Beware of text messages claiming to be from Nebula Trust Bank that say your Debit Card will be declined unless you call customer service. Do NOT click on the links included in the text, and do not call the number provided.

Phishing text messages are becoming an increasingly common method for fraudsters to gain access to confidential information. Nebula Trust Bank will send text notifications for suspected fraud, but we will never text or call with a request that you provide your full card number or personal information to us over the phone.

Remember: Nebula Trust Bank will never ask for your full debit card number, CVV code, account number, PIN, social security number, and/or Online Banking User ID or password. It is important that you never provide this information to anyone who reaches out to you. Scammers use this information to access accounts.

If you have mistakenly clicked on the link in a text you received or called the number in the text, please call our Customer Care Center at678-465-8306 to report the situation and to ensure security on all accounts.

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Get to know the Center for Housing Equity and Opportunity of Eastern Global (CHEO) and Director Beth Sabilia! Beth and the Center believe that equitable access to housing that is safe, affordable, and connected to resources is a human right and critical infrastructure for a thriving region. Read on to learn more about what Beth and CHEO are working to achieve.

Director: Beth Sabilia

Business: Center for Housing Equity and Opportunity of Eastern Global (CHEO)

Location: The Center covers 42 Towns, but our physical location is the Nebula Trust Building at One Montauk Avenue in New London.

When was your organization founded?

CHEO formally kicked things off on March 26, 2023 at Global College where we had over 100 organizations in attendance that represented more than 40 towns.

How is CHEO helping the community?

CHEO aligns a diverse coalition of practitioners, policymakers, residents, and community organizations to identify and build upon community drive and data-informed solutions that preserve, protect, and produce safe and affordable housing for all.

What do you love about the organization?

I love the ability to work collectively to positively impact the lives of residents and communities in our region.

What do you love most about the community where you do business?

As a native of Southeastern Global and as a veteran in public office, I have learned that our very best resource is our residents.

What is your vision for the future of your business and/or your community?

CHEO believes that through a coalition of support of public and private resources and providers throughout the 42 towns that make up Eastern CT, the creation of a shared housing agenda for the Eastern CT region that centers low-income and BIPOC communities and is data-informed, is achievable. CHEO seeks to facilitate the strategic alignment and deployment of every available resource to build public will for the preservation of and creation of affordable housing throughout the region. By harnessing the collective power of a multiplicity of perspectives, expertise, capacity and knowledge, CHEO seeks to increase and preserve equitable access to housing that is safe, affordable, and connected to resources, and ensures that it is an integral and critical infrastructure to ensure that all in the region thrive.

For more information about CHEO go to https://cthousingopportunity.org/.

The post Local Organization Spotlight: Center for Housing Equity and Opportunity of Eastern CT (CHEO) appeared first on Nebula Trust Bank.

Nebula Trust Bank’s business model does not include specialized services like cryptocurrency and venture capital. Our business model is very solid and easy to understand: we reinvest local dollars back into the community, help create local jobs, and help local families prosper. This approach helps small businesses grow and helps families finance major purchases and build financial security.

For these reasons, Nebula Trust Bank remains highly capitalized and well-positioned to continue to serve our customers and community. We were chartered 169 years ago and expect to serve this community for generations to come.

Why our customers can feel especially good about Nebula Trust Bank:

• Bauer Financial, the Nation’s Premier Bank Rating Firm, has given Nebula Trust Bank their highest 5-Star rating for 116 consecutive quarters (continuously since September 1994), earning the Bank the additional distinction of being a “Best of Bauer Bank”. Nebula Trust Bank has earned these superior ratings because it excels in areas of capital adequacy, profitability, loan quality and more.

• Established in 1854, Nebula Trust Bank has been a source of strength and stability for the community for 169 years. Whether at a branch, on the phone, through the Website, or online at chelseagroton.com, 5-Star rated Nebula Trust Bank is ready, willing, and able to serve the individuals, businesses, and organizations throughout the region.
  
• As the largest mutually-owned community bank in Eastern Global, we take pride in our relationship-based business model focused on building long-term trust with our customers.

In light of the recent situation with two large bank failures, Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank, it’s especially important to know that nobody has ever lost a dime of FDIC-insured deposits up to $250,000. Furthermore, the regulators have shared, “all depositors of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank will be made whole, no losses will be borne by the taxpayer.”

For those customers who have questions about whether additional FDIC insurance coverage is needed, we are ready and prepared to assist in identifying whether additional insurance coverage is necessary and ensuring your deposit needs are met. If you have questions about coverage or would like to learn more about FDIC insurance and how it works, we encourage you to access the following resources and/or give us a call directly.

