BANK INDEPENDENT'S COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING CONSUMER PRIVACY
Protecting your privacy is of utmost importance to Bank Independent and our employees. We are committed to keeping your personal and financial information confidential and secure. We want you to understand what information we collect and how we use it. In order to provide you with a broad range of financial products and services as effectively and conveniently as possible, we use technology to manage and maintain customer information. The following policy serves as a standard for all Bank Independent employees for collection, use, retention, and security of nonpublic personal information.
What Information We Collect
"Nonpublic personal information" is nonpublic information about you that we obtain in connection with providing a financial product or service to you.
We may collect "nonpublic personal information" about you from the following sources:
- Information we receive from you on applications or other loan and account forms including online applications and forms such as your name, address, social security number, assets, and income;
- Information about your transactions with us or others such as your account balance, payment history, parties to transactions, and debit card usage;
- Information we receive from third parties such as credit bureaus on your creditworthiness and credit history; and
- Information we collect about visitors to our web site such as the date and time of access, the Internet service provider's address, the web browser used, and the visitor's physical location.
We collect only the information necessary to deliver quality products and services to our customers. We are also continually assessing new technology as it becomes available in order to continue to best protect your privacy.
What Information We Disclose
A. We may disclose customer lists to a "nonaffiliated third party" which would include sharing your name, address, and telephone number only. However, we would not disclose the nature of your account relationships or activity or any other information we receive from you except as permitted by law.
"Nonaffiliated third parties" (i.e. third parties that are not members of our corporate family) may include, but is not limited to:
- Financial service providers, such as mortgage bankers, securities broker-dealers and insurance agents;
- Non-financial companies, such as retailers, direct marketers, airlines, and publishers; and
- Others, such as non-profit organizations.
If you prefer that we not disclose nonpublic personal information about you to such nonaffiliated third parties, you may opt out of these disclosures, that is, you may direct us not to make those disclosures (other than disclosures permitted by law). There are no consequences, in terms of availability or price of Bank products or services, if you choose to prohibit the Bank from sharing this information. If you wish to opt out of disclosures to nonaffiliated third parties, you must complete the form included at the end of this document and return to us by mail or drop off at one of our branch locations.
B. We are permitted under law to disclose nonpublic personal information about you to other third parties in certain circumstances. For example, we may disclose nonpublic personal information about you to third parties to assist us in servicing your loan or account with us, to government entities in response to subpoenas, to credit bureaus, or in other situations at your authorized request. We may also disclose nonpublic personal information we collect from you as described previously to companies that perform marketing services on our behalf or to other financial institutions with which we have joint marketing agreements. In this case, the bank will have a contract with the third party that maintains confidentiality and prohibits use of the nonpublic information for any purpose other than for marketing or joint marketing of our products or services.
C. If you decide to close your account(s) or become an inactive customer, we will continue to adhere to the privacy policies and practices described in this notice.
Accuracy of Information
We have established procedures to ensure that your financial information is accurate, current, and complete. If you ever find that our records contain inaccurate or incomplete information about you, please contact us at (256) 386-5000. We will investigate your concerns and correct any inaccuracies within a timely manner.
Our Security Procedures
We also take steps to safeguard your information. We restrict access to your nonpublic personal information only to those employees who need to know that information to provide products or services to you. Employees are trained in keeping customer information private and confidential. Any employee that violates these standards will be subject to disciplinary measures. We also maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard your nonpublic personal information.
Our Web Site
When you visit our Web site at www.bibank.com, we want you to feel secure that we are respecting your privacy. The only nonpublic personal information we have about you is the information you choose to give us (such as providing feedback or completing a form). This information is used internally, as appropriate, to handle your request and is not released to others except as permitted by law.
We may use "cookies" on some pages of our Web site for the purpose of serving you better when you return to that site. A cookie is a small element of data that a Web site can send to your browser, which may then be stored on your system. Data collected from cookies helps us determine how many people visit certain pages, ultimately enabling us to improve our site design and content. If you prefer, your Web browser can be set to provide you a notice when cookies are being sent and/or to prevent cookies from being sent.
We remind all our customers that links in the bank's website can be found to other websites not under our control. These web sites will not necessarily comply with Bank Independent's "Privacy Principles" and security standards.
BI NetBank (E-Banking)
When you request E-banking Services with our bank, you are provided with an authorized Login ID and password for access to your confidential and private account information. Bank Independent reminds you of your responsibility to safeguard Login IDs and passwords. In addition, commercial customers should carefully screen those employees to whom Login IDs and passwords are granted. Bank Independent utilizes encryption, firewall, router, third party verification procedures and other security software and hardware to help prevent unauthorized eavesdropping of and access to your confidential and private information.
Children's Privacy
We recognize that protecting children's identities and privacy online is important and the responsibility to do so rests with both the online industry and with the parents. For this reason, our Web site is not structured to attract children under the age of 13. Parental consent is required for children under 13 to provide personally identifiable information via our Web site.
Bank Independent Telemarketing
In order to offer you superior products and services and inform you of product specials, we think you will choose to receive information from us by phone. However, if you do not wish to be called about Bank Independent products or services, you can ask to be placed on our "Do Not Call" list either when we telephone you, or by calling (256) 386-5000. If you choose not to receive information from us now, you may resume receiving information at your request.
How to Contact Us
If you would like additional information or have questions regarding Bank Independent's Privacy Policy, please telephone us at (256) 386-5000 Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., or send us an e-mail to customerservice@bibank.com. You may also write to us or stop by one of our many offices and discuss your questions with one of our staff. Bank Independent values our customers and always strives to safeguard the confidence and trust you have placed in us.
Amendments
We may change or update this privacy policy, or any other Bank Independent policy or practice at any time. We will send you a notice explaining the changes before we put any changes into practice. You will have an opportunity to understand how the changes could affect you and decide whether to reconsider your decision about sharing information.
Thanks for Choosing Bank Independent
Bank Independent is committed to protecting your privacy whether it's on the Internet, in person, via telephone or mail. Our goal is to provide you with the most beneficial financial products and services available while protecting your privacy.
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