overdraft coverage options:
overdraft privilege and overdraft protection
First Montana Bank understands that unexpected overdrafts occur from time to time – Overdraft Coverage can help.
Overdraft Coverage Options
The choice is yours. Consider these ways to cover overdrafts:
Service |
Cost |
Overdraft Protection Link to Another Deposit Account you have at First Montana Bank
1
|
$5.00 fee per transfer (consumer accounts only) |
Overdraft Protection Line of Credit 1, 2 |
Subject to fees + interest |
Overdraft Privilege |
$33.00 Overdraft Fee per item presented*. |
1 Call us at 1-800-824-2692, or come by a branch to sign up or apply for these services;
2 subject to credit approval.
* Per item presented means each time an item is presented, including re-presentment.
Overdraft Protection services apply to all transactions and may help prevent overdrafts by
automatically transferring funds to your checking account from another account, or line of credit you may have at
First Montana Bank for a finance charge. Please note that overdraft lines of credit are subject to credit approval.
Stop by your local branch to apply.
Overdraft Privilege allows you to overdraw your account up to the disclosed limit for a fee in order
to pay a transaction. Even if you have Overdraft Protection, Overdraft Privilege is still available as secondary
coverage if the other protection source is exhausted. Please review the What Else You Should Know for
other important information.
Transactions Covered with Overdraft Privilege
|
Standard Coverage
(No action required)
|
Extended Coverage
(Your consent required on consumer accounts)*
|
If you would like to select Extended Coverage for future transactions:
- call us at 1-800-824-2692
-
complete and submit the
online consent form found at
www.firstmontanabank.com
- visit any branch
-
complete a consent form and mail it to us at P O Box 1550 Libby MT 59923 or bring it by any of our
locations
|
Checks |
|
|
ACH – Automatic Debits |
|
|
Recurring Debit Card Payments |
|
|
Online Bill Pay Items |
|
|
Internet Banking Transfers |
|
|
Telephone Banking** |
|
|
Teller Window Transactions |
|
|
ATM Withdrawals |
|
* |
Everyday Debit Card Transactions |
|
* |
*If you choose Extended Coverage on your consumer account,
ATM withdrawals and everyday debit card transactions will be included with the transactions listed
under Standard Coverage. If you already have Overdraft Privilege Extended Coverage, it is not necessary to request it
again. Business accounts automatically have Extended Coverage.
**Business accounts automatically have Extended Coverage with the exception of telephone banking transactions.
You can discontinue Overdraft Privilege in its entirety by contacting us at 1-800-824-2692. Please provide us with a
valid email address if you would like to receive future communications via email rather than by postal service.
What Else You Should Know
-
A link to another account or a line of credit may be a less expensive than an overdraft. A single larger overdraft
will result in one fee, instead of multiple smaller overdrafts. Use our mobile, internet, and telephone banking
services to track your balance. For financial education resources, please visit
www.mymoney.gov.
-
The $33.00 Overdraft Fee that is charged if you overdraw your account is the same fee that is charged if an item is
returned as unpaid. If multiple items overdraw your account on the same day, each item will be assessed an
appropriate Overdraft Fee or a Returned Item Fee of $33.00. All fees and charges will be included as part of the
Overdraft Privilege limit amount. Your account may become overdrawn more than the Overdraft Privilege limit amount
because of a fee.
-
Recipients of federal or state benefits payments who do not wish us to deduct the amount overdrawn and the Overdraft
Fee from funds that you deposit or that are deposited into your account may call us at 1-800-824-2692 to discontinue
Overdraft Privilege.
-
Overdraft Privilege is not a line of credit; it is a discretionary overdraft service that can be withdrawn at any
time without prior notice.
-
Depositor and each Authorized Signatory will continue to be liable, jointly and severally, for all overdraft and fee
amounts, as described in the Terms and Conditions of Your Account. The total (negative) balance, including all fees
and charges, is due and payable upon demand.
-
If an item is returned because the Available Balance (as defined below) in your account is not sufficient to cover
the item and the item is presented for payment again, First Montana Bank ("We") will charge a Returned Item Fee each
time it returns the item because it exceeds the Available Balance in your account. Because we may charge a Return
Item Fee each time an item is presented, we may charge you more than one fee for any given item as a result of a
returned item and representment of the item. When we charge a Return Item Fee, the charge reduces the Available
Balance in your account and may put your account into (or further into) overdraft. If, on representment of the item,
the Available Balance in your account is sufficient to cover the item we may pay the item, and, if payment causes an
overdraft, charge an Overdraft Fee. We may use the terms "item" and "transactions" interchangeably.
-
For consumer accounts, there is a limit of six Overdraft Fees ($198.00) per day we will charge. We will not charge
an Overdraft Fee if an account is overdrawn by $5.00 or less.
