Financial Fraud Attempts Growing

Recently T-Mobile announced it experienced another data breach, but there have been 54 more published high-severity data breaches to date in 2021 alone!¹  High-severity breaches include sensitive data such as social security numbers and passwords. Plus, there have been hundreds of more medium-to-low severity breaches this year too. With so many of these instances, it is essential to review your statements and monitor your accounts regularly. 

At the Bank, we’ve seen an uptick in the number of attempts by fraudsters to gain access to client accounts. They use the information found on the dark web from the hundreds of data breaches to impersonate the customer on the phone. (This is why we go to such lengths to accurately identify you when you call into our Customer Care Team.) Or with that info, fraudsters can sometimes guess the client’s ID and password for online banking, which they will then use to transfer funds or send payments to fake businesses.

How can you best protect yourself from these scenarios?

• Check your statements routinely and call the Bank if you see any irregularities.
• Use long passwords with at least ten characters and a mix of alphanumeric characters (A, b, 1, 9) using upper and lower case and symbols (@, $, %, *).
• Never use the same passwords on multiple sites.
• Speak to a banker to set up a security challenge pass-phrase that must be shared before making any changes to account(s).
• Never use your mother’s maiden name or other easily obtained information for passwords or security phrases. These can be found on genealogy sites or learned from your social media. 
• Update the Bank with your current contact info, particularly your cell phone number.  This helps us contact you faster if we notice something odd with your account.
• Those fun quizzes on social media about “have you ever” or trivia contests – don’t do it. Those are often collection points for hackers to gain extra info about you. 

 Other tips and resources for protecting against financial fraud are available here.
Fraud Protection Tips

If you ever notice something odd or feel your account may have been compromised, please always contact the Bank immediately.  Our contact information is below.

Extended Customer Service Hours: 7 Days A Week

Our Customer Care Team is open until 7:30 a.m – 10:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, Saturday 9:00 a.m – 10 p.m., and open Noon – 8:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Text or Call our Customer Care Team at the following numbers: 

Ashland: 573-657-0849  |  Columbia: 573-447-1771  |  Fulton: 573-642-3322  |  Mokane: 573-676-5711
Or Reach Any Locations Using: 800-446-2265

¹ Mastercard’s Breach Catalog

New eAlert Features To Customize Your Banking

eAlerts are text messages or emails that alert you to a balance or transaction on your account. We’ve made some improvements to make it easier to set them up and easier to read.

New eAlert Options You Can Utilize:

• You can now set up and manage eAlerts via our Personal Mobile App
• Control the day and time you receive alerts, meaning you can pause them overnight
• Alerts via text are condensed to 1 text message
• Accounts will be checked for updates more frequently – every 15-minutes

Already Use eAlerts?

If you already utilize our eAlert system, you won’t have to do anything for this update! Your eAlert notifications will continue to be sent based on the eAlert setting you created before the update. If you would like to review or change your eAlert settings, you can quickly do so from our Personal Mobile App!

Can I still access eAlerts from within Online Banking?

Unfortunately, no. Our Personal Mobile App will now be the central place to manage or set up your eAlerts. Additionally, any alerts that went to your Online Banking messaging center previously will now be sent to the email we have on file.

These can be changed to text messages or a different email address via the Personal Mobile App by following the steps here or without the app by filling out this form.

Set up or manage eAlerts with our Personal Mobile App

Learn How

Thank goodness for entrepreneurial dreams. Without them, the world would cease to develop as quickly: We might still be carrying buggy whips or copying books with quill pens.

Aspirations are essential, but they generally aren’t enough to carry a dream from idea to market. That’s where banks and other financial lenders come into the picture.

Here’s the snag, though: startups can struggle to secure financing. It’s not that the founders lack passion (at least in the majority of cases). Instead, they often lack the critical information that lenders need to make decisions. Without proper preparation, no aspiring small business owner can expect to hear a “yes” from a financial institution — no matter how charming the entrepreneur or mind-blowing the dream.

The fact is that many of these entrepreneurs don’t know how to prepare for a small business loan. A lot of research, financial forecasting, and planning is necessary before an entrepreneur can confidently walk into a bank hoping to qualify for a small business loan. So if you think you are ready to apply for a small business loan, you might just want to make sure all your t’s are crossed and i’s are dotted.

