Introducing Trusted Contact
Tell Us About Your BFF (Best Financial Friend)
Clearwater is committed to delivering the necessary tools to protect your financial future. That’s why we’d like to introduce you to a new service called Trusted Contact.
A Trusted Contact gives you an added layer of protection by providing us with someone we can contact if we cannot reach you and are concerned about you or your financial security. Think of a Trusted Contact as your BFF or best financial friend. Here’s how it works:
- You provide us with the contact info of a trusted friend, neighbor, or family member. It should be someone who knows how to get a hold of you and determine if something is wrong.
- You tell us the situations in which we may reach out to your Trusted Contact.
- If we see something concerning about your accounts and we cannot reach you, we’ll call your Trusted Contact and ask them to check in and make sure you’re okay.
Some important details include:
- Your Trusted Contact cannot make financial decisions on your behalf.
- Your Trusted Contact cannot access or transact on your Clearwater banking accounts or loans.
- Your Trusted Contact must be 18 or older.
- We recommend your Trusted Contact is someone other than a Power of Attorney.
Add a Trusted Contact to Your Account
Choosing a Trusted Contact gives you a financial safety net from fraud, financial exploitation, or unusual activity on your account. For more information about Trusted Contacts and whether it’s right for you, check out the FAQs below.
FAQs
Can a Trusted Contact access my accounts or make decisions about my finances?
No. Your Trusted Contact is simply an individual you authorize Clearwater to contact in situations of your choosing if concerns about your welfare or finances arise and we cannot reach you directly. It offers another layer of protection if something unexpected occurs, such as medical issues, fraud, or exploitation.
When will Clearwater call my Trusted Contact?
We’ll only call your Trusted Contact for situations that you authorize and if we cannot reach you first. We may also call your Trusted Contact to determine if there is a legal guardian, an executor, a trustee, or Power of Attorney acting on your behalf.
Who should I choose as my Trusted Contact?
The person must be at least 18 years of age, and we recommend that it is someone other than your Power of Attorney. Good options include a family member, neighbor, or close friend.
What information do we need about your Trusted Contact?
We’ll need the person’s full name, address, email address (if available), and phone number, as well as their relationship to you.
I live alone, away from family and other close friends. Who should I add as a Trusted Contact?
It’s best to add someone you know and trust. That can include a friend or family member, even if they do not live nearby. As long as you trust them and they know how to find and reach you, they can act as your Trusted Contact.
I have an elderly parent. Can I add a Trusted Contact to their account?
If you are a joint owner on their account or are legally empowered to make financial decisions for them, you can provide us with their Trusted Contact. Otherwise, they will need to provide us with their Trusted Contact directly.
When you’re ready, just call us at 406-523-3300 or stop by any branch to provide us with your Trusted Contact’s info.