-
This describes the posting order for purposes of determining overdrafts. Our general policy is to post items
throughout the day and to post credits before debits. We generally process items starting first with automatic debit
items, second bank cash withdrawals, third ATM withdrawals, fourth Internet and telephone transfers, fifth Wire
transfers, sixth are Debit card/POS (point of sale) transactions, seventh ACH items, eighth paper checks are posted
in numerical order, ninth fees and other miscellaneous items, smallest items being processed first. However, because
of the many ways we allow you to access your account, the posting order of individual items may differ from these
general policies. Holds on funds (described herein) and the order in which transactions are posted may impact the
total amount of Overdraft Fees or Return Item Fees assessed.
-
We may be obligated to pay some debit card transactions that are not authorized through the payment system but which
we are required to pay due to the payment system rules, and as a result you may incur fees if such transactions
overdraw your account. However, we will not authorize debit card or ATM transactions unless your account’s Available
Balance (including Overdraft Coverage Options) is sufficient to cover the transactions and any fee(s).
-
Giving us your consent to pay everyday debit card and ATM overdrafts on your consumer account (Extended Coverage)
may result in you incurring Overdraft Fees for transactions that we would otherwise be required to pay without
assessing an Overdraft Fee.However,this would allow us to authorize transactions up to the amount of your Overdraft
Privilege limit. If you consent to Extended Coverage on your consumer account, it will remain on your account until
it is otherwise withdrawn.
-
First Montana Bank may suspend your debit card if your account is overdrawn more than 32 consecutive calendar days.
Debit cards on your account will remain suspended until you make sufficient deposits so that your account balance is
positive for one business day.
-
First Montana Bank may also suspend your debit card if we are unable to contact you due to an incorrect mailing
address or phone number(s). You must contact us with your correct mailing address and/or phone number(s) to have
your debit card reinstated.
-
If your debit card is suspended, you will be unable to use your debit card(s) for purchases or to access your
account(s) associated with the debit card(s) at the ATM while your debit card is suspended. If you use your debit
card for recurring payments, e.g., utilities, you are responsible to make other arrangements for your recurring
debit payment(s).
Understanding your Available Balance: Your account has two kinds of balances: the Ledger Balance and
the Available Balance.
- We authorize and pay transactions using the Available Balance.
-
Your Ledger Balance reflects the full amount of all deposits to your account as well as payment transactions that
have been posted to your account. It does not reflect checks you have written and are still outstanding or
transactions that have been authorized but are still pending.
-
Your Available Balance is the amount available to you to use for purchases, withdrawls, or to cover transactions.
The Available Balance is your Ledger Balance, less any holds due to pending debit card transactions and holds on
deposited funds.
-
The balance used for authorizing ATM and everyday debit card transactions on accounts with Standard Coverage is your
Available Balance plus any available Overdraft Protection but does NOT include the Overdraft Privilege limit.
-
The balance used for authorizing ATM and everyday debit card transactions on accounts with Extended Coverage is your
Available Balance plus any available Overdraft Protection and includes the Overdraft Privilege limit.
-
Because your Available Balance reflects pending transactions and debit holds, your balance may appear to cover a
transaction but later upon settlement it may not be sufficient to cover such transaction. In such cases, the
transaction may further overdraw your account and be subject to additional overdraft fees. You should assume that
any item which would overdraw your account based on your Available Balance may create an overdraft. Note that we may
place a hold on deposited funds in accordance with our Terms and Conditions of your account, which will reduce the
amount in your Available Balance.
-
Please be aware that the Overdraft Privilege amount is not included in your available balance provided through
online banking, mobile banking or First Montana Bank’s ATMs.
-
We will place a hold on your account for any authorized debit card transaction until the transaction settles
(usually within two business days) or as permitted by payment system rules. In some cases, the hold may exceed the
amount of the transaction. When the hold ends, the funds will be added to the Available Balance in your account. If
your account is overdrawn after the held funds are added to the Available Balance and the transaction is posted to
the Available Balance, an Overdraft Fee may be assessed.
-
Except as described herein, We will not pay items if the Available Balance in your account (including the Overdraft
Privilege limit, if applicable) is not sufficient to cover the item(s) and the amount of any fees.
Understanding Overdraft Privilege Limits
-
A temporary Overdraft Privilege limit of $100.00 may be granted to eligible consumer checking accounts and may be
increased to $500.00 after 60 days of account opening provided that the account is in good standing.
-
Eligible consumer checking accounts opened online may be granted an Overdraft Privilege limit of $500.00 after
having been opened 60 days provided the account is in good standing.
-
A temporary Overdraft Privilege limit of $100.00 may be granted to eligible Business checking accounts and may be
increased to $1,500.00 after 60 days of account opening provided that the account is in good standing.
-
Overdraft Privilege may be reduced if you default on any loan or other obligation to us, your account becomes
subject to any legal or administrative order or levy, or if you fail to maintain your account in good standing by
not bringing your account to a positive balance within 32 days for a minimum of one business day. You must bring
your account balance positive for at least one business day to have the full Overdraft Privilege limit reinstated.
If you have any questions about Overdraft Protection or Overdraft Privilege, please call us at 800-824-2692 or visit a
branch.
10/02/2023