Simple Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Seeking Loans

Is it possible to become blinded by an invention or concept? Lenders see this happen almost every day. Truly, entrepreneurs can be almost too enthusiastic about their products or services, leading them to assume desire is good enough for a lender.

Unfortunately, it isn’t.

While optimism and energy can be contagious, those characteristics alone won’t qualify you for a small business loan. Neither will a long history of poor personal credit. Founders who aren’t skilled at managing their personal finances are more apt to mismanage the ebb and flow of cash from their businesses. They may even be at a greater likelihood to take funds from the company to cover personal woes — which, of course, can worry lenders.

But a lousy credit score is only one factor that could cause a lender to deny financing. Another concern from the lender’s viewpoint is the entrepreneur who isn’t ready to work 60 to 70 hours (or more) per week while the business gets up to speed. Founders who expect to merely manage others — and stick to a 9-to-5 workweek — typically lose steam when the going gets tough.

This naturally dovetails into the final reason many lenders say “no”: minimal data or planning. Walking into a meeting with a lender without relevant documents and information is like expecting to be on your team’s starting lineup after skipping practice. Lenders need to be impressed and have a strong degree of security in handing over financing to entrepreneurs. Therefore, when applying for a small business loan, prepare spreadsheets, rehearse FAQs, and deliver information that supports your idea as being a profitable investment.

Set Yourself Up for Success When Applying For a Small Business Loan

How can lenders feel comfortable issuing a commercial loan if a borrower cannot produce collateral, doesn’t have collateral, has no track record of paying back previous loans, or offers a sketchy credit history? The short answer: They can’t.

Yet, all is not lost. Entrepreneurs who make just a few changes in the way they prepare for lender meetings can increase their chances of securing a loan.

1. Bring specifics to the meeting

Costs. Names. Distributors. Numbers. Whatever counts should be available during every lender meeting. The more specific the information, the better. Also, make sure you rehearse your pitch instead of winging it. A clear, well-articulated presentation shows listeners you’re serious.

2. Set realistic revenue goals

You might hope for stellar sales out of the gate but hold back on your sky-high expectations. Having a superior product or service does not necessarily translate to phenomenal sales. Use realistic figures to show lenders your business idea will be profitable using conservative revenue forecasts.

3. View criticism objectively

It may feel like lenders sound harsh or skeptical. After all, it is your baby, and hard to believe that someone would not think it’s amazing. However, they are rarely being critical of the entrepreneur. They are merely expressing concerns that diving into a partnership with a founder may not be a wise decision — yet. Good lenders will provide suggestions as to what the founder needs to do for improving her plan. This is especially true if the borrower has no business plan to show. The best business plans are created over months or even years, so don’t prepare one the night before and hope it “flies.”

4. Know why you’re starting a business

When new entrepreneurs come to The Callaway Bank for personalized financing options, we often like to ask why they want to quit a comfortable, predictable W-2 job to pursue a career path with no discernible upfront income. Those who can explain their willingness to take a leap of faith (not to mention back up their goals sensibly and rationally) always make stronger first impressions than those who can’t.

The Callaway Bank offers many of the same products as other banks, but with a noticeable twist: We’re a small business in mid-Missouri, just like the small businesses we serve. We understand what it takes to apply for a small business loan and successfully run a company — so we aim to guide our clients on the best ways to fine-tune their own operations. Our purpose is to improve the financial lives of our customers, and we are happy to do whatever we can to help them achieve their goals — including providing loans to help entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground.

Determined, well-prepared founders who arrive at commercial loan meetings armed with objective evidence are ahead of the game before the discussion even begins.

With You For the Moments That Matter

Need help with a small business loan? We’re here to help! Speak with one of our friendly and experienced commercial lending specialists today.

Contact a Commercial Lender

Who you bank with matters.

It’s not just a choice you should make blindly. Your bank helps you manage your money, protect your money, and grow your money. In most parts of the country, you have multiple banking options, including both local community banks and national banks.

