What is a Trusted Contact Person?
A Trusted Contact Person is a person you designate who may be contacted if The County is concerned you are experiencing fraud, a health crisis, or another emergency that affects your financial affairs. You should choose someone you trust who is reliable and has your best interests at heart. You can choose a family member, friend, attorney, or someone else.
Consider choosing multiple trusted contacts, in case the first person is unavailable or is involved in a suspicious situation.
When will The County contact my Trusted Contact Person?
The County may (but is not required to) contact your Trusted Contact Person under the following circumstances:
- has questions or concerns about your health (capacity and well-being, etc.), your welfare (endangerment, self-neglect, etc.), or possible financial exploitation or fraud;
- needs to confirm your contact information;
- needs to confirm the identity of a new individual or entity that has been given legal authority to act for you (for example, an agent to whom you have given power of attorney, a successor trustee of a trust for which you are trustee, or a court-appointed guardian, conservator, or executor);
- or cannot contact you.
Because you can designate multiple trusted contacts, we recommend that you establish a primary contact for the credit union to contact first, before other named trusted contacts, and/or if the primary is unavailable or involved in a suspicious situation.
What information will be provided to my Trusted Contact Person?
If any of the above circumstances occur, The County may contact and provide information about you and your account(s) to your Trusted Contact Person. However, if we suspect the Trusted Contact Person may be involved in the fraud or financial exploitation, we will not contact the Trusted Contact Person.
Your Trusted Contact CANNOT view your Account or make any transactions or decisions about the account unless they have some other legal authority (such as a guardian or POA). We recommend choosing someone other than a conservator, trustee, executory, or POA as your Trusted Contact.
Do I have to designate a Trusted Contact Person?
Authorizing a Trusted Contact Person is optional. However, given the increase in fraud and financial exploitation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, NCUA, and other regulatory agencies have recommended that credit unions offer a Trusted Contact program to help prevent fraud and protect consumers. Most consumers support the concept of a Trusted Contact Person. Ultimately, however, it is your decision whether or not to appoint a Trusted Contact Person.
What if I change my mind or want to change my Trusted Contact Person?
You can always revoke your decision to have a Trusted Contact Person. You can also change your Trusted Contact Person at any time by filling out a new form, which will replace and supersede any previous form.
To learn more about designating a Trusted Contact Person, please stop by any of our eight branches or call 1-877-318-3838.
