Banking
FAQ
Q Are Bank of Pontiac
deposit accounts FDIC insured?
A Each depositor's funds are insured to $100,000
and that limitation applies to the total of a person's funds in checking
deposits, savings deposits, and time certificates of deposit for which
an insured bank is liable. In addition to their individual insured
accounts, each person is entitled to a maximum of $100,000 coverage
for their interest in all of their joint accounts. For more information
about FDIC Insurance Coverage, visit the FDIC
web site or contact a Bank of Pontiac Customer Service Representative
at 1- 815-844-6155.
Q
How do I set up Direct Deposit of my payroll
check?
A After your Bank of Pontiac checking application
has been approved, you will receive Bank of Pontiac's routing and
transit number and your account number. If your employer participates
in a direct deposit program, simply provide this information to the
human resources or payroll department at your company and your direct
deposit will usually begin within thirty days.
Q How do I set up Direct
Deposit of my Social Security check?
A After your Bank of Pontiac checking application
has been approved, you will receive Bank of Pontiac's routing and
transit number and your account number. Simply contact Social Security,
and have your Social Security Number and account information available
to set up your direct deposit right over the phone. You may also sign
a short form at the bank and we will electronically transmit your
request.
Q Can I get information
about my checking/savings accounts by phone?
A Yes! Account information is available with
our Bookkeeping Department during business hours at any of our banking locations or ask about TeleBank 24, our Voice
Response System for automated account information 24 hours a day.
Q What products can
I apply for online?
A Currently, you can apply for a Newcomer
Kit online. A tenant application and several tenant forms
are also available online on our Farm Management page.
We offer printable applications for loans, debit cards, TeleBank24,
Online Banking, Online Bill Pay, and FunTimers.
Q Is interest paid
on Bank of Pontiac checking accounts?
A Yes! We offer several interest bearing
checking accounts. If you want a checking account that pays interest,
check out our Investment Money Market Account or our Interest Checking
Account on our Personal Solutions
page.
Q Can I do all of
my banking with Bank of Pontiac?
A Yes! Thanks to the convenience of Direct
Deposit, Online Banking, ATMs and Bank-by-Mail, everyday banking
activities can be performed from the comfort of home or while
on the go. Contact us with questions about your banking
needs.
Q Can I look at all of my transactions at
any time?
A Yes! With Online Banking, you have access
to your account information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Q How frequently is
my Bank of Pontiac information updated?
A Bank of Pontiac updates all customer information
nightly. Whether you access our Online Banking site or visit
our customer service department, your account information is
updated every day to reflect all account activity.
Q Are wire transfers
possible to and from my Bank of Pontiac checking account?
A Yes! Funds can be transferred to and from
Bank of Pontiac accounts by wire transfer or via ACH (Automated
Clearing House) debits or credits. Call our Wire Transfer department
or our Bookkeeping department at 1-815-844-6155 for details.
Q How do I make a deposit to my account
from a remote location?
A You can do most of your banking by using
direct deposit, ATMs or ACH (Automated Clearing House) transactions.
Bank of Pontiac also offers a bank-by-mail service which allows
you to mail non-recurring deposits. Contact
us for details on a method that's best for you.
Online
Banking FAQ
Q How much does Online
Banking cost?
A Online Banking is a
FREE service
offered to Bank of Pontiac customers. The free services include account
viewing and transfers between Bank of Pontiac accounts.
Q How do I access Online
Banking?
A After your Bank of Pontiac Online Banking
application has been approved you will be mailed a userid and instructions
on how to log in to your account; simply log in from the homepage.
When using Online Banking for the first time, you will be prompted
to change your password, select a security photo, and setup "Security
Questions."
Q Who should enroll
when I have a joint account with another person?
A Any account holder can enroll for online
banking by obtaining an application, provided that they are at least
18 years of age.
Q When I attempt to login online using
my user ID and Password, it says that my account is currently locked.
Why ?
A This occurs when a password is entered
incorrectly more than three times,
which causes your account to be locked. This is for your protection,
and protects your account information from being accessed by anyone
else. If you feel that an unauthorized person is trying to access
your online account please contact us at once at (815) 844-6155.
Q What
is my User ID & Password?
A Choosing
your User ID and Password is an important part of establishing
the security for your account.
The following Do's and Don'ts can help you select something that
will be easy for you to remember but difficult for "outsiders" to
guess.
Do's:
- Mix letters
and numbers.
- Select codes that will be easy for you
to remember.
- Use phrases that combine spaces, words
and other symbols (i.e. "Mary had a little lamb," etc.)
Don'ts
- Don't use a password more than 8 characters/letters/numbers
in length.