The decision on which type of bank to use depends entirely on your goals and what’s important to you. In larger metropolitan areas, you often see more national bank chains such as Chase or Wells Fargo. However, in less densely populated areas and smaller cities, local banks are more common to see and service the community.

So what exactly classifies a community bank and a national bank?

Community banks offer more than just banking services. They offer a relationship that can benefit you throughout your life or entrepreneurial journey. These depository and lending institutions are available in large metropolitan areas as well as in rural areas. 

Unlike megabanks, community banks are entrenched in their communities. They support individuals, small businesses, and non-profit organizations through thick and thin. Their success is tied to their community and the customers they serve. 

Community banks are much smaller than megabanks which allows them to focus on building personal relationships with their customers, working to know and serve their needs on a case-by-case basis. However, being small doesn’t mean unsafe. Nearly all community banks are insured by the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation), which protects depositors up to $250,000 in case of a bank failure.

There are roughly 5,000 community banks spread across the United States. In a 2019 survey conducted by the Federal Reserve, 79 percent of community bank small business customers were reported to be happy with their lending bank. This is 12 percent higher than small business customers who had a loan with a national bank.

In a 2016 op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, JPMorgan Chase CEO, Jamie Dimon wrote about the attractiveness surrounding community banking.

“[Regional and smaller community banks] sit close to the communities they serve; their highest-ranking corporate officers live in the same neighborhoods as their clients. They are able to forge deep and long-standing relationships and bring a keen knowledge of the local economy and culture. They frequently are able to provide high-touch and specialized banking services.”

On the other hand, national or megabanks are commercial banks chartered by the United States Treasury and are required to be members of the FDIC. National banks serve both individuals and businesses of all sizes. These banks are publicly traded companies where any individual can buy and sell company stock. The four biggest banks in the United States include JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citibank. The majority of Americans do their banking at commercial banks like these.

What is the difference in experience between community banks and mega national banks, and what might be right for you?

Typical Mega/National Bank Experience

Megabanks have an extensive regional reach, if not national. In large metropolitan areas, they have numerous branch locations and ATMs. They offer their customers a nationwide network of banking locations, which prior to digital banking tools, helped people managing their money if they worked across the country or when traveling. Businesses with locations in multiple states may benefit from their multi-state branches.

However, while these giant banks may offer a wide selection of banking and loan products, the experience can be lacking. Clients regularly report feeling like a number and not recognized for their specific needs.  When problems arise, these banks are less likely to be understanding or willing to address your personal needs.  Their policies leave little wiggle room, and they are often less understanding of their customers’ daily lives and needs. They can be less flexible or forgiving regarding personal circumstances should you or your business have special needs or fall on hard times.

With national banks, there is less attention or focus on the local communities in which they operate. It is not feasible or in the best interest of megabanks to have a community-by-community approach. Whether it is supporting local non-profit organizations or civic improvement initiatives, historically, megabanks do not provide much in resources. Because they are publicly traded companies, their interests are hinged on what is best for investors and prominent stakeholders in the short term, not necessarily what best serves a community or customers over the long run. Nearly all revenue these banks generate is pulled out of their local communities and consolidated at their headquarters, rather than recirculating it within the local communities.   

Typical Community Bank Experience

Community banks approach banking with a much different mindset than megabanks. Their success is tied directly to the success of their communities. Community banks can range from one location to dozens, but they are usually concentrated within a localized geographic area. This has advantages in how operational decisions and loan decisions are made. Not to mention advantages to customers in the attention they receive.  

Technology is usually not an issue for customers of community banks. While some of the smallest banks may have fewer mobile or digital banking options, most community banks provide digital and technology services comparable to national banks. Services such as mobile apps, mobile check deposit, and online bill pay are commonly available. Business services such as direct deposit and wires are widely available with community banks. 

However, the biggest draw to community banks centers around the personalized attention and care they can provide. Rather than a sterile experience that feels like you’re just a number or another transaction, community banks often know their customers on a first-name basis. They understand their needs. They know what they do for a living and how their family is doing. Small business owners don’t feel overshadowed by large business customers because small business is a critical sector for community banks.

Lending decisions at a community bank are made locally, allowing their lenders more input. Community bank lenders have a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities that their customers face. They have a stronger relationship with their clients and can provide better insight.

