SECURITY'S PRIVACY POLICY AND NOTICE
At Security Bank Corporation ("Security"), we are committed
to protecting the privacy and security of our customers' personal information
and ensuring the accuracy of such information. We collect and maintain
information about our customers to enable us to protect the security of their
accounts, conduct our business in a manner consistent with banking laws and
regulations, provide customers with information and offers on products and
services to meet their needs, and satisfy legal requirements.
This Privacy Policy describes how Security and its affiliated companies*
collect and use personal customer information and how we maintain the
confidentiality and accuracy of such information. This policy also explains how
customers can limit the communication of their non-public personal information
by Security and its affiliated companies. It also describes how they can verify
the accuracy of information regarding their accounts with us.
HOW WE OBTAIN PERSONAL CUSTOMER INFORMATION. This policy principally
governs Security's use of non-public personal customer information. Non-public
personal information is defined in applicable law and generally means financial
information that is identified with an individual that is not obtainable from a
public source. For example, a customer's checking account balance is non-public
information. In contrast, the fact that a customer has a mortgage loan with us
is public information because the mortgage is available from public government
records. Non-public information includes any list, description, or other
grouping of customers that is created using non-public information (whether or
not the list also includes public information). For example, a list of mortgage
customers that includes current loan balances would be non-public. Non-public
information does not include any list, description, or grouping that is created
using only public information.
We obtain personal customer information primarily from our customers (for
example when they open an account with us or submit a loan application). We may
also obtain such information from other sources (for example, when they apply
for a loan, we may obtain a credit report on them and ask that they authorize
us to verify their personal financial information). If we are unable to obtain
such information as our business may require from our customers, we may be
prevented from providing them with a service and/or may be compelled to
terminate an account or service that we currently provide to them. We also
maintain personal customer information resulting from their experience and
transactions with us.
In the conduct of our business, we collect and maintain various types
of information about our customers, including:
- Identification information, such as account numbers,
Social Security numbers, date of birth and street address.
- Information regarding creditworthiness and credit
capacity, such as customer assets, liabilities, employment, income and expenses
that they may provide to us in a loan application.
- Account activity information, such as loan or deposit
balances and transaction histories.
- Information regarding a customer's financial situation
which allows us to recommend to them appropriate financial products, such
as mortgage loans offered through Security Mortgage, our mortgage
lending affiliate.
HOW WE USE A CUSTOMER'S PERSONAL INFORMATION. We use customer personal
information only for legitimate business purposes in a manner consistent with
banking practices in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The
following summarizes the principal ways in which Security uses such
information.
WITHIN SECURITY AND ITS AFFILIATED COMPANIES. Within Security and its
affiliated companies, we use non-public personal information:
- To protect the security of customer accounts. For
example, we use personal information for identification purposes to
prevent unauthorized persons from accessing customers' accounts with us.
- To conduct our business in a safe and sound manner.
For example, we use information gathered in loan applications to insure
that we underwrite loans in a prudent manner consistent with the
requirements of state and federal banking regulations.
- To satisfy legal requirements. For example, we use a
customer's Social Security number for federal income tax reporting
purposes.
- To provide better service to our customers. For
example, if a customer banks at one of our Bibb County branches and cashes
a check at another Security Bank branch location, the teller that serves
the customer will verify the customer's balance with the Bibb County branch before cashing the check. Since the banks are separate, but affiliated,
institutions, such sharing of information between them is necessary in
order to allow us to meet the customer's request - thus providing better
customer service.
- To help us determine which products and services may
best serve customer needs. Some of these services might be offered by a
Security affiliate. Again, for example, we offer home purchase and construction
loans through our affiliate, Security Mortgage. If we were unable to
share customer information between the banks and the Security Mortgage affiliate,
an important opportunity to make a loan to a customer might be lost.
WITH NONAFFILIATED THIRD PARTIES - We only share non-public personal
information of customers and former customers as permitted by law, including
the following situations:
- Legal Requirements. We are sometimes required to
disclose personal information in order to comply with subpoenas, court
orders, and legal reporting requirements, such as interest reporting to
the Internal Revenue Service.
- Credit Reporting Agencies. We may disclose information
relating to our experience with customers to credit reporting agencies and
similar organizations, such as Equifax Systems.
- Written Consent. We may disclose a customer's personal
information with their written consent, including when a customer gives
someone power of attorney or other authorization to act on their behalf.
- Business Transfers. We may disclose personal
information in connection with a proposed or actual transfer of accounts
or a line of business to another company.
- We may disclose personal information to protect a
customer's accounts against fraud and unauthorized transactions, to
resolve customer disputes, and, as necessary, to Security's regulators,
attorneys, accountants, and auditors.
- We may disclose all of the information we collect, as
described above, to companies that perform marketing services upon our
behalf or to other financial institutions with whom we have joint
marketing agreements.
PROTECTING PERSONAL CUSTOMER INFORMATION FROM UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS.
Safeguarding customer personal information is important at Security. We
maintain systems, policies and procedures to protect such information from
being accessed by unauthorized persons. We limit employee access to personal
customer information to those with a legitimate business reason for such
access. We will retain personal information only as long as necessary to service
a customer's account, conform to safe and sound banking practices, or satisfy
legal requirements. We train our employees in our privacy policy and
procedures, and they are held accountable for adhering to them.
HOW
TO LIMIT OUR USE OR DISCLOSURE OF YOUR OWN PERSONAL INFORMATION. As described in the Policy, from
time to time, Security will share your personal information with affiliated
companies and as otherwise permitted by law. If you would prefer that we not
communicate your non-public personal information (other than transaction and
experience information, which we are authorized to do under the Fair Credit
Reporting Act) among our affiliated companies, you may instruct us not to do so
(an Opt Out Request). You may accomplish this by visiting your local branch or by
writing to us at: Security Bank, Customer Information, P. O. Box 4748, Macon, GA 31208.
In all communications please include your name as it appears on your
account with us, as well as your address, Social Security number, and account number.
Please allow up to 90 days for us to process your request, after receipt. Your
request will not apply to: (a) disclosures of information regarding our
experience with you, to the extent such disclosures are permitted by law (for
example, information about your payment history disclosed to a credit bureau);
(b) disclosures of personal information to another bank or financial
institution with which we maintain a joint marketing relationship or private
label credit card program; (c) disclosures required by law; or (d) any specific
disclosures which you consent to in writing. You may revoke an Opt Out Request
at any time.
ACCURACY OF CUSTOMER INFORMATION. At Security, we believe it is
important that the information we maintain about your accounts with us is as
accurate as possible. We maintain internal controls to help ensure the accuracy
of such information. If you believe that any such information is inaccurate or
incomplete, please contact us and we will take appropriate action to correct or
amend our records. If you wish to review information regarding your accounts
with us, please visit your local branch. Depending on the research required to
compile the requested information, Security may charge a fee for such services
as described in the Account and Service Fees schedule you received when you
opened your account. We will provide you with an estimate of such a fee. If we
are unable to comply with your request (for example, because the information no
longer exists or is impractical to retrieve), we will explain the reasons why.
*These affiliated companies are Security Bank of Bibb County (AKA
Security Bank of Glynn County) , Security Bank of Houston County, Security Bank
of Jones County, Security Bank of North Metro, Security Bank of North Fulton
(FKA Neighbors Bank), Security Bank of Gwinnett County (FKA Homestead Bank) and
Security Real Estate Services, Inc. DBA Security Mortgage. We may add companies to the Security family
and, if so, those new affiliates would follow this Policy.
(Privacy Policy Statement) Revised 01/08