Sunshine Bank demonstrates its eco-friendliness

Sunshine Bank is committed to environmental stewardship. These days, exemplary companies understand that being leaders, within their respective industries and beyond, includes mindfulness toward more than the company’s net worth. Leadership in 2017 also includes a mixture of mindfulness and action toward sustainability efforts aimed at bettering our planet.

Sunshine Bank is aware that the banking industry continues to be one that, daily, generates large amounts of paper. They are doing their part to help trim the paper load and reduce both cost and waste. Sunshine Bank offers eco-friendly eStatements, and it’s simple to modify your account so that, rather than receiving traditional, paper statements in the mail, you only receive electronic statements. While regulatory demands play a part in how much paper a bank uses because certain things must be printed on statements, there are a number of benefits to enrolling in Sunshine Bank’s eStatements.

First, rather than waiting for a paper statement to show up in the mailbox, eStatements are available as soon as the current cycle ends. Michelle Kounlavong, Sunshine Bank’s Marketing Director, points out that eStatements “typically arrive within the first three days of the month.” She further shared, “This is particularly beneficial for businesses because they reconcile their books monthly.” Also, relying on traditional mail service for sensitive information poses risks such as the paper statement being lost or being stolen from your mailbox. Kounlavong noted increasing occurrences of mail fraud, and mailbox theft takes place in even the safest neighborhoods. While Sunshine Bank does not use scare tactics to encourage the eStatement option, it does want clients to understand the risks and benefits of both traditional and eStatements and make their own educated decision.

Of course, accessing eStatements, like other online activity involving private information, must be done cautiously. It’s important not to log on to private accounts from public computers. While the office computer might feel secure, it’s not the place to look into personal-checking-account activity. Though it might be tempting to read an eStatement on a smart phone while waiting in line, it’s best clients wait until using their home’s secure network. Many Sunshine Bank customers travel for business, but the hotel business center is not where Sunshine’s bankers advise logging in to personal checking accounts. Savvy and security trump convenience.

Sunshine Bank stands by the safety of eStatements because they help ensure that only the client can access the sensitive information. Detailing the eStatement process, Kounlavong expressed that clients receive an e-mail alerting them the statement is ready. In order to view it, clients must log in to Sunshine’s Online Banking portal by entering their unique ID, password, and answering a security question. Multi-factor authentication, beyond supporting conservation efforts, cuts down risk for document and identity theft. If clients want access to statements dating back an extended period of time, bankers suggest downloading eStatements and saving them in a secure, regularly backed up location.

Sunshine Bank appreciates clients’ need for easy comprehension of banking documents, and eStatements don’t complicate comprehension because they look the same as paper ones. Interestingly, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that eStatements boost clients’ understanding of their financials and, as a result, help them feel more confident as consumers.

Opting into eStatements with Sunshine Bank is free. It’s a simple, secure process that frees up space on our planet by limiting waste. Making the eco-friendly switch, however, means clients must remain disciplined about reviewing monthly statements. Just like reading paper statements is habitual, it’s essential to make e-statement review a habit because vigilance about inaccuracies and potential fraudulence is paramount.

At Elevate, Inc., we are committed to helping our city and are proud to be partnered with organizations, like Sunshine Bank, who share that commitment. Being conscious about the amount of waste we create, through things like our paper load, and then taking sustainable actions to curb the waste, are important components of securing the Sunshine State’s financial and environmental futures. We commend Sunshine Bank for their eco- and user-friendly eStatements. Learn how you can be green and have Sunshine with you wherever you go.

Categorized in: Work

This post was written by Elevate, Inc.