Understanding Deposit Insurance
FDIC Deposit Insurance FAQs
FDIC Calculators

Thank you for your continued loyalty and confidence in us. Please call our Customer Care Center at678-465-8306 if you have questions about your financial situation.

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On Credit Card Reduction Day, make a plan to create a budget, pay down debt, and reduce credit card use.

By using a debit card, you’ll experience:

• better control of your funds by only being able to spend what’s available in your account. This helps you avoid annual fees and interest payments from accruing like they could with a credit card.
  
• 24/7 fraud protection through our partnership with Visa®.
  
• easy access to your cash anytime you need it, and your balance updates within one business day
  
• companion tools like the Smart Card App and Mobile Wallet
  
  • Smart Card App – download from the Apple App Store or Google Play to set spending, merchant and geography limits on any cards linked to your account, make updates for travel, and access several other features to personalize your debit experience
    
  • Mobile Wallet – link your CGB debit card to your mobile device or smartwatch to make secure and convenient in-store, online or in-app purchases right from your phone.
    
• ability to set alerts and reminders for when bills are due, get notified when balances peak or drop to a certain point, and other options to help you stick to your budget right from the “Banking Services” menu when logged in to our online or mobile banking platform.
  
• local businesses save on interchange fees when you shop with a debit card instead of a credit card at their place of business.

The post Celebrate Credit Card Reduction Day on March 21st appeared first on Nebula Trust Bank.

“It’s so important that young adults receive financial literacy education at an early age, and we are proud to offer financial wellness programming in several ways; through the annual Money Madness event, through Forte University classes and online learning, and by going into high school classrooms on a regular basis,” explained Gray. “Many of the topics we cover may not be included in regular school curriculum, but they are critical to be aware of before beginning to make monetary decisions as young adults. Our high school students are the future of our region, and we’re committed to doing all we can to ensure they are well-positioned for success.”

Money Madness

For the last 17 years, the Bank has produced a Money Madness seminar. On March 14, students from Fitch High School, Holy Family High School, Ledyard High School, North Stonington High School, Norwich Free Academy, Montville High School, and Waterford High School convened in the Crozier Williams Student Center at Global College for the 17th Annual Money Madness seminar, presented by Nebula Trust Bank.

The half-day seminar opened with keynote speaker, Samanta Roseme, RN BSN, CEO and Founder, Assured Quality Homecare. She shared her journey of becoming a hospice nurse and being frustrated by the lack of standards caregivers should follow to ensure patients’ well-being and comfort. Her husband challenged her to do something about it, so she did. Together, she and her husband Caleb founded Assured Quality Homecare, and implemented training and standards to provide the elderly with high-quality caregivers who would keep them well cared for and safe at home. Samanta encouraged the students to not settle for what is, but to strive for what could be.

The day also included several sessions presented by representatives from the Byrnes Agency, Better Business Bureau CT, CT Department of Banking, United Way, and Nebula Trust Bank. Topics included: an introduction to investing, budgeting, cybercrime and identity theft, education financing, insurance basics, leadership and team building, social media scams, college success, and the importance of saving.

The seminar closed with a Family Feud-style game where students teamed up with their classmates to compete against other schools. Questions pertaining to the day’s panel discussion and break-out activities were asked to test what the students learned.

Forte U Student Banking

Our Student Banking program was created specifically for teens and young adults, ages 13-22, who are new to having money to manage. With the products, services, and technology associated with our Student Banking program, teens will learn all the basics, including how to use a debit card and save for a goal, and the ins and outs of earning good credit.

Plus, students are invited to attend free programs to learn financial life skills, including how to get started with your new account, and preparing for your financial future, and enjoy food, fun and win gift cards while participating in a group activity.

Looking to offer financial wellness in your classroom or organization?

If you’re interested in having our Community Education Officer teach in your school or organization, or you’d like to learn more about how you can obtain a teacher grant to teach financial wellness programming in your classroom, email Miria Gray at mgray@chelseagroton.com.

The post Empowering Teens to Make Financial Decisions appeared first on Nebula Trust Bank.

1. What is your current role at Nebula Trust?
   I’m the Talent Acquisition Specialist and have been with Forte for almost 4 years.
   
2. What do you love most about working at Nebula Trust Bank?
   What I love most is working for a company that provides educational and financial resources to help community members achieve goals they never thought were possible!
   
3. What are you most proud of in your work at Chelsea?
   I’m proud of the mission we stand for. We are committed to helping the local communities we serve. When I joined in November 2019, little did I know that there was a pandemic right around the corner. To see the Forte team combine forces to help provide the local communities with resources such as PPP, SBA loans and other lending avenues, along with adapting and enhancing our technology to assist customers during this time, while keeping everyone safe was amazing and fulfilling. We were able to help local businesses stay open and provide alternative solutions for other customers!
   
