Cybersecurity Tip

October is "Cybersecurity Month." We will be posting tips to protect you while you are on the Internet.

Microsoft warns of phone-call security scam targeting PC users

Microsoft is warning its customers of a new scam that employs "criminals posing as computer security engineers and calling people at home to tell them they are at risk of a computer security threat."

The scammers tell their victims they are providing free security checks and add authenticity by claiming to represent legitimate companies and using telephone directories to refer to their victims by name.

Funds are stolen by the scammers using "a range of deception techniques designed to steal money.

Here are a few tips that may help prevent someone from being scammed:

• Be suspicious of unsolicited calls related to a security problem, even if those calling say they work for a respected company
• Never give out your personal information to such callers, including credit card or bank details
• Don't visit any websites, install any software or follow any other instructions "from someone who calls out of the blue"
• Use strong passwords and change them regularly

If you have any questions on how to protect yourself on the Internet, Quantum would love to help! We want to continue to be "Your Banking Partner for Success."

Online Banking Safety Tips

Do you remember the days when you had to go to the bank to “cash a check”?  It required a great deal of planning to be sure you got to the bank and had enough time to stand in line, wait for a teller, cash your check, keep some money and deposit the rest.  Looking back now, it seems like such a hassle!

These days, it’s easy to bank at your convenience, whenever that might be.  Between direct deposit, ATMs and online banking/bill pay, even when our physical offices are closed, Quantum National Bank is at your service.  That’s the good news.  The bad news?  All this convenience can lead to trouble if we’re not always vigilant.

On the Quantum side, we have extensive security measures in place.  We are constantly monitoring our systems and looking for ways to make them even more secure.  There are several things you can do, too, to protect your online banking and bill paying activities.  These online safety tips apply whether you’re using the Quantum system or ANY other finance-related website (bank, credit union, credit card issuer, etc.).

1. Never, ever give personal information to someone who calls or e-mail you.  Don’t click on links in e-mails from your “bank” or “credit card issuer,” even if the e-mail looks official.  Contact your bank or credit card company yourself, using contact information from a recent statement or by entering the web address yourself and using the contact information found there.
2. Do not access financial-related websites or pay bills at a public Wi-Fi hotspot.  You don’t know who’s around you and what their intentions are.  That nice looking person sitting next to you could be tracking everything you’re doing.
3. Make your passwords difficult to crack.  Don’t use any part of your Social Security number, your birth date, consecutive numbers (1234567) or repeated numbers (7777).  It’s also a good idea to stay away from using the names of family members or any specific dictionary word.  Try a random group of letters and numbers or perhaps a short phrase that’s memorable and meaningful to you only.
4. Change your password often and don’t use one password for everything.  Keep in mind that if your password is compromised and you use that password for multiple websites, you’ve just given the bad guys access to every one of those other sites.
5. Monitor your accounts on a regular basis and call us immediately if you notice anything suspicious or unusual or if there’s activity on there you don’t recognize.
6. Remember that Quantum National Bank will never contact you to ask for personal information!

I certainly hope you never have an internet security issues but rest assured that if you do, your “Banking Partner for Success” is here to help any way we can.

Wishing you success,

Bryan J. Cohen

President & CEO

A Little Lagniappe

It’s King Cake time.  King Cakes are those beautifully decorated circular cakes that signify the beginning of carnival season or Mardi Gras.  It’s one of the great traditions of life along the Gulf Coast.  Another tradition handed down from the epicurean French explorers who settled that area is the idea of “lagniappe.”

I can hear you wondering – “What is ‘lagniappe’ and what does it have to do with banking?”  Lagniappe is a little something extra, like the 13^th donut the baker might give you when you buy a dozen or a free download that might come with your purchase of a new iPod.  What it has to do with banking is that at Quantum National Bank, we’re always looking for that little something extra to let you know we appreciate your business.

We have already scheduled our first lagniappe event for 2013.  On Friday, February 8, in partnership with Level Creek Wealth Management, we’re hosting a 2013 economic forecast presentation.  Join Fidelity advisor Bob Frutoz as he looks at the factors influencing the economic recovery and how they affect you as an investor.  Bob will touch on housing, domestic energy and manufacturing in this interesting and informative hour.  Watch your e-mail for your invitation.

As 2013 unfolds, the Quantum team will continue to look for ways to add a little lagniappe to our banking products and services.  We thank you for allowing us to be “Your Banking Partner for Success.”  Enjoy carnival season…Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Wishing you success,

Bryan J. Cohen

President & CEO

The Future is NOW!

We’re well into the fourth quarter of 2012 and what a year it’s been.  The entire Quantum team has been working hard to serve our customers and communities.  While everyone thinks about making New Year’s resolutions once the holidays are here, it’s not too early to make your financial resolutions now!

With just a few weeks left before we kickoff 2013, now is a good time to check with your financial planner and/or tax professional to discuss any end-of-year actions you should take.  It’s also a good time to look ahead to the things you want to accomplish financially in the coming year. Will you be buying a new home, taking a big vacation or sending a child off to college?  Life-changing events such as these require planning and saving.  Or, maybe you’ve decided that 2013 will be the year that you build up that emergency fund.  We can help there, too.

