Privacy & Security

Macatawa Privacy Standards

You often give important information about yourself to companies that you plan to do business with. This is the case when you open an account; apply for a loan or other product or service at any affiliate of Macatawa Bank Corporation. This information is important because it enables us to provide the best possible product or service to meet your needs.

Macatawa Bank Corporation, its' family of financial services companies ("affiliates") and employees, are committed to protecting the privacy of any nonpublic personal information that you give to us. Since it is important for you to understand what information is collected, how it is used and finally how it is protected, we have developed the following privacy standards. This notice applies to individuals and covers information in connection with consumer transactions. We ask that you carefully read the following information.

Information We Collect

"Nonpublic personal information" is information about you that we obtain in connection with providing a financial product or service. Such information includes for example, income, assets, insurance premiums, investment history, account or overdraft history, and payment or credit history.

We collect nonpublic personal information about you from the following sources:

  • Information we receive from you on applications or other forms;
  • Information about your transactions with us, our affiliates, or others; and
  • Information we receive from a consumer reporting agency.

Information We Disclose

We do not disclose nonpublic personal information about you to any companies ("third parties") that are not members of our corporate family, except as permitted by law.

We may also disclose all of the information we collect, as described above, to companies that perform marketing services on our behalf or to other financial institutions with whom we have joint marketing agreements.

If you decide to close your account (s) or become an inactive customer, we will adhere to the privacy standards and practices described in this notice.

Our Security Procedures

We restrict access to nonpublic personal information about you to persons who need to know that information to provide you products or services. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard your nonpublic personal information.

Affiliates of Macatawa Bank Corporation

  • Macatawa Bank
  • Macatawa Bank Mortgage Company
  • Macatawa Title Service Agency, LLC

Notice of Your Opportunity to Opt Out of Information Sharing within the Macatawa Bank Corporation under the Fair Credit Reporting Act

Information we can share with our family of financial services companies ("affiliates") about you.

  • We can share transaction and experience information (such as account transaction history or balances) within our affiliates. Information we can share with our family of financial services companies ("affiliates") about you - Unless You Tell us Not To
  • In order to better meet your needs and to reduce the amount of information you need to provide to each of our affiliates we may share information we have received from you for example on applications or from a consumer credit report such as income or credit scores.
  • If you do not wish for us to share this information within our corporate family, please e-mail us at optout@macatawabank.com or notify us at 1-877-820-2265.

or write us at:

FCRA Opt Out
Macatawa Bank Corporation
P.O. Box 3119
Holland, MI 49422-3119

If you have already told us your privacy choices under this policy, you do not need to contact us again.

Tips to Help Protect Your Privacy

Password Safety

  • Never share your password: Macatawa Bank representatives will never ask you for your password. If you believe someone has learned your password, please change it immediately and contact us at 1-800-459-4801.
  • Create a secure password: Choose a password that uses a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. For example, $coo!place2l!ve or 2Barry5Bonds#1. Avoid choosing obvious words or dates such as a nickname, your birth date, social security number or children's names.
  • Change your password regularly: You will periodically be asked to change your password; however, you may do so more frequently.
  • If your computer prompts you to "save" the password, do not do so. Allowing your computer to remember your login and password information allows anyone with physical access to your computer the ability to log in to your accounts.
  • Keep your password unique: Don't use the same password for Macatawa Bank and other online services such as other banking sites, PayPal, AOL, eBay, MSN, or Yahoo. Using the same password for multiple websites increases the likelihood that someone could learn your password and gain access to your accounts.

Marketing Lists

To limit marketing material through the mail, telephone, or e-mail, write to the Direct Marketing Association at the appropriate address listed below.
You must provide your name, address, and telephone number with your request (go to www.the-dma.org for more information).

Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512
or online at www.dmaconsumers.org
choose the customer assistance link ($5 charge)

Do Not Call
www.donotcall.gov 1-888-382-1222

E-mail Preference Service
www.dmaconsumers.org/consumerassistance.html choose the customer assistance link

To opt out of prescreened credit card offers, call:
1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688)

Protecting Your Identity

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. We understand the implications identity theft can have and take steps to reduce the chance that identity thieves can damage the credit reputations of our customers. See our website at www.macatawabank.com and click on "privacy and security" for more information on identity theft.

If you think your identity has been stolen, affecting any of your loans or accounts, please contact us immediately:

Phone: 1-877-820-2265 E-mail: connect@macatawabank.com

E-mail is not secure. Do not send confidential information on a postcard-like message. It can be read or intercepted many times between the sender and receiver. Having your confidential information sent in an unsecured manner greatly increases your chances of falling victim to Identity Theft. Instead, please use our toll free line, 1-877-820-2265, or log in through our secured internet banking web site where this information may be exchanged.

For additional information, contact the Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or call their hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338).

You should also contact the three major credit bureaus and have them place a fraud alert on your file.

Equifax
1-800-525-6285
www.equifax.com

Experian
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com

TransUnion
1-800-680-7289
www.transunion.com

Free Credit Reports

To help you prevent id theft, stay informed about what is in your credit report. You may receive one free report each year. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll free 1-877-322-8228.

Security Procedures

Customer Obligations

  • Never give out personal information, passwords or PIN numbers over the Internet. The Bank will not call or email you for your information. Do not give or disclose any part of your Login credentials to anyone, particularly while on the telephone or on-line or while using the Internet.
  • Do not leave your account information in an open area accessible by others, including on your computer screen.
  • Do not leave your computer unattended while connected to Macatawa Connect.
  • Please remember that general e-mail systems are not secure. Be careful about the type of information you send in e-mails. Do not send your Password or sensitive account information in any public or general e-mail system.
  • You are responsible for the security of your computer. You should install a personal firewall or use firewall software on your computer and/or your network.
  • Purchase and install anti-virus and anti-spyware software and perform regular scans of your computer.
  • Change your passwords on a regular basis and choose passwords that are difficult to guess. Include punctuation, special characters, numbers and upper and lower case letters when creating a password.
  • Do not write down your password. Memorize it.
  • When you are finished accessing our web site, make sure you logout and close the browser window.
  • Beware of Phishing! (Pronounced fishing) Phishing involves the use of seemingly legitimate email messages and Internet websites to trick customers into disclosing sensitive information, such as bank account information, social security numbers, credit card numbers, passwords, and personal identification numbers (PINS). The fraudulent email message usually requests the customer to update or validate their financial or personal information in order to maintain their accounts, and directs them to a fake website that may look like the website of a legitimate business.
  • If you believe that your accounts or security codes have been compromised, contact the bank immediately at 800.459.4801

Macatawa Bank Internet Banking Security Measures

  • Multiple layers of encryption, firewalls, screening, and filtering routers.
  • Secure sessions established through Secure Socket Layers (SSL).
  • Use of 128-bit capable encryption protocol.
  • Login ID, Company ID, and User passwords.
  • Enhanced Login Security using Multifactor Authentication (MFA).
  • Strong password requirements.
  • Sessions are “timed out” after a specified period of inactivity.
  • Security procedures audited by external certified examiners.
  • Security penetration testing routinely performed by independent security firm.