How COVID-19 Affects Banking: What You Need to Know

Tips from Sturgis Bank

As Michigan reopens, and the effects of COVID-19 on our culture continue to evolve, we’re all adjusting to new ways of interacting. Everyday activities like going out to eat, exercising at the gym, or visiting your hometown bank require different behaviors. Masks, social distancing, and limited capacity are now standard.

Fortunately, Sturgis Bank branches are open again after our appointment-only banking restrictions during the stay-at-home order. 

What to Expect When You Visit Your Sturgis Bank Branch Office

Sturgis Bank will continue to follow the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and the Executive Orders for the State of Michigan.

• Our team members will wear face masks.
• We recommend customers also wear face masks.
• We may ask you to remove your mask briefly to help us confirm your identity.
• We’ll be disinfecting high touch areas like counters, door handles, and pens throughout the day.
• We’ve installed clear protective shields on our service counters.
• Hand sanitizing stations are available throughout the branch for customers.
• We’ll be encouraging social distancing in our offices.

If you're unable to visit a branch or prefer to limit face-to-face interactions, you can use our electronic banking services for many transactions.

Making the Most of Electronic Banking at Sturgis

Many customers turned to online banking at all Michigan Community Banks, including Sturgis, during the months when banks closed to walk-in visitors. In March, our online banking use increased 400% over the prior year!

Banking activities you can complete online include the following:

• Transfer funds between accounts
• Pay bills for utilities like gas and electric or credit cards
• Check account balances
• Monitor account transactions in checking or savings

You can also use online banking to:

• Open a deposit account by providing personal details, verifying your identity, and making an initial deposit.
• Start a mortgage application in less than 20 minutes by sharing information about the property you want to buy, the type of mortgage loan you're seeking, and your financial situation. Your application helps the Sturgis Bank Mortgage team assess how much you can borrow and if you're eligible for prequalification.

Keeping your personal information and your identity secure remains a top priority at Sturgis. We maintain state-of-the-art protocols, and our recent upgrades such as shifting from a “.com” to a “.bank” website enhance the safety of conducting bank transactions electronically.

What’s Next for Electronic Banking at Sturgis?

We've begun exploring Interactive Teller Machines (ITMs) to deliver on our promise to make banking better for our customers. An ITM looks like an automatic teller machine (ATM) with a touch screen and buttons, but it also allows you to connect to a live teller using video conferencing.

You can use an ITM for many transactions, such as

• Deposits and withdrawals from savings or checking
• Balance inquiries
• Fund transfers
• Check cashing
• Loan payments
• Check ordering

And if you have any questions, you can connect with one of our team members virtually. We'll deliver the personalized service you expect from Sturgis Bank in real-time, just at a distance.

Look for an ITM soon at our Portage branch location!

If you have questions or concerns about our safety policies or want more information about electronic banking, contact us at (888) 255-7372 or stop by one of our branch offices. We also invite you to visit our dedicated COVID-19 Updates page for detailed information about how Sturgis Bank is addressing the issue for our customers and community.