NOVEMBER BANKING SAFETY TIP OF THE MONTH: Holiday Budget   It’s that time of year again to be thinking about your upcoming holiday budget.  Here are a few tips to help you get through this holiday season.   ·         Make a list of all the people to plan to buy a gift for.  Next to each name make a note of what you plan to buy that person and how much you want to spend.  This will help you keep track of what items need to be bought and the amount you will be spending.   ·         Once you have your list made, start watching for sales.  Look at different stores and compare prices on different items.  If shopping online, purchase multiple items from one online store to cut down on shipping costs.   ·         Review your receipts from last years purchases.  This will give you an idea of how much you spent last year, so you can better calculate your spending for this year.    ·         Save your receipts from your purchases made for this holiday season and add them up to see if your spending is on track.  By totaling your receipts weekly, it will help you keep a better grasp on the amount you have spent.    ·         And finally, start saving for next year.  It’s never to early to get ahead on your holiday budget.

OCTOBER BANKING SAFETY TIP OF THE MONTH: "Check 21"  Congress passed the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, also known as Check 21, in 2004 to make check processing and payments more efficient.  Check 21 simply allows a bank to take a picture of your check and process it electronically rather than transporting it via truck.  This new concept will allow checks to clear faster and help reduce fraud.  As the consumer, you will begin receiving substitute checks which are legal copies of your original check.  The copy is produced from a digital image of the original check and will include all of the information from the original check.  Citizen’s State Bank will begin using the Check 21 processing system mid October.

SEPTEMBER BANKING SAFETY TIP OF THE MONTH ATM Safety Tips Always take your receipt with you after using an ATM.  Even if the transaction was incomplete, leaving behind the receipt can lead to identity theft.  After leaving the ATM, count your cash to make sure you received the correct amount, if not contact the bank.  It is also important to keep your ATM receipts so you can compare your ATM receipts with your monthly bank statement.  You can also check your bank account balance on a regular basis if using an ATM frequently so you can report any discrepancies to your bank as soon as possible.

Information provided by the American Bankers Association and 2007 Financial Education Corporation.