Community banks are owned and operated by individuals who live in the community and often next door to their customers. They understand their community and the ongoing financial ups and downs of it. This information and participation in the community enable banks to make business decisions that are beneficial to the community. They don’t have to worry about being held accountable to wall street investors or megabank executives.

These smaller community banks are also a key player in helping uplift local businesses and individuals. Community banks tend to be more flexible and understanding with loans and accounts than national banks who feature a rigid set of guidelines and rules. They also tend to have lower fees associated with their products and services compared to their larger counterparts. Additionally, local banks are interested in investing in their own community through donations, sponsorships, and events that benefit their customers.

The Best Community Bank in Central Missouri

The Callaway Bank is a central Missouri community bank dedicated to building lasting relationships and elevating their clients and communities through moments that matter. Founded more than 160 years ago, they are still locally owned and operated. The Callaway Bank offers a strong selection of banking products and services to small businesses and individuals. See what their clients say about banking with them. Get in touch with them and learn how they can help you pursue your passions through moments that matter.

The Callaway Bank is very pleased to announce a new strategic partnership. Effective May 10^th, Convergence Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor and local financial planning and wealth management firm, assumed management of the investment services offered through Callaway Investment Services. With this partnership, Convergence Financial expands by opening a Fulton office in the space previously occupied by Callaway Investment Services at 9 E. Fifth St.

To learn more about Convergence Financial click here:  https://convergence-co.com/financial/

Why The Change?

While The Bank operated Callaway Investment Services for several years, it recently took the opportunity to re-examine its service offerings and determine if there was a better way to serve clients.  Kim Barnes, president and CEO, explained the world of investment management and financial planning has seen a great deal of change in recent years, including digitization, and client expectations have evolved, too. “Clients are better informed and are seeking out expertise that fits their needs, which is a great thing. There’s a demand for digital tools and secure visibility online, yet there is an appreciation for local service and convenient access to expertise. To meet our clients’ expanding needs, we believe the answer requires a broader team with both general and specialized expertise, strong experience, fiduciary integrity, and depth of support, along with personal attention, convenient local access, depth and breadth of resources, and digital tools. But above all, our clients value local decision-making and face-to-face access to their advisors. As a community bank, we agree and endorse the importance of being able to look someone in the eye and shake hands. As we evaluated options and gathered feedback, it became clear that partnering with a high-caliber firm would meet our clients’ needs far better than recreating the model we’d been offering. We listened.” The Bank evaluated multiple options, and Convergence Financial was clearly the best fit.

To meet our clients’ expanding needs, we believe the answer requires a broader team with both general and specialized expertise, strong experience, fiduciary integrity, and depth of support…

“We felt clients deserved for us to partner with a company that aligns with our values and provides the depth of experience and resources that Convergence delivers,” said Barnes. “We strongly believe the team at Convergence shares our values and local community focus, and the level of expertise their eight advisors bring is outstanding.”

Convergence Financial is a part of Convergence Companies, a locally owned comprehensive financial services firm founded by Travis Cook, CFP®, and they’ve just expanded into their new headquarters in Columbia. The new Fulton office inside the Bank will be their second in mid-Missouri. Travis Cook, CEO of Convergence Financial, shares the Bank’s enthusiasm for the new strategic partnership.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with The Callaway Bank to provide comprehensive financial planning to customers in Fulton and Columbia. This will be a great fit based on our organization’s shared value of putting the client’s needs first as we help them work toward their financial goals,” explained Cook.

We invite you to contact the team at Convergence Financial and see how they can assist your financial planning needs at 573-818-2264.

TRAVIS COOK, CFP®, CMFC® CEO, Financial Advisor

ADAM BETHEL, President Financial Advisor

TYLER HOFFMANN
Financial Advisor

Not a Deposit. Not FDIC Insured. Not insured by any federal government agency. Not guaranteed by the bank or any of its affiliates. May go down in value.

Attention All Restaurants, Bars, Food Trucks, And Eating Establishments:

The Small Business Administration announced it would open its online application portal for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund at 11 a.m. CST Monday, May 3. Registration for the SBA application portal will begin at 8 a.m. CST Friday, April 30.

