COVID-19

Coronavirus Economic Impact Payments – Updated 4.2.2021

The IRS will begin issuing economic impact payments beginning April 3rd to Social Security recipients and others who do not normally file a federal income tax return. The majority of payments will be sent electronically through direct deposit as well as payments to existing Direct Express cards by April 7th. To check the status of your payment, visit the IRS’s Get My Payment portal.

With the passage of President Biden’s $1.9T stimulus package, we want to provide some updates as to when you can expect to receive your economic impact payment. 

What do consumers need to do in order to receive their economic impact payment?

No action is required from a consumer. According to the government, the IRS will calculate and automatically send 130 million economic impact payments via direct deposit, paper check, or prepaid card. The IRS already has direct deposit information for millions of Americans from the first round of EIPs in April 2020. Consumers can check the status of their payments by visiting the IRS’s Get My Payment.

Once an EIP is deposited, how quickly will a consumer have access to their funds?

Americans who have the funds deposited into their account will have access to the funds much faster.

How long will it take to receive an EIP payment via paper check?

Waiting for a paper check to be printed and mailed will take longer, possible weeks if not months.

For additional FAQs on the economic impact payments, please visit IRS.gov.

NH Emergency Rental Assistance Program

If you are struggling to pay your rent and utilities due to the impact of COVID-19 and are at risk for homelessness or housing instability, you may be eligible for up to 12 months of rental and utility assistance. Beginning March 15^th, the five regional Community Action Partnership (CAP) agencies will begin accepting applications for the NH Emergency Rental Assistance Program. This new federally funded program is administered by New Hampshire Housing in collaboration with the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery.

Community Heroes Initiative

Do you know someone who has worked tirelessly for their community throughout the pandemic? This can be a healthcare worker, daycare and eldercare provider, teacher, first responder or an active military member. New Hampshire Housing wants to give our first responders a $3,000 credit towards closing costs on the purchase of their first home. Check out the Community Heroes Initiative to learn more and to locate a participating lender. Help us spread the word about this incredible opportunity!

NH Housing Relief Program Grants

The NH Housing Relief Program is designed to keep people from losing their housing and to secure or maintain permanent housing. The program consists of two components: one-time assistance grants and a short-term rental assistance program.

One-time assistance grants can be used to assist households with the following:

• Past-due rent from April 2020 until present for households that fell behind on rent due to either increased household expenses, or lost revenue as a result of COVID-19;
• Past-due housing/household-related expenses that may impact an individual’s or family’s ability to remain housed;
• Other housing-related one-time expenses that if not paid will impact the ability to maintain housing.

The grant is not to exceed $2,500 and is conditioned upon COVID-19-related loss of household income or increased household expenses.

CFPB Coronavirus Mortgage Relief Options

If you are experiencing financial hardship as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic and have concerns about how to continue paying your mortgage or rent, then you are not alone. Federal and state governments along with financial institutions, including Franklin Savings Bank, are working with individuals experiencing challenges with paying their home mortgage. The CFPB and the CSBS recently issued a consumer guide on mortgage relief options for homeowners with federally back loans. Visit this link to download a copy of the guide.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or CFPB, has some options available to assist individuals who are struggling to pay their mortgage, rent and utilities. Click to learn more.

As always, Franklin Savings Bank is available to assist our residential mortgage customers with their loan obligation(s). Please contact Annette Slipp, Credit Manager, at 603.934.4445 or via email at Annette.Slipp@fsbnh.bank.

COVID-19 Scam Alert Targeting Older Adults

According to the NH Attorney General’s office, there are reports of scams targeting seniors with an attempt to obtain personal identifying information and assets. Here are a few scams to be aware of.

Social Security Scam

• Scammers claiming to be from the Social Security Administration call a recipient and claim that due to a closing of the SSA offices, the recipients will be interrupted unless he or she provides personal identifying information, such as SS# or bank account number. The SSA will not call a recipient unexpectedly and ask for personal information over the telephone. If you receive this type of call, please report it to the SSA.

Medical Scams

• Fraudsters are contacting seniors pretending to be a family member and claiming they are in need of money to treat COVID-19 symptoms. They may ask for seniors to send gift cards or cash for payment. These types of calls are known as “Grandparent scams.” If you receive this type of call, please hang up immediately.
• Scammers are contacting individuals by telephone, email and in-person, offering COVID-19 home test kits, medicines, or vaccinations. Currently, there are no vaccines, pills, medications, or other prescription or over the counter products to treat or cure the coronavirus disease.

Stimulus Payment Scams

• With many aging adults ready to receive their economic stimulus payments from the federal government, scammers are calling, texting, and email seniors claiming to work for federal agencies, such as the IRS, and are in need of the aging adult’s personal identifying information before the disbursement of a stimulus check. The federal agency will not call, text, or email with a request for a SS#, bank account, or other personal identifying information.

Fake Charity Scams

• Fraudsters are contacting seniors claiming to be from a reputable charity or fictitious charitable organization, seeking donations for a variety of causes related to COVID-19. Many of these scammers will request payment in the form of gift cards or electronic currency, such as bitcoin. Be very skeptical if you receive an unexpected call from a charity requesting a donation.

CARES Act

Franklin Savings Bank will be working with the Small Business Administration to implement the $2 trillion relief package known as the CARES Act. Click here for more details about the program and to see if you qualify.

Loan Payment Assistance

While our branches are open to drive-up access only, we want our customers to know that our commercial and residential lending teams are available to assist you. If you are experiencing a financial hardship related to COVID-19 that is affecting your ability to make your loan payments, please contact your loan officer. We are committed to working with you to assist in any way possible. If you are not currently experiencing financial issues, but are concerned things may change for you in the future, please contact us. We want to discuss your options with you in the event your situation should change to provide some peace-of-mind during these unprecedented times.

We want our business customers to know that we are also your resource for accessing several options available through the U.S. Small Business Administration, NH Small Business Development Center and NH Business Finance Authority. Please contact your commercial loan officer directly via their direct line or by email. You may also contact us by calling 1.800.372.4445 or 1.603.934.4445.

Be Wary of Fraud

Now more than ever, be cautious of unsuspecting criminals and fraudsters who engage in deceptive practices during national emergencies in an effort to defraud you of your personal financial information. We are carefully monitoring any potential fraudulent trends and practices through our law enforcement agencies and partners to keep our customers informed. We will communicate any suspicious fraud on our website and on social media through Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Customer Support

Individuals and businesses who are affected by the Coronavirus outbreak and require assistance with their deposit accounts and loans are encouraged to contact us at 1.800.372.4445. Franklin Savings Bank is committed to working with our customers during these unprecedented times.

Please check back often for updates on the COVID-19 outbreak. We are in this together and are here to assist you!