Bank of America's 'one-stop' online personal financial management.

• Position: Marketing News - Brief Article

Here's a riddle for you: When is a portal more than a portal? Answer: when it's also an account aggregator.

Case in point: My Bank of America, the Web portal recently activated by Bank of America in 18 states (out of the 21 in which the bank does business). This site permits customers to manage their bank accounts (savings and checking), credit accounts and investment accounts, credit cards, mortgage accounts, retirement accounts--including accounts that are offline and that are not provided by Bank of America.

Customers can also manage rewards programs, such as frequent flier accounts, and they can get stock quotes, sports and news reports.

The service was introduced late last year in partnership with Yodlee, the California-based online provider of aggregation services. Although still "in its infancy," the service's consumer-adoption rate is "higher and steeper than any other online product we've introduced," says Brad Russell, a Bank of America vice president in the e-commerce section.

The program has not yet been rolled out to the bank's total customer base; it has been marketed online up to now, so its response has been primarily among early adopters.

So far, the primary attraction for consumers seems to be the opportunity to simplify their financial life. "I like having my 401(k), mutual...