Can The Callaway Bank Help Me Apply?

Technically no. Unlike the PPP Loan program, this fund is administered directly through the SBA.

The SBA recommends qualifying applicants familiarize themselves with the application process in advance to ensure a smooth, efficient application experience, specifically by completing the following.

1. Registering for an account in advance at restaurants.sba.gov starting at 8 a.m. CST Friday, April 30.
2. Reviewing the official guidance, including program guide, frequently asked questions, and application sample.
3. Preparing the required documentation.
4. Working with a point-of-sale vendor or visiting restaurants.sba.gov to submit an application when the application portal opens. [Note: If an applicant is working with a point-of-sale vendor, they do not need to register beforehand on the site.]
5. Attending a live recorded virtual training webinar at noon CST Wednesday, April 28, or 1:30 p.m. CST Wednesday, April 28.

What is the Restaurant Revitalization Fund?

Established under the American Rescue Plan, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund provides a total of $28.6 billion in direct relief funds to restaurants and other hard-hit food establishments that have experienced economic distress and significant operational losses because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Funds must be used for allowable expenses by March 11, 2023.

What Businesses Are Eligible To Apply?

Eligible entities who have experienced pandemic-related revenue loss include:

• Restaurants
• Food stands, food trucks, food carts
• Caterers
• Bars, saloons, lounges, taverns
• Snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars
• Bakeries (onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
• Brewpubs, tasting rooms, taprooms (onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
• Breweries and/or microbreweries (onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
• Wineries and distilleries (onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
• Inns (onsite sales of food and beverage to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
• Licensed facilities or premises of a beverage alcohol producer where the public may taste, sample, or purchase products

Have you received a postcard or letter with “an important matter” regarding your mortgage?

Have you received a postcard or letter about a time-sensitive issue with your mortgage urging you to call an unknown phone number? If you have, you are not alone, as scammers all across the country are pulling public data records to target you and your information.

The first thing to understand is that these mailings did not come from The Callaway Bank or any other financial institution. They are sent to homeowners in the hopes of selling you something or, most often to steal your identity by tricking you. Recipients are asked to call a phone number about an “important matter” with their loan. This scam is especially tricky because it looks like a late notice or official letter that mentions your lender by name.

The notices will often have a small disclaimer on the bottom stating, “Not Affiliated With” and your lender name. However, in the example below, there is no mention of that.

The example seen below is from Home Warranty Solutions and mentions The Callaway Bank as the lender. According to The Better Business Bureau, Home Warranty Solutions has a C rating and not BBB Accredited. The letter also gives the impression that they are working with the bank. But that is not true at all.

The Callaway Bank is committed to protecting your personal information, and we do not sell or otherwise distribute it to non-affiliate third parties. There is some information with mortgages, regardless of what lender you might have worked with, that is public record. Public Record entries are how scammers like this obtain your information. For example, companies can get information from a county recorder’s office, such as lien filings or property purchase and transfer documents, which are all public records. The records and the information they can gather are used to develop letters with detailed information to help legitimize the “important matter” they refer to.

If you receive the notice, disregard and dispose of it as you would any other junk mail. Calling the number may connect you with a real person, or it may connect you to an automated recording. Regardless, do not offer your personal information. It could lead to some unfortunate problems.

Please contact us seven days a week for any questions you may have.

Have you ever wondered how your stolen information is used to commit fraud, and what you can do to help prevent it? We have some tips to help you keep your information safe.

Fraudsters have become increasingly adept at getting information they need to commit fraud by posing as financial institution call center agents, or by sending text messages that look like they are coming from your trusted financial institution, warning of suspicious transaction activities. They are also known to call in to call centers posing as customers requesting changes to their card information and parameters. Fraudsters use information stolen through data breaches (at health insurance providers, reward program providers, credit bureaus, merchant terminals, and social media sites, to mention just a few recent ones) as well as through malware programs deployed on personal computers and other sources. Stolen personally identifiable information (PII) is combined with stolen card information, resulting in sufficient information to create profiles that fraudsters can use to position themselves as the actual cardholders.

