"They don't just manage an account, they have the ability to help create a business."

A subscriber can manage an account using the Web, including making instantaneous changes to the number that it rings to.

At another agency, he managed an account of a client that advertised in the Yellow Pages, which triggered the idea of pursuing the opportunity of advertising in telephone directories.

The money arrived there from Citibank's private-banking subsidiary in New York, which managed an account for Mr. Salinas and his third wife, Paulina Castañón.

Consumers may lack trust in the stability of financial institutions, lack knowledge and experience in using the financial system, and may perceive the costs of managing an account to outweigh the benefits.