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Benefits of Bill Pay

October 7, 2013 by HomeTown Bank

Bill Pay = More free-time for YOU!

Need help organizing your bills?

We all receive bills at random times throughout the month. Usually they are arriving at different times than when our paychecks are arriving in our checking account. The average person spends two hours a month paying bills – writing checks, addressing envelopes, finding stamps, mailing. Want an easy way to help manage those bills and when they are paid? Bill pay will give you back the time to do what you want!

With bill pay, when a bill is received, a due date and amount can be entered on the system. The bill pay company guarantees that the recipient will receive that amount on or prior to the due date, providing there are funds available in the checking account attached to bill pay.

Bills could be set to pay on the day a paycheck is received so the funds are sure to be available to take care of the vital payments needed. Bill pay has the flexibility to give control regarding when bills are paid, how much is paid, and how often.

Some companies provide e-bills or electronic bills where the bill arrives directly into bill pay – not to the mailbox. Just click on the e-bill icon next to the payee to view, print, or save the bill, then enter what should be paid and when! This makes it no longer necessary to visit each payee website to retrieve electronic bills, plus saves all that paper accumulation!

Reminders can be setup to let alert when a bill is due, what amount is due or when a bill has been paid. Messages can be sent to any email account or as a text message.

Take control of your time and your money – start using bill pay today! Stop in at any of our branches to sign up.

E-Statements

Convenient ~ Simple ~ Fast ~ Secure ~ and GREEN~

It’s convenient! You may view or print your e-Statements any time you choose.
It’s simple! You will receive an email when your e-Statement is ready to view on HTB Internet Banking.
It’s fast! Your e-Statement is available days before the paper statement.
It’s secure! Your e-Statement will not be lost or stolen in the mail.
It’s environmentally friendly! Reduce paper waste.

Go HTB Green!

Debit Card Fraud – Security Tips

April 2, 2013 by HomeTown Bank

Phishing….Pharming…Skimming…..these are just a few of the many methods used by fraudsters to trick you into providing them your debit card and personal information. Unfortunately, fraud attacks are on the increase. At HomeTown Bank, we are committed to helping you keep your debit card and account information safe. Following are several tips to help minimize your exposure to debit card fraud.

Sign the signature panel as soon as you receive your card. Writing “Please See ID” is not a replacement for a signature. Your signature not only helps protect your card from fraud, but it is required by Visa and Master Card.
Choose a PIN that is unique and known only to you. Do not use 1234, 1111, 2222, etc. These are some of the first ones a fraudster will try as many people do use simple combinations for ease of memorization.
Be sure to never share your PIN with anyone. When entering it at a POS (Point of Sale), block anyone standing nearby from seeing your PIN. Also, do not write your PIN on your card or carry it with the card.
Make a copy of the front and back of your card and put it in a safe place. You will then have easy access to the phone numbers to call and the card information in the event of the card being lost or stolen.
Be sure to ask for and keep all receipts. As soon as you receive your bank statement, check the receipts against the items posted on your statement. If you do find a discrepancy, notify the bank immediately.
Be cautious when using your debit card for online purchases. Make sure the company is reputable before sharing your debit card information.
NEVER respond to any e-mail message asking you to confirm or validate personal or account information, no matter how legitimate the email may appear.
Beware of “free trial offers”. The majority of free offers require you to give them a credit card, debit card, or account/bank information to pay the shipping and handling. In the fine print, you are most likely agreeing to have them ship future orders and charge them to the card/account.

You can be a victim of fraud when you least expect it. Your best defense is to be proactive and react quickly in the event you do discover debit card fraud.

If at any time, you have any questions regarding security of your debit card, or possible fraud, please contact our customer service representatives at your local HomeTown Bank branch or via email at info@htbmn.com.

Safeguarding Your Information

May 24, 2012 by HomeTown Bank

At HomeTown Bank, the security of customer information is a priority. We are strongly committed to the safety and confidentiality of your records. Every day, unscrupulous individuals are busy developing new scams targeting the unsuspecting public. One of the best ways to avoid fraud is to become an educated consumer.

Watch out for copycat Web sites that deliberately use a name or Web address very similar to, but not the same as the real one. The intent is to lure you into clicking through to their Web site and giving out your personal information, such as a bank account number, credit card number or Online Banking login information.

Always use your pre-established links to access Web sites and avoid clicking on links in unsolicited e-mails. If you ever receive a suspicious e-mail representing itself as HomeTown Bank, please forward the message in its entirety to info@htbmn.com.

Ensure that your own personal computer has updated anti-virus and firewall protections. Apply security patches for all of your programs and operating systems regularly.

Passwords should be unique to you and changed regularly. Do not use birthdays or other numbers or words that may be easy for others to guess. Never write down your password or give it to another person.

Monitor your account activity frequently using our free Online and Mobile Banking services.

Sign up for free Online Banking eStatements to avoid having your paper statement sitting in an unsecure mailbox where it could be compromised.

Set up free Security and Balance Alerts through Online Banking to be notified via phone, e-mail and/or SMS text message when there is login activity or changes in your expected balance.

Set up a personalized Security Phrase for your Online Banking so that you always know when you are on our secure Web site.

Please keep in mind that we will never ask for or email you requesting your online banking password. We may on occasion call to verify other information regarding your online activity should we see something of concern in your login patterns. If you plan to travel and use your Online Banking or debit card, it is very helpful to call us in advance to avoid your account being temporarily disabled for security purposes.

In case of errors or questions about your electronic transfers, call or write us at the telephone number or address listed, as soon as you can, if you think your statement or receipt is wrong or if you need more information about a transfer listed on the statement or receipt. We must hear from you no later than 60 days after we sent the FIRST statement on which the problem or error appeared.

For personal accounts, limitations on your liability for unauthorized electronic funds transfers and other electronic errors that are covered by Regulation E are explained in the EFT Disclosure Statement. However, if you use online services for any business activity, you assume all risk of loss for unauthorized transfers and payments, and you must establish your own internal security procedures for employees you authorize to prevent all unauthorized use by other employees or persons.

If at any time you have questions regarding security or possible fraud, please contact our customer service representatives at your local HomeTown Bank branch or via e-mail at info@htbmn.com.