Some financial insights...
The number of Americans who have experienced identity theft has
surpassed 27 million. Substantial measures are in place at First
Community Bank to protect your identity and your accounts against theft
and fraud, but the maximum security is possible ONLY WITH YOUR HELP!
1.
Do not give out financial information such as checking and credit/debit card numbers or your Social Security number, unless you know the person or organization.
2.
Report lost or stolen checks immediately. We can place stop payments on them.
3.
Notify us of suspicious phone inquiries such as those asking for account information to "verify a statement" or "award a prize."
4.
Closely guard your ATM Personal Identification Number (PIN)
and ATM receipts.
5. Shred any financial solicitations and bank statements before disposing of them. Better yet, sign up for Internet Banking. It's free and you can see your statements there instead!
6.
Put outgoing mail into a secure, official Postal Service collection box.
7.
If regular bills fail to reach you, call the company to find out why.
If you (or your family) have deposits at one FDIC-insured bank with a
combined total balance less than the basic maximum insurance amount
under federal law, $250,000, all of that money is fully protected. And, as always, you may qualify for much more than the standard maximum insurance amount at the same bank – perhaps millions of dollars of coverage – if you have funds in different "ownership" categories. That's because the FDIC's rules allow for separate $250,000 coverage for deposits held in your name alone (single accounts), accounts with one or more other people (joint accounts), accounts that name beneficiaries when you die (testamentary or revocable trust accounts), and certain retirement accounts, such as Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).
To verify that you're fully protected, the FDIC has an online tool for analyzing your insurance coverage,
"EDIE". You can find EDIE – short for "Electronic Deposit Insurance Estimator" – at
www.fdic.gov/edie. "EDIE is ideal for verifying your deposit insurance coverage for existing deposit accounts as well any new accounts you might consider opening at your bank," said James Deveney, Chief of the FDIC's Deposit Insurance Outreach Section.
In general, here's how EDIE works. You'll be asked to provide information about all the accounts you have at one bank, including the balance in each account, the ownership category (see the previous examples), and the names of the owners and any beneficiaries. If it will make you feel more comfortable, you don't have to use real names when you answer the questions, but the other basic information should reflect what is in your account records. Then click on the "calculate" button. EDIE will produce a report that will show if you are fully insured or, if not, where your deposits exceed the limits. EDIE can be used for all but a few deposit categories, such as complex trust deposits.
Periodically review your coverage if you have close to or more than the standard maximum deposit insurance amount
of $250,000 at one institution. "Events such as the death of an owner or a beneficiary on a deposit account can result in changes in the calculation of coverage, including possibly reducing the amount of insurance coverage," emphasized Martin Becker, an FDIC Senior Deposit Insurance Specialist.
When in doubt about the amount of your deposit insurance coverage,
call or write the FDIC. Call toll-free 1-877-ASK-FDIC (1-877-275-3342)
to speak with an information specialist and request copies of free
educational materials. If you'd prefer to ask your questions in writing,
you can e-mail the FDIC using our Customer Assistance Form at
https://www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp.
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Article 1 Fraud Alert!