Stuck at Home – How to Manage Your Accounts from Anywhere

With millions of Americans stuck at home due to the worldwide coronavirus outbreak, people are seeking out new ways to remain fully functional while having to shelter in place and socially distance from others. It’s true that no one can really prepare for an event like this, much less an unexpected illness or injury, that keeps us from leaving our house to run errands, such as visiting your local Polam branch to handle your banking needs. However, it’s important to know how to manage your finances from anywhere, regardless of statewide shelter-in-place orders.

If you’re looking for ways to bank with Polam no matter your physical location, here are a few tips:

• Set up accounts on our online banking portal and mobile app.  One of the best ways we can provide you with a better banking experience is through our online and mobile banking platforms. Both are free to use, and offer you the experience of visiting one of our several branches, all from your home or work computer or your mobile device. With online and mobile banking you can log in to check your account balances, view your transactions in real time, transfer funds between accounts, view your E-Statements, pay bills and set up bill pay, and more. You can download the mobile app from the App Store or Google Play on your device, and for online banking, you can log in here.

• Deposit checks through our mobile banking app.  The camera on your smartphone isn’t just for selfies and clever Instagram pics – you can also use it for your financial benefit. You can use our mobile app to digitally deposit checks using the camera on your mobile device – just endorse the bank of the check per usual. Once you’ve snapped the front and back of the check you want to deposit, you’ll get a notification that it’s been deposited. Always make sure to safely dispose of the physical check once you’ve confirmed that the funds have cleared.

• Choose direct deposit for your paychecks.  If your workplace offers it, enrolling in direct deposit not only saves you time, it’s also eco-friendly and is useful in preventing identity theft. And if you’re stuck at home or otherwise too sick to leave the house, it might not be possible to pick up a physical paycheck from your employer. Enrolling in direct deposit ensures that the funds from your paycheck are deposited into your account on time with no delays.