Financial Wellness

1. Observe your surroundings and use another ATM if it's obstructed from view or poorly lit.
2. Use only ATMs displaying the MasterCard,® Maestro,® Cirrus® and/or MoneyPass® brand marks.
3. Put your card and cash away immediately, count your money later, and always keep your receipt.
4. Cancel your transaction and leave immediately at the first sign of anyone or anything suspicious. 
5. Go to a crowded, well-lit area and call the police if anyone follows you after an ATM transaction.
6. Avoid letting strangers follow you into an enclosed ATM that requires your card to open the door.
7. Lock all passenger car doors and close your windows when using a drive-up ATM.
8. Don't leave your car unlocked or engine running when you get out to use an ATM.
9. Plan ahead when making withdrawals in case the ATM is open only during local business hours.

1. Keep your card in a safe place to avoid damage or theft.
2. Memorize your Personal Identification Number (PIN). Never write the PIN down on anything in your wallet or on the card.
3. When selecting a PIN, avoid numbers and letters that relate to your personal information. For example, don’t use your initials, birthday, telephone or Social Security number. If you have such a number, contact the bank and get a new PIN issued.
4. Always shield the screen and keyboard to protect your PIN from bystanders.
5. Immediately report a lost or stolen card.

1. Never share your user ID and password with anyone unless you give them access to your account.
2. Create a strong, unique password and use different passwords for different sites.  
3. Make your passwords memorable and at least 12 characters long, such as “I<3c0untryMuzic!”
4. Commit your password to memory and don't write it down or share it.
5. Log off when you're finished using Online Banking or need to step away for more than a minute.
6. Be cautious about the emails you reply to and verify its authenticity before clicking on any links.
7. Never click on a link in an email that asks you to provide sensitive personal, financial or account information.
8. Call Heritage Bank & Trust first if you're ever asked to update or verify personal or account information.
9. Shut down or disconnect your computer from the Internet when not in use, unless you're protected by a firewall.

Passwords can be inconvenient, but they’re important if you want to keep your information safe. Protecting your personal information starts with STOP. THINK. CONNECT.™ Take security precautions, think about the consequences of your actions online and enjoy the internet with peace of mind. Here are some simple ways to secure your accounts through better password practices.

1. Make your password a sentence. A strong password is a sentence at least 12 characters long. Focus on positive sentences or phrases you like to think about and find easy to remember (for example, “I L0v3 c0untry Musix!” or "Chocol@teCakeIsMyFav3!"). On many sites, you can even use spaces as characters. Note: Best practices call for passphrases that are easy for you to remember and hard for hackers to crack or guess.
2. Remember: unique account, unique password. Having separate passwords for every account helps thwart cybercriminals. At a minimum, separate your work and personal accounts and make sure your critical accounts have the strongest passwords. Avoid common or dictionary words. Use a combination of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. Create passwords with at least 12 characters.
3. Keep it safe. Everyone can forget a password. Use a password manager to keep track of your passwords. Tip: Never write it down or keep it where it would be in plain sight or easy to find.