Financial Wellness & Education

Planters First Bank is joining the national effort to protect seniors from becoming victims of fraud and financial abuse by offering Safe Banking for Seniors workshops within the communities we serve and by providing free online resources. Each year, older customers lose approximately $2.9 billion to fraud, but that number is suspected to be drastically underestimated because only 1 in 44 seniors report financial abuse. Safe Banking for Seniors is a new financial education program...

Sleep tight — Your money is safe! If the economy suddenly tanks or some banks fail, there’s absolutely no reason to head to your local bank branch and withdraw a suitcase full of cash. Your money is much safer in a bank than it would be stuffed under your mattress (or anywhere else). Protecting our customers’ deposits and funds at Planters First Bank is a top priority. You may have heard that Planters First Bank is FDIC-insured or is a member of the FDIC. But what does that mean for...

Between the recent Yahoo, Facebook, Neopets, and LinkedIn data breaches, close to four billion consumers have had their personal information stolen. While the size of these digital heists is unprecedented, they’re nothing new for modern consumers. Since the early 90s, criminals have been stealing online customer data, leveraging credit cards or social security info for billions in ill-gotten gain. And, of course, the banking industry is no stranger to these attacks. At Planters First...

A type of internet risk is Corporate Account Takeover Corporate Account Takeover is an ongoing electronic crime typically involving the exploitation of businesses. Businesses that are more at risk are those with limited to no computer safeguards and minimal or no disbursement controls for use with their bank's online business banking system. These businesses are vulnerable to theft when cyber thieves gain access to their computer system to take confidential banking information in order to...

Criminals don't like getting caught. So, when they want to send and receive stolen money, they get someone else to do the dirty work. Some scammers develop online relationships and ask their new sweetheart or friend to accept a deposit and transfer funds for them. Other cons recruit victims with job ads that seem like they're for legit jobs, but they're not. Law enforcement calls the victims 'money mules.' If you get involved with one of these schemes, you could lose money and personal...

Passwords Use strong passwords – Passwords should be complex, use long phrases and a mixture of capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Keep passwords a secret and safe – Do not share passwords with anyone. Keep them in a secure place if written down. Change passwords frequently. Use different passwords for different accounts; never use the same password for business and personal accounts Electronic Devices and Software Keep software...

Today’s modern banks are embracing technology and mobile applications. With this service comes the ability to deposit checks with your smartphone without ever having to step into your local bank or visit an ATM. It is convenient, but is it a safe way to ensure your money gets deposited into your account? Here we look at what you need to know about Mobile Deposit and how to keep it a convenient – and safe – way to do your banking on the go. What exactly is Mobile Deposit? Mobile...

Spring cleaning your finances doesn't have to be a chore with these simple steps! With Planters First Bank Online & Mobile Banking, you can organize your finances with ease. From your desktop or your mobile device, you can manage your finances and start working on achieving your financial goals this spring. Secure access at your fingertips Track your spending: Set up a budget and figure out your spending habits — are you using those memberships? How much do you spend eating out?...

Planters First Bank has information for you during National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) — March 5 - 11, 2023 — and any time of the year. NCPW is a time when government agencies, consumer protection groups, and organizations like ours work together to share information about consumer rights and help people learn to spot, report, and avoid scams. Looking to protect yourself from fraud, identity theft, and scams? Wondering about the best way to improve your credit, shop for a used...

Planters First Bank Announces Commitment to Respecting Data by Becoming a 2023 Data Privacy Week Champion This year’s initiative emphasizes educating businesses on data collection best practices that respect data privacy and promoting transparency As a Champion, Planters First Bank recognizes and supports the principle that all organizations share the responsibility of being conscientious stewards of personal information. Data Privacy Week is an annual expanded effort from...

Planters First Bank wants to help you protect your hard-earned cash from the scammers and hackers that pop up every year. It's like they don't care about the naughty list! Now that holiday shopping is in full swing, we wanted to let you know about a few online shopping trends we've noticed and give a few tips about how to stay safe online while buying gifts for everyone on your list. Here is what we think is cheerful and what we think is coal-worthy for shopping online this...

Every day, thousands of people fall victim to fraudulent emails, texts and calls from scammers pretending to be their bank. And in this time of expanded use of online and mobile banking, the problem is only growing worse. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission’s report on fraud estimates that American consumers lost a staggering $5.8 billion to phishing scams and other fraud in 2021—an increase of more than 70 percent over 2020. It’s time to put scammers in their place. Online...