I used to play Uplink, and have to agree that hacking a bank basically ruins it.
However, in Onlink, I keep feeling I SHOULD hack a bank, and would fail at it.
I did all the missions I got until I could get Social Security missions. Then, whereas in Uplink I would already have a proxy bypass, in Onlink I had to get myself a proxy disabler. Got a Monitor Bypass, though.
When I got to Global Criminal Database missions, I blew my money on a VDPIN Viewer, and a B.monitor Killer (or was this one on SS missions?), which means I wont get a firewall bypass soon.
And then, if I did, I wouldn't have enough disk space for it.

This is just too much. I guess I'm doing something wrong, because I either don't have the dough, or the disk space...

How the heck am I supposed to hack a bank (to get a better gateway, to get the necessary software, to solve the next mission) when I can't even keep up with governments' computers security systems?!

Conclusion: congrats for the game! It's a grand new Uplink world, one that evolves, also. Could I get some tips, here?

Hmm, didnt encounter any probs there. When you see the "Trace a recent balance transfer"
1) just accept all the other missions at once, but take all the cash beforehand
2) buy only the equipment you need for the Bank hack
3) after the successful transfer of the well deserved million $$$ you can do all the other missions you accepted before the hack, because money for all the v5 or even v11 software will not be a prob anymore.

Thanks Ian.
I wasn't used to accept all missions at once, but now I realize it's about the only way.

Now I just have to keep working for a new gateway

EDIT:
Just a little update. I finally got my million!
Asking for the money beforehand works surprisingly well!!
Thanks Ian.