At Quantum National Bank, we offer several accounts that are perfect if you’re looking for a safe, secure and federally-insured place for your money.  Whether you’re looking for a Money Market account that pays a higher interest rate, a personal savings account or just the flexibility of an interest-bearing checking account, one of our friendly customer service representatives can help.

I invite you to stop in, check out our newly-updated Suwanee branch and see what we can do for you as “Your Banking Partner for Success.”

Wishing you success,

Bryan J. Cohen

President & CEO

New Beginnings

Another school year has begun.  Do you remember how exciting it was to go back to school?  Even if you were returning to the same school, the excitement was still there.  New teachers, new subjects, meeting new friends and catching up with old ones...every year was a brand new start.

There’s excitement in the air these days at Quantum, too.  We’re making our own brand new start as we begin the renovation of our Suwanee lobby.  When it’s finished, we’ll have new and improved customer service areas, new meeting space and new ways to better serve you.

We’ve also added some new team members to serve you.  Su Hagan and Steve Keck are our new SBA lenders, Scott Hall is a new commercial lender, Melissa Ethridge has joined us as a CSR/teller and Suzanne Dineen is our new Suwanee branch manager.  Each of these new folks brings a wealth of banking experience in their areas and we are excited to welcome them to the team.

In the midst of all that’s new and different, one thing remains the same and that is our commitment to serving our customers and the communities we call home.  Everyone on the Quantum team, whether they’re new or have been on board since the beginning, shares the drive to help our customers achieve success.  We do this by listening to the questions and concerns of our customers and searching for answers, even when those answers aren’t so easy to find.  For over 16 years, we’ve been privileged to serve you and the one thing that will never change is our promise to do all we can to be “Your Banking Partner for Success.”

Wishing you success,

Bryan J. Cohen

President & CEO

Your Banking Partner for Success

Have you ever stopped to think about all the product slogans that stay with you for years, long after the company stops using them?  Do you remember “Fly the Friendly Skies”?  How about “You Deserve a Break Today”?  Or “It’s the Real Thing”?

Finding a slogan or tagline that resonates with your customers, potential customers and employees is a challenge.  You’re trying to sum up your entire business philosophy and practices in a handful of words.  A few years ago, the Quantum team went through this exercise to find a slogan that captured us in just a few words.  We had many meetings, discussions and focus groups before we all agreed that “Your Banking Partner for Success” describes our business philosophy and goal.  But what exactly does that mean to our customers?

The promise behind “Your Banking Partner for Success” is our commitment to you to do everything we can to meet your banking needs.  For example, we were recently approached by a customer who was in a big bind.  His previous bank had asked him to move two existing loans and was offering a financial incentive to do so.  He came to Quantum with one of those loans and told us he had the paperwork for the second loan in process at another bank.  He needed to close both loans simultaneously in order to receive the financial incentive he was being offered.  We said we’d be glad to help and started the application process.  The very next day, he called back and said there was a problem with the other bank and they were going to decline the loan that had been in process.  His Quantum lender went to work, bringing together our commercial lending, SBA lending and senior management teams.  Together, we were able to close both loans in less than 30 days, thereby helping our customer successfully re-finance his two businesses and save a lot of money.  That’s how we helped this particular customer succeed.  Why not give us an opportunity to be your “Partner for Success”?

And if you haven’t successfully figured out the answers to my trivia quiz, I can help you with that, too. 

                        “Fly the Friendly Skies” – United Airlines

                        “You Deserve a Break Today” – McDonald’s

                        “It’s the Real Thing” – Coca Cola

Wishing you success,

Bryan J. Cohen

President & CEO

Georgia Banking - The Big Picture

The Cohen family celebrated another graduation recently when one of our sons completed a master’s degree in counseling.  Of course, there were many photos taken and I was again struck by how fast things change.  Not that many years ago, photos from a family celebration had to be developed and then shared via “snail mail” to faraway friends and relatives.  These days, it’s point, shoot and share and the grandparents and friends can see the happy graduate before the ink on the diploma is dry.

The banking world is constantly changing as well and everyone on the Quantum team is encouraged and expected to do their part to stay up to date on the latest industry news and information.  With that goal in mind, I have agreed to serve on the board of directors of the Georgia Bankers’ Association (GBA).

The GBA is the state’s leading source of banking and financial education.  Through the GBA, bankers from across the state have access to a vast resource of contemporary thought as well as classic wisdom.  Bankers get together to network and learn from each other with the shared goal of better serving Georgia’s banking customers. 

The GBA is an organization committed not just to our industry but also to our customers.  The GBA website (www.gabankers.com) features home page links to both a “Consumer Toolbox” and a “Small Business Toolbox.”  When you click on these options, you’ll find a wealth of helpful information, from effective budgeting techniques to resources designed to help you start a new business.  The links and articles provide answers to common consumer questions and challenges.  I encourage you to take a look.

It’s an exciting time to be in banking and, as a GBA board member, I look forward to doing my part to find new and better ways to serve you, our customers.  Should you have questions, please don’t hesitate to drop me a note at askus@quantumbank.com.