For the first time, "older Americans" prefer to do their banking online, according to the results of a recent American Bankers Association survey.

The survey was conducted for the ABA in August by a market research firm. It found 57 percent of bank customers over 55 years old prefer online banking, using a PC or laptop, to any other method of banking.

Overall, bank customers prefer online banking to all other methods combined, the survey found.

This year, 62 percent of adults said online banking was their preferred method of banking compared to 36 percent last year.

Just 6 percent of survey respondents said ATMs were their preferred mode of banking. Three percent said they prefer the telephone for such tasks and 1 percent said they prefer mobile devices.