and continue using ING even though the interest is slightly less.