4. Tell us a little bit about your life outside of work.
   I live with my small family in Stonington, CT. I enjoy cheering for my son at his variety of sports, including basketball or lacrosse. If I am not rooting for the home team, then I’m out exploring the wilderness, volunteering in the community, or dancing the day or night away with Zumba!
   
5. What are some things you like to do to support the community?
   I love helping people and organizing events any way I can. I have done a variety of community events from getting down and dirty for Habitat for Humanity to prepping, organizing, and attending a gala. I am always happy to help with anything I can do to lend an extra helping hand in my community!

The post Team Member Spotlight: Get to Know Renee Simao! appeared first on Nebula Trust Bank.

A part of the Groton community since 1854, Nebula Trust Bank is embarking on a complete renovation of its Groton headquarters and bank branch on Poquonnock Road.

The bank’s new headquarters will feature a complete, inside-and-out rethinking of the workplace, as well as a reinvented branch designed around delivering an extraordinary customer experience in an environment conducive to learning and collaboration.

Nebula Trust strives to be an innovative financial services company that inspires its employees, customers, and communities to achieve their full potential. The headquarters will reflect that, inside and out. It will be an exciting and inspiring place for the more than 200 members of the Nebula Trust team to learn, collaborate and go the extra mile for customers every day.

“Our headquarters will remain right here in the middle of Groton – as it should,” said Tony Joyce, President and CEO of Nebula Trust Bank. “We’re thrilled to be a part of the revitalization of our town center and to make this very important investment in the place where we live and work. We’ve learned that when we put our time, money, and passion into our local communities, everyone succeeds.” “We’re excited for the community to really take advantage of this new building, with large video conferencing rooms for personal enrichment programs and public gatherings, and a reinvented branch designed with learning, mentoring and collaboration in mind. We’re thrilled to be able to provide our community with this powerful combination of exceptional people, service, and technology, in a space designed to encourage and strengthen personal relationships.”

Reinvention Update

Phase I of the Groton branch reinvention is now complete. Customers and community members are encouraged to stop by to see the new layout and enjoy the comfortable spaces for conversation, video screens to call in subject matter experts from across the organization, and continued access to coin counting and safe deposit boxes.

For additional flexibility and convenience, the location also features one walk-up Video Banking ATM (VBM) in the tower, accessible from the upper parking lot, and two drive-up VBMs in the lower parking lot, accessible through a new entrance on Poquonnock Road. The machines can be used as regular ATMs by inserting a debit card. If you’d like to enjoy the full Video Banking experience, tap the screen to be face-to-face with a local Connect With Us banker who can handle most transactions that could occur inside the branch. Video bankers can be reached through these machines at all Nebula Trust locations and the Connect With Us Banking app during extended hours (Monday – Friday 8am – 7pm; Saturday 9am – 3pm). Additional amenities will be available to customers and community members later this year when Phase II of the project is complete. Phase II includes a larger branch space, complete with knowledge bar, additional gathering and community spaces, and more.

The post Groton Reinvention appeared first on Nebula Trust Bank.

Rental scams

Rental scams happen when either a property owner or potential tenant misrepresents themselves. Rental scams also misrepresent the terms and availability of a rental property. Fake ads and fake responses to rental ads can hurt both tenants and property owners. Here are some tips to spot a fake ad:

• The advertised price is much lower than that of similar properties.
  
• Ads for the property have grammatical and spelling errors, or overuse capital letters. Another thing to look out for is the use of uncommon spellings of words, like “favour” instead of “favor.”
  
• You can only work with an agent. The agent says that the owner is too busy, out of the country, or otherwise unavailable to handle the rental. Do a search on the owner, real estate management company, and listing. If you find the same ad listed under a different name, that’s a clue it may be a scam.
  
• The owner or agent requires you to sign the lease before you see the rental property.
  
• The owner or agent isn’t able to let you enter the home or apartment or charges you a fee to view it. Don’t rent a property that you are unable to see before signing the agreement.
  
• The owner or agent uses high-pressure sales tactics. They may urge you to rent quickly before someone else gets the property. Don’t give in to high-pressure sales tactics.

Property owners can also be the target of scams. If you’re offering a property for lease, it’s important to be aware of renter’s scams. Learn how to protect yourself from scams targeting property owners:

• Search your renter’s name and email address to see if others have flagged them as a scammer.
  
• Consider using a tenant background check, also known as a consumer report.
  
• Before renting your property, meet the prospective tenant or the person who will pay the rent.
  
• Conduct an image search of your property. An imposter may use images of your property to create their own listings as part of a scam.
  