Help protect your personal information from fraud by remembering:

A text alert from The Callaway Bank warning of suspicious activity on your card will not include a link to be clicked. You should never click on a link in a text message that is supposedly from The Callaway Bank. A valid notification from The Callaway Bank will provide information about the suspect transaction and ask you to reply to the text message with answers such as ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘help’, or ‘stop,’ and will never include a link.

A text alert from The Callaway Bank will NOT be from a 10-digit number resembling a phone number. 

A phone call from The Callaway Bank’s automated dialer will only include a request for a cardholder’s zip code, and no other personal information, unless they confirm that a transaction is fraudulent. Only then will they be transferred to the Customer Care Team who will ask questions to confirm your identity before going through the transaction.

If at any point you are uncertain about questions being asked or the call itself, hang up and call The Callaway Bank directly at 800-446-2265 (BANK). If you receive a call claiming to be The Callaway Bank call center and asking to verify transactions, you shouldn’t have to provide any information other than your zip code and a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the transaction provided.

The Callaway Bank will NEVER ask for the debit card PIN or the 3-digit security code on the back of your card.

Posing as call center agents, fraudsters will often ask you to verify fake transactions. When you say no, you did not perform those transactions, the fraudster then says that your card will be blocked, a new card will be issued, and that they need the card’s PIN to put on the new card. Many people believe this and provide their PIN. A real call center agent will tell you wait until you receive your new card to activate it and set a new PIN.

Regularly check your account(s) online for suspicious transactions, but especially if you are unsure about a call or text message you’ve received. If anything looks amiss, call The Callaway Bank directly for assistance.

If you receive a voice or a text message from The Callaway Bank’s fraud call center and are unsure about responding to it, call The Callaway Bank’s Customer Care Team 800-446-2265 directly for assistance.

What’s New?

We will be closed the Saturday after Christmas and New Year’s to allow our employees to spend more time with their families, and thank them for working diligently alongside us during this difficult year. The Callaway Bank will reopen Sunday, January 3, 2021. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Christmas Eve: Closing at 12:00 p.m.
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Saturday after Christmas: CLOSED

New Year’s Eve: Closing at 3:00 p.m.
New Year’s Day: CLOSED
Saturday after New Year’s: CLOSED

Other Ways to Bank

Utilize Online Banking to bank anytime, anywhere! With Online Banking, you can check your account balances, make transfers, pay bills, deposit checks from your phone, and so much more!

Bank by phone by texting or calling 800-446-BANK

Find a Callaway Bank ATM near you for 24/7 access to your accounts.

Thank you for allowing us to be your trusted financial partner.

How does a 163-year-old bank handle both a pandemic and the need to pivot on a technological dime?

When COVID-19 hit, the Bank had to figure out a better way to work with clients in a locked-down environment, with little to no face-to-face interaction. Clients needed a better solution for signing loans and new account paperwork remotely.

Although electronic signatures and their software applications have been growing in popularity and use, we were not widely using those tools back in March. We had plans to roll out a widescale implementation of digital signatures, but had not yet done so as there were several hurdles for  integrating them with our systems, not to mention ensuring strong security provisions. There were a lot of moving parts to consider in order to make it work well for our clients.

Introduce a pandemic, and everything changes. It became essential to have digital signatures to conduct business, particularly for the scores of SBA-PPP loans to come. We established a priority project team of bankers from multiple departments and functions  to ensure current business would not only be supported, but to anticipate future demand for this digital convenience.

The result was fantastic. The team vetted and negotiated an agreement with a new vendor to provide the e-signature technology. The team started with setting up processes to handle documentation for loans. The Bank was  facing hundreds of SBA loans for business clients, who were desperate for funding, and they needed us to be responsive and quick to deliver.

Clients loved it! It was easy to use, and the Bank was able to send loan documents via secure email that allowed multiple people to “sign” the agreements apart from each other.

The team quickly expanded the rollout to facilitate new accounts and service events such as debit card disputes. It made client interactions easier and efficient for them

Looking back, delivering over 335 small business PPP loans in a matter of weeks would have been very difficult to do safely and responsively without e-signatures, which would have left a lot of clients in more difficult circumstances.