Our Commitment to Your Safety - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response Plan

March 26, 2020

Please continue to visit this page for the most up-to-date information on our response.

The health and safety of our customers, employees, and communities continues to be our top priority.

The statewide stay-at-home advisory and closure of nonessential businesses exempt banks and other essential services. As such, we continue to do our part to slow the spread of the virus while ensuring that you stay connected to your money.

Rest assured we remain open and ready to serve you via drive-up window, ATM and electronic banking services.

• All branch locations remain open for banking business at our drive-up windows and ATMS only. See the complete list of our locations and drive-up hours.

• Access to your Safe Deposit Box remains available by appointment only.
  
  
• Our branch lobbies will remain closed until further notice. No walk-in service is available.

In addition, we’ve put programs in place to support our customers' short-term needs as a result of hardships they may face due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Click here to read a message from our president.

We will reopen our lobbies to customers as soon as it is safe to do so.  In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you at our drive-up windows and strongly encourage you to use our electronic banking services that make banking from home easy and convenient.

We are prepared to operate during this state of emergency:

• Should it be necessary, we have plans in place that will allow us to operate our bank from remote locations.  
• We have actively partnered with our most critical vendors to review their contingency plans.  We are confident they are ready to operate through just about any potential scenario. 
  
  

We're Here For You. 
Beginning on March 19th, and for a 30-day period, we are putting the following programs in place to support our customers’ short-term needs as a result of hardships they may face due to the Coronavirus pandemic:

• We will waive early withdrawal penalties on CD withdrawals up to $10,000 per customer.
• On an individualized basis, we will consider options to support the needs of consumer loan and mortgage loan customers who may have difficulty meeting their payment obligations in the months ahead.
• Our commercial loan officers will work with impacted business customers to assess their banking needs to ensure their operations remain intact despite loss of income or other impact to their business as a result of this pandemic.

Ways to Bank from Home.
We offer electronic banking services that let you connect with your money, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including:

• Online Banking and Bill Pay. Check balances, view transactions, see which checks have cleared, transfer funds, pay bills, and more from any computer or device with Internet access.
• Mobile Banking. Download our mobile app to take your money with you wherever you go. It’s secure, easy, and free.
• Mobile Deposit. Make deposits right from home using the camera on your smartphone.
• Telephone Banking. Get 24-hour access to your account information by phone, anytime, by calling 888.826.1120. Check balances, verify transactions, transfer funds, and more.
• Debit Card. Shop from home and enjoy a secure way to make payments.
• Zelle Person-to-Person Payments. Use Zelle to send or receive money through Online Banking or our Mobile Banking app.

Ways to Sign Up to Bank from Home.

• Visit our website at bankHometown.com and click “Logins” to sign up for Online Banking, Bill Pay, or Zelle.
• Download our Mobile Banking app from The App Store or Google Play to sign up for Mobile Banking or Zelle.
• Order a new debit card by visiting the service center within Online Banking.
• Sign up for Telephone Banking by calling 888.826.1120 and following the prompts.

For your safety and ours, if you have traveled internationally or visited an impacted area in the last 30 days, please call us at 888.307.5887 to transact any banking business. Our Customer Care team is ready and waiting to assist you with your banking needs.

Ways to Protect Yourself from Fraud.
Scammers have been setting up fraudulent websites to sell virus-related products and using emails and social media in attempts to steal your personal and financial information. The Federal Trade Commission offers these tips to protect yourself:

• Never click on links from institutions unfamiliar to you, as doing so could result in having malicious software downloaded onto your computer or device.
• Ensure you have up-to-date security software and the latest updates downloaded on your computer or device. 
• Be on the alert for false emails from what appears to be the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Instead, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official website as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) website.
• Ignore ads and online offers promoting vaccines, preventions, treatment, or cure claims for the Coronavirus. 

To learn more about ways to protect yourself and sign up for consumer alerts to stay up-to-date on the latest scams related to the virus, visit the Federal Trade Commission's Coronavirus page.

Ways to Learn More.
If you're looking for more information on the Coronavirus or ways to protect yourself, visit these websites:

The Centers for Disease Control
The World Health Organization
The Mass.gov Coronavirus Update
The Federal Trade Commission

Additional Resources.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) has recently released several resources to help consumers take steps to protect their finances during the COVID-19 pandemic, including how to avoid financial scams and submit complaints to the Bureau:

Protect yourself financially from the impact of the coronavirus
The CFPB information and resources continues for informed financial decisions
Protecting your credit during the coronavirus pandemic
Coronavirus and dealing with debt: Tips to help ease the impact
Tips for financial caregivers during the coronavirus pandemic

Small Business Resources.
COVID-19 Resources and Guidance for Businesses
Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program
Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019
Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources

We're Here to Help.
Of course, if you need assistance, you can call our Customer Care team to speak with a representative at 888.307.5887. Our hours of operation are:

Monday - Wednesday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday: 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday: 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

« Back to Articles