News & Information

Published Date: March 17, 2020

Dear Members,

At First Financial, the health and safety of our members and staff is always our top priority. Over the past several weeks, we have been learning about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and how it is impacting our communities. We are closely monitoring the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) guidelines and recommendations on preparedness and prevention of the virus.

We have always upheld high standards of safety and cleanliness and have enacted extra preventative measures. These include additional cleaning and disinfecting practices in our branches and corporate offices throughout the day, especially in high-touch areas—door handles, keyboards, PIN pads, ATMs, tables/desks, teller counters, and many others. We have provided employees with information on best practices from the CDC and we always encourage staff to stay home when they are not feeling well.

Our branches remain open for business and we encourage you to use our free and convenient digital channels and call center for your banking needs. If you are uncomfortable handling cash, our Visa Debit Card and Visa Credit Card can be used for making purchases, recurring payments and more.

We strongly encourage you to take advantage of our free digital services using our Online or Mobile App to deposit checks, view transactions, check balances, make transfers, bill payments and more.

If you haven’t enrolled in Online Banking, contact one of our First Financial representatives and we will help you get started.

In addition to our 10 conveniently-located branches, you can chat with eBranch during business hours from the comfort of your home. eBranch can help you with:

• Account inquiries
• Apply for loans
• Opening deposit accounts
• Balance transfers
• And more

If you’ve been impacted and need help with your account, we are here to assist you. We have special products and services in place, including an Emergency Loan and Loan Deferment options.

Please call us at (800) 537-8491 during our regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.; and Saturday from 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m) or explore our website for more information.

We value your membership and remain steadfast in our commitment to serving your financial needs while maintaining the safety of our staff and members.

Sincerely,



Carlton Musmann
President/CEO

We encourage all members to remain alert for suspicious communications—social media, phone calls, text messages, emails, etc.—now. As news about COVID-19 evolves, there has been an increase in scams related to the virus. We encourage all members to remain alert for suspicious communications—social media, phone calls, text messages, emails, etc.—now. As news about COVID-19 evolves, there has been an increase in scams related to the virus.

As a reminder, First Financial will never request your Social Security information over the phone or via email. If you’re ever unsure about a First Financial communication, get in touch with us immediately using well-known contact information.

Want to get your Coronavirus relief check?

You’ve probably heard the news by now – the government is sending out relief checks as part of the federal response to the Coronavirus. Scammers heard the same thing, and they’re hoping to cash in on yours.

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Coronavirus stimulus payment scams: What you need to know

We know there’s been a flood of information and updates about the government’s economic impact payments, or so-called stimulus checks, lately. But quickly and safely moving massive amounts of money into the hands of those who need it is a big job with a lot of moving parts. We also know that the more you know about the process, the less likely you’re going to be tripped up by calls, text messages, or emails from scammers trying to steal your money or personal information. Here’s what you need to know about the stimulus payments and how to avoid scams related to these payments.

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Avoid Scams While Finding Help During Quarantine

Older adults may be hard hit by the coronavirus – and scammers prey on that. If you or someone you know must stay at home and needs help with errands, you’ll want to know about this latest scam.

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FTC sends more warnings to sellers of scam Coronavirus treatments

Last month, the FTC and FDA sent warning letters to seven sellers of unapproved and misbranded products, claiming they can treat or prevent the Coronavirus. Today, the FTC sent warning letters to 10 more companies.

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Other Resources

• How to Spot, Avoid and Report Tech Support Scams
• Protect Your Computer from Malware

We Tested Our Systems to Ensure We Can Serve Members if a Disaster Strikes

Your credit union took advantage of the annual Great California ShakeOut earthquake preparedness drill on October 18 to conduct a company-wide disaster recovery exercise. This afforded us the opportunity to simulate a disaster.

On this day, our Corporate Center was closed; however, our branches were open with limited systems. Our online banking, ATMs and Call-24 were up and working throughout the day. Executive and senior management, along with critical departments, worked from a location more than 50 miles from the Corporate offices and ran the daily credit union operations.

We are happy to report that the exercise was successful and if/when a true disaster occurs that disrupts business as usual, we have processes and procedures in place to handle it and to provide continuous service to our members.

We would like to thank all of our members for their patience during the exercise. This will not be the last time we test our systems. Rest assured, First Financial will be here when you may need us the most.