AMERICAN PLUS BANK, N.A.

PRIVACY POLICY FOR CONSUMERS

American Plus Bank, N.A. ( "we" or "our") recognizes the importance of customer privacy, while at the same time the need to utilize information about our customers ("you" or "your") to administer our business and to provide you with information concerning our products and services.  This Policy covers Customer Information, which means nonpublic personally identifiable information about a consumer or a consumer's current or former customer relationship with American Plus Bank, N.A.  The maintenance of confidentiality of this information is one of our highest priorities, and to ensure this confidentiality we have adopted the following privacy principles:
 
1. Keep Customer Information Secure
We recognize your expectations of privacy and security for your personal and financial information, and the need to keep that information secure.  In order to safeguard this sensitive Customer Information within American Plus Bank, N.A., we have implemented standards and procedures designed to protect and prevent unauthorized disclosure and/or misuse of this information.  Our privacy policy, includes not only written files, but also personal information provided to us and transactions conducted online, including information provided when you request or sign up for and use any of our accounts or services, including online banking services, or when you send us an e-mail.
 
2. Retention and Use of Customer Information
We collect, use and retain Customer Information about you to identify and communicate with you, to provide you with products and services you have requested, to help us respond to questions from you, and to inform you about other financial services that may be of interest to you.  We also use this Customer Information to comply with certain laws and regulations that may apply to us and to help us design or improve our products and services.  We collect information about you only for specific purposes and, upon your request, we will inform you of the reason for asking personal information.  As required by the USA PATRIOT Act, we also collect information and take actions necessary to verify your identification.  The following are examples of types of Customer Information that we collect:

• Information we receive from you on applications or other forms, such as your name, address, social security number, and driver's license numbers;
• Information about your transactions with us, such as your account balance, loan payment history, or ATM or debit card usage;
• Information that we receive from a consumer-reporting agency, such as your credit history and creditworthiness.

3. Maintenance of Accurate Information
We have procedures to help assure that Customer Information is maintained in a commercially reasonable manner so that it is accurate, current, and complete.  We also have procedures in place to respond to your request to correct inaccurate information in a timely manner.  We maintain security standards and procedures to help prevent unauthorized access to confidential Customer Information, and we regularly review, test and update our technology and procedures to improve the security and accuracy of such information.  We investigate your inquiries about information received from us (or from a credit bureau reflecting information we have provided) that you believe to  be inaccurate and we take necessary steps to correct information we determine to be incorrect.
 
4. Limiting Employee Access to Information
Each of our employees has the responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of Customer Information.  We require all of our employees to protect the confidentiality of Customer Information and to use it only for bank purposes.  We have policies and security procedures to limit employee access to Customer Information to those employees with a business reason to know such information.  Internal access and sharing of information about customers within various service departments of American Plus Bank, N.A. occurs only to the extent appropriate to evaluate, structure, and facilitate the services that you have requested or to inform you of other financial services that may be of interest to you.  We train our employees to recognize the importance of Customer Information confidentiality and take appropriate disciplinary measures to enforce employee's privacy responsibilities.
 
5. Disclosure of Customer Information
We do not disclose nonpublic Customer Information about you or other personally identifiable data to parties outside of American Plus Bank, N.A. for their independent use unless:  (1) you request or authorize it; (2) the information is provided to help complete a transaction initiated by you; (3) the information is provided to a reputable credit bureau or similar information reporting agency; or (4) the disclosure otherwise is lawfully permitted or required.  We do not sell or provide nonpublic Customer Information or account information to companies for the purpose of independent telemarketing or direct mail marketing of any non-financial products or services of those companies.  The same policy applies to our former customers.
 
6. How & Why Information is Shared
We limit who receives information and what type of information is shared.  We share information with the goal of bringing you greater convenience and more choices.

Sharing information with companies that work for us.  To assist us in offering you services, we may share information with companies that work for us, such as check-printing and data processing companies.  These companies might, for example, assist us in offering you certain products and services or help us mail account statements.  These companies act on our behalf and are obligated to keep the information that we provide to them confidential.  When it is necessary to provide confidential Customer Information to a third party, we require each business that we select to agree to adhere to the same privacy standards, laws and regulations that apply to us.
 
7.  Electronic Mail ("e-mail")
We recognize e-mail as a simple and cost effective method of communication.  However, requests and inquiries requiring immediate attention SHOULD NOT be sent by e-mail.  Appropriate department at American Plus Bank, N.A. may not receive your e-mail message immediately and a bank representative may not be able to immediately review it.  Be aware that a "receipt" acknowledgment on an e-mail message means only that the message has routed into the Internet, not that we have received the message.   Due to the inherent security issues associated with the Internet, messages sent by e-mail may not be secured, may be intercepted by third parties, can potentially be monitored and read by others, and their privacy and confidentiality are not guaranteed by us.  To protect your privacy and security, please do not use e-mail to send us communications that contain confidential Customer Information (such as account number, credit card number, ATM/debit card number, Social Security number, driver's license number, date of birth, user code, PIN, or password, etc.).  E-mail messages will not serve as a sufficient method for any requirement imposed on you to provide written notice, nor may any e-mail messages be used to place a stop payment on a check, report an unauthorized transaction, cancel a bill payment, request account transfers, or report lost or stolen banking codes, cards, or checks.     Please call us instead at your branch of account during business hours.    You may always visit us or contact us by U.S. mail.
 
8. Web Site Links
The links in American Plus Bank's Web site will let you leave American Plus Bank's site.  These linked sites are not under the control of us and we are NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT AVAILABLE ON OTHER INTERNET SITES.  These links are provided as a convenience to you, our customer.  The privacy and security policy of any linked/external third party Websites may differ from American Plus Bank's.  We are not responsible for and does not endorse the information, content, presentation or accuracy, nor makes any warranty, express or implied, regarding any linked/external third party sites. If you are asked to provide information on one of these sites, we strongly urge you to carefully study their privacy policies before sharing or providing your personal or confidential information.
 
9.  About "Cookies"
Cookies are pieces of data assigned by a Web server to the browser on your PC.  Cookies help Web sites to keep track of your preferences and to recognize return visitors and create summary statistics.  So, when you return to a Web site you have visited before, your browser gives this data back to the server.  Contrary to reports about cookies and online privacy, cookies do not contain viruses and most cannot reveal any personally identifiable information about you unless you willingly provide it as a user on a site.
At American Plus Bank, N.A., we use cookies to make your online experience with us more personalized based on the level of interest in the types of products and services you have or desire.  As a matter of security, we do not embed your Social Security number, account number(s) or password in our cookies.  By configuring your preferences or options in your browser, you determine if and how a cookie will be accepted.  However, if you choose to reject cookies, you cannot bank online with us.  Also, browsers that reject cookies may not be able to log on to your favorite sites or use the features you like most within those sites. 
When you are banking Online, we recommend that you complete your online transactions and log off before surfing to other sites or turning off your personal computer.  We also suggest that you do not surf to other sites during your online banking session.
 
 
This disclosure of our privacy policy applies to consumers.  We reserve the right to make changes to this policy at any time.  As require by law, American Plus Bank, N.A. will provide notice of our Privacy Policy annually, as long as you maintain an ongoing relationship with us.  To receive the most up-to-date Privacy Policy, you can visit our website at: www.bankaplus.com or call us at the branch location nearest you.