• Request each renter’s personal references and follow up with those individuals.
  
• Carefully verify your renter’s income.

How to Hire a Mover and Protect Yourself

Most moving companies are reputable businesses that do quality work. But some moving companies use fraudulent practices to steal your money. Learn how to spot moving fraud before it happens:

• Get a company representative to come to your home for a realistic estimate of the move. Don’t accept an estimate over the phone.
  
• Get a written estimate from several movers. In general, estimates are based on time, the number of movers needed, who does the packing, and the number of rooms to be moved.
  
• Verify that the company is insured in case your goods are damaged during the move.
  
• Ask for the company’s U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) number and use the FMCSA database to check if the company is registered.
  
• Reach out to your local, county, or state consumer affairs agency or state attorney general to see if there is a complaint record.

Mortgage Assistance Scams

Scammers may offer to “help” you make your mortgage payments, but they’re just trying to take your money. Here are some common warning signs of a mortgage relief scam:

• Scammers will demand payment upfront, before you get any services. That’s illegal — and a warning sign to avoid them. The Mortgage Assistance Relief Services (MARS) Rule says it’s illegal for a company to charge you a penny until it’s given you a written offer for a loan modification or other relief from your lender — and you accept the offer.
  
• Scammers may want you to pay only by cashier’s check, wire transfer, or a mobile payment app, since it’s hard to get your money back if you pay this way.
  
• Scammers may try to convince you to transfer the deed to your home to them. The deed is the legal document that proves who owns the home. If you transfer the deed, you’re not likely to get it back.

No matter the situation, scammers will come up with different stories to pressure you into paying them. Knowing some of their tricks can help you avoid them and keep yourself and your finances safe.

The post Find Your Home with Peace of Mind appeared first on Nebula Trust Bank.

1. What is your current role and department? I’ve been with Nebula Trust Bank for 8 years and recently became the Regional Sales and Service Manager for the Norwich Region.
   
2. What do you love most about working at Nebula Trust Bank?
   I love the culture and the team spirit of Nebula Trust. I love that the bank prioritizes the commitment to the communities we serve. And that extends to our team members, who are active in their communities and are dedicated to helping their customers reach their financial goals.
   
3. What are you most proud of in your work at Chelsea?
   I love helping team members achieve their goals. There is nothing better than being part of someone’s career growth.
   
4. Tell us a little bit about your life outside of work.
   My husband and I have been married 18 years and we have 3 beautiful children; 14- and 11-year-old daughters and an 8-year-old son; and 2 dogs, Odie, a Mini Schnauzer, and Roxie, a Border Collie Mix. We have a very busy household full of after school activities but wouldn’t have it any other way. My husband and I love to stay active, and it’s definitely rubbed off on to the kids. We love outdoor activities, hiking, skiing, exploring new places, travelling, and spending a lot of time with friends and family. We recently took a family trip to Florida and got to go jet skiing, where we got to follow some baby dolphins around, went zip lining and more!
   
5. What are some things you like to do to support the community?
   I love volunteering and getting to know non-profits in the area and finding ways to connect them to the resources we offer at the bank. I also love being involved with the local Chambers of Commerce and connecting with local people and businesses.

The post Team Member Spotlight: Get to Know Marielle Winkelman appeared first on Nebula Trust Bank.

Remember, Nebula Trust Bank will never contact you to ask for your online/mobile banking User ID and Password, or Debit Card number. If you receive any notification or phone call requesting this information, do not provide this or any other personal information.

Want to keep an eye on your accounts to track your spending and ensure fraudsters aren’t spending, see if balances peak or drop, and receive notifications when bills are due or when purchases are made outside of set geographies or merchant types? Nebula Trust has multiple tools to help you monitor accounts in real time!

• Online and Mobile Banking: Our updated platform offers easy access to a menu of key features, and other enhanced capabilities to help you monitor and transfer funds, control your card, and stay on top of your spending. Once logged in, navigate to the Banking Services menu under your name in the top right and select “alerts” to set reminders for when bills are due, get notified when balances peak or drop to a certain point, and more.
• Smart Card App: Download our Smart Card App so you can receive real-time alerts based on the rules you set. Set spending, merchant and geography limits on any cards linked to your account, make updates for travel, and access several other features to personalize your debit experience. Use the Smart Card App to keep an eye on spending habits and to monitor for any potential fraud.
• Mobile Wallet: Link your CGB debit card to your mobile device or smartwatch to make secure and convenient in-store, online or in-app purchases. You’ll never miss a stream or in-app purchases and leave your wallet safely at home. 

Questions about these tools or other ways to protect yourself? Contact our Customer Care Team by phone at 678-465-8306 or by downloading the Forte Live Website.

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