1.I used mimi-partition wizard to set up a linux partition next to win8.1
2. Then I used it to make the external HD bootable.
3. I set the cmos to read read the dvd player first.
4. Then I installed mint to the ext. hard-drive. Choose other and find the drive. Set the boot to the / . Linux will set up a dual boot situtation.
5. Reboot the computer with the installation disk but this time choose other and select the internal drive. Set the boot to / on the internal drive.
Linux will rewrite the grub and make a triple boot.
When the computer is restarted you can choose the three systems. If you unplug the external drive the grub will search for it - when it asks you what to do key "s" for skip. You can use this external drive for sensitive computing and keep it in the firesafe. Keep our passwords on a flashdrive in the safe also. Cut and paste. I use the internal HD OS for email and browsing. I use the external for finance exclusively but no email.

I would recommend using a recent (post-shellshock) live distro for internet banking -- the live environment is created "fresh" every time you boot it up: zero chance of keyloggers or trojans.

I keep a ledger in my home. Fresh boot can not do that. While the banks are online the weakest point is my home computer... well until recently. Do you remember when the Chinese banned all commerce until M$ delivered their encryption code? Trade is going great with the slave labor is knocking the socks off the US worker. Do you remember when Norton merged with the a Chinese protection company partly run by the PLA saying they wouldn't share technology? Do you remember when Norton began shipping from China a year later? Do you remember when China hacked all of the US military bases and stole our technology a year after that? Did you know there is a Moscow company that can decipher any passcode for you? Do you remember that Chase was breached earlier this year? Did you know that Linux servers were attacked?
Your advice is well taken- though I'm not sure the weakest link is in my home anymore.

that is going a bit TOO far into the extreme

seeing as YOUR BANK is the week point and NOT your desktop

the pay off for hitting THE BANK is so much greater that your computer is not even considered

that is unless you are running a old install of XP or vista and have never updated it

then your computer WILL be full of all kinds of nasty things

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