- Don't use
only one word.
- Don't use something readily identifiable
such as your birthday, spouse or child's name, social security
number, phone number or street address. While these may be easy
for you to remember, they can be traced directly to you and are
easy for potential hackers to guess.
- Don't use the same code for your User ID
and Password. They should be two distinct entries.
- Don't use letters or numbers that are near
each other on the keyboard (i.e. hjkl;) or that appear in a logical
sequence (i.e. 123456 or abcdefg).
- Don't ever share your codes with anyone.
Q I signed up for Online Banking, but I cannot see any of my
account history?
A Your account history starts building from
the first time you access the Online Banking and is stored for
you to view for a period of one year.
Q Why is my Available Balance different from my Current Balance?
A Your Available Balance could vary from
the sum of the Current Balance due to Holds, Uncollected Funds,
Memo Posted amounts or a Line of Credit. For example, if you make
an "in person" deposit at one of our locations the teller
will memo post your deposit to your account, but it will not be
part of your current balance until we complete our daily processing
that evening.
Q How frequently is my Bank of Pontiac
information updated?
A Bank of Pontiac updates online customer
information realtime. The exceptions are debitcard transactions
and ACH payments. Transfers may be performed prior to 6:00 pm if
you wish to have them processed that evening. Transfers performed
after 6:00 pm will be processed in our systems the following business
day, although they may show in Online Banking as having been completed.
Q Can I look at all
of my transactions at any time?
A Yes, with Online Banking, you have access
to your account information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Q After I make a bill
payment, how long does it take for the money to be debited from my
account?
A Electronic payments will automatically
be debited from your account when the payment is scheduled to be performed.
Check payments are debited from your account when the check is cashed
by the Payee. Online Bill Payments sent in the form of paper checks
are treated the same as if you wrote the check out yourself and mailed
it to your payee.
Q How long does it
take for a payment to reach the payee?
A An electronic payment will credit the payee's
account within 1-3 business days; whereas, a paper check will take
up to 10 days. Because the paper checks are printed and mailed from
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, you need to allow for the time it requires
that check to reach it's intended recipient.
Q How do I actually
use the Electronic Bill Payment System?
A Step-by-step instructions can be accessed
by pressing the help button within Online Banking. For additional
information, please contact Bank of Pontiac at (815) 844-6155.
Security FAQ
Q I'm still hesitant about banking online. Can other people
see my account information?
A We've taken every step possible to be
sure our system meets the latest security standards, including
using the latest security encryption methods and software.
Q What about filling applications out online? How secure is
that?
A Filling out applications online is as
secure as the Online Banking System. Your entire session, from
beginning to end, is encrypted. Our system supports 128-bit encryption,
so you can also use the latest browser from Netscape or Microsoft
that supports this security level. In fact, the highest encryption
Netscape and Microsoft browsers support is 128-bit, so you will
be using the highest bit encryption currently available if you
use a 128-bit encryption capable browser.
Q I keep hearing a lot about encryption? What exactly is it,
and why does it make everything more secure?
A Encryption is basically a way to rewrite
something in a code which can then be decoded later with the right
key. The encryption we use employs a mathematical process for the
key which is made up of a certain number of bits (hence, 128-bit
encryption). The higher the number of bits, the better the encryption.
While using our Online Banking System, all communication from you
to the system and from the system to you is encrypted using a maximum
of 128 bits. In other words, when you send information to the system,
your browser encrypts it using a 128-bit key, and then sends it
to the system. The system then decodes the information you sent
it using the key (which is predetermined when your Online Banking
session is started) and processes it.
Q What about information that is stored? Is it encrypted as
well?
A Information stored on our system is also
encrypted using at least 128 bits. Q What should I use for a password to ensure it cannot be guessed?
A Choosing your User ID and Password is
an important part of establishing the security for your account.
The following Do's and Don'ts can help you select something that
will be easy for you to remember but difficult for "outsiders" to
guess.
Do's:
- Mix letters
and numbers.
- Select codes that will be easy for you
to remember.
Use phrases that combine spaces, words
and other symbols (i.e. "Mary had a little lamb," etc.)
Don'ts
- Don't use only one word.
- Don't use something readily identifiable
such as your birthday, spouse or child's name, social security
number, phone number or street address. While these may be
easy for you to remember, they can be traced directly to
you and are easy for potential hackers to guess.
- Don't use the same code for your User ID
and Password. They should be two distinct entries.
- Don't use letters or numbers that are near
each other on the keyboard (i.e. hjkl;) or that appear in
a logical sequence (i.e. 123456 or abcdefg).
- Don't ever share your codes with anyone.
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