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Locations:

 

Milford Branch

130 S. Milford Rd

Milford, MI 48381

248.684.9626 

 

Highland Branch

2920 E. Highland Rd

Highland, MI 48356

248.887.9900

 

 Loan Center

522 N. Main St., Ste. 100

Milford, MI 48381

248.387.6080 

  

  

Happy New Year From
 The Friendly Hometown Folks at HVSB 
HVSB opened our doors over nine years ago.  What is it about us that makes banking here so great?  Many of our customers claim its the friendly hometown service they feel when they enter the bank, and are greeted by name, offered an oven baked cookie and hot cup of coffee. Our business customers have told us we relate to business owners, and as a member of the business community ourselves, we understand their needs and challenges.  We would love to hear from you. Please tell us about your experience with Huron Valley State Bank. Send your testimonial to marketing@hvsb.com. Upon receipt of your testimonial, you will receive an email confirmation and information about picking up a special gift as a thank you for your time.   
Free Financial Education 
Interested in learning more about budgeting your hard earned dollars?   Money Smart has reached over 2.75 million consumers since 2001. Research shows that the curriculum can positively influence how consumers manage their finances, and these changes are sustainable in the months after the training.

Financial education fosters financial stability for individuals, families, and entire communities. The more people know about credit and banking services, the more likely they are to increase  savings, buy homes, and improve their financial health and well-being.

The Money Smart curriculum for consumers is available free of charge. Visit www.fdic.gov or talk to one of your friendly bankers at Huron Valley State Bank for more information. 
Meet Your Bankers
Tim Collins 

Tim Collins joined Huron Valley State Bank on February 22, 2011 as Vice President, Commercial Loan Officer.  He is responsible for new business development, conducting credit analysis for prospective business customers, and has the very important role of servicing his current customers.  Tim has over twenty-two years of banking experience, primarily in lending and credit analysis.  With his diversified background, he makes a great addition to the Commercial Lending Team.   

 

During his four years at HVSB, Tim has worked out of both the Milford and Highland branch.  When the bank opened the doors to its newest downtown location, the Loan Center in 2012, Tim relocated to this central location.  "The team here at the bank is simply the best when it comes to enthusiasm, banking knowledge and customer support. I truly enjoy working with this group," said Tim.   

 

He lives in the community and enjoys traveling to Florida, especially in the winter. For shorter getaways he visits Greektown in downtown Detroit for a delicious authentic Greek dinner. He has two daughters, one attending CMU and other college bound next year. He is Treasurer of the Livingston Business Referral Association and occasionally volunteers at the Gleaners Food Bank in Brighton.   

Protecting Your Identity Online
When it comes to crime, the Internet is still the Wild Wild West. One modern day bandit is Max Ray Vision, a prolific San Francisco hacker who pled guilty in June to two counts of wire fraud. Vision, who will be sentenced in October, stole almost 2 million credit card numbers. He swiped these not only from financial institutions but also cybercriminals. He used those numbers to rack up more than $86.4 million in fraudulent charges.

It is not just your credit card and banking numbers you need to protect while using the Internet. These cyber fraudsters try to glean your personal information - through research, spyware or keyloggers - so they can open accounts in your name.

How do you protect yourself? The simplest solution is to never use the Internet! But in today's world that's just not practical. The following 10 hints can help you protect yourself online:

1. Select quality passwords. Your password is the easiest way a thief can access your bank account and other important information on the web. While it can be a pain to remember, it is safest to have a different password for each of your online banking, credit card, email and social networking accounts. To make it difficult for someone to guess your password, you should select something that you can remember but not obvious - don't use your children's or sweetheart's names. Also, you can make it difficult for thieves by using passwords that don't use conventional capitalization, utilize both numbers and letters and have more than the standard eight characters (making it more work for a criminal).

2.    Always use a firewall. Most computers come with them pre-installed, but there are also free and professional versions available. They can greatly deter hackers.

3.    Make use of software tools. Programs like ParetoLogic Anti-Virus, ParetoLogic Anti-Spyware and XoftSpySE scan your PC thoroughly and remove malicious code that is looking to do damage or steal your confidential information. ParetoLogic Anti-Virus and ParetoLogic Anti-Spyware both feature "active protection," which stops files from downloading to your computer without your knowledge. As well, software like ParetoLogic Privacy Controls cleans your PC of confidential and potentially embarrassing information that cyber criminals could use against you.

4.    Beware of emails from people you don't know. If you do not know the sender, do not open attachments as they could be malware. Also, if an offer in an email sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary of any email asking you for personal information, no matter what the promised reward.

5.    If you receive an email from your bank or another institution asking for information, verify it first before proceeding. Legitimate businesses rarely ask for personal information via email. In addition, emails could contain links that could lead you to fake web pages. It is better to log onto your bank's website or contact the institution yourself to ensure you are not being had.

6.    Look for the lock. In your browser's tool bar, the padlock symbol should appear and the URL should read "https." This indicates a secure connection, protected by encryption technology.

7.    Monitor your credit cards and bank statements carefully. If there are strange charges, you should take the time to check them out. Often criminals will try a $1 or similar small charge first to make sure the number works before trying a larger purchase. You should look for this pattern. You can ask for one free credit report each year, which can help you find out if someone has opened accounts in your name.

8.    Surf safely. If something doesn't feel right online, it probably isn't. You should navigate away from the suspicious site quickly without clicking on anything on it. For example, if the site seems to be overpopulated with advertisements or unclothed women it usually is not a safe place.

9.    Give out your personal information sparingly. If your Facebook or MySpace profile contains your telephone number, address, email and workplace, a savvy identity thief probably can establish accounts in your name. In the case of online registrations, fill out only the required fields. Also, you should decide whether you want a company to share your information with others. There is usually a check box that lets you opt in or out of the sharing of the information.

10.    Keep track of your children online. Your kids' Internet activities could put them and you at risk. You should discuss safe surfing practices with them and consider using parental software such as PGsurfer to protect them. More information about safe surfing can be found online at safesurfer.org.

Cyber criminals are a cagey bunch who are always adapting. While authorities strive to catch up, it is best to do what you can to protect yourself online. Following the above 10 tips will give you a good start on thwarting identity theft online.

 The thing always happens that you really believe in;
and the belief in a thing makes it happen.
Frank Loyd Wright