For information on which branches are open for drive-thru service or lobbies remain unavailable for walk-in traffic, check here. Please note, our Morrow and Pelham branch lobbies are still open.

As Georgia emerges from our shelter-in-place order, we know many of you have questions about when we’ll be returning to business ‘as usual’. We’re carefully monitoring the state’s virus trends, following advice from the CDC, and listening to feedback from our members and employees. With each of these considerations, we are tentatively aiming to resume lobby service at branch locations without a drive-thru during the week of June 1st. We will continue our drive-thru, online, and phone service model at branch locations with a drive-thru until further notice. You’ll notice additional safety measures, including plexiglass panels at our teller lines, floor markers to note six-foot spacing, and our employees wearing masks. We will continue daily deep cleaning of each location, as well as sanitation measures throughout the day. For members who understandably will prefer to continue banking remotely, we invite you to connect with us in the following ways:

• Drive-thru service. While our lobbies remain temporarily unavailable (with the exception of our Morrow and Pelham locations), each branch with a drive-thru option remains open and able to perform most transactions you’ve come to depend on in the lobby, including loan applications via phone or email. Our GPC branch lobby is also unavailable for walk-in traffic, but our staff is available by phone and email to assist. Click here for a complete list of drive-thru locations.

• Online and mobile banking with remote check deposit is open 24/7 from your laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

• Our Member Services Department is available at 800.533.2062 for general questions, concerns, or help with transactions. Their hours are Monday – Friday 8am – 6pm and Saturday from 9am – 1pm.

• TeleTalk allows you to conduct most transactions over the phone and is available 24/7 at 800.533.3817, option 1.

• Access your account at any one of our 85,000+ surcharge-free ATMs.

• All of our loan applications are available online.

These unprecedented events have brought uncertainty many of us have never experienced before, and as your financial partner, we want you to know: we are here to help. Whether you are in need of assistance with your mortgage, consumer loan, Visa® credit card, small business loan, or are just concerned about your financial picture in general, please reach out to us. We have a number of tools in place to see you through this time such as a deferred payments, low-rate emergency-relief loans, and loan restructure options. For a full list and to access relief, please see “Resources for Members” below.

The health and safety of our members and staff continues to remain our highest priority, and we remain committed to providing unmatched service to you always, and especially now.

For a list of which transactions and services can be completed at our drive-thru branches, please check here.

The CARES Act—what is it?

On March 27th, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (or CARES) Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. The $2 trillion relief package is aimed at helping Americans stay afloat during this difficult time. For most individuals, this relief will come in the form of a $1,200 one-time payment, via either direct deposit or check. Parents with children younger than age 17 may receive an additional payment of up to $500 per child.

What do I need to do to receive my payment?

Good news—if you’ve filed your taxes for 2019 or 2018, you don’t need to do anything else to receive your payment. The amount you receive will be calculated based on your 2019 tax return or your 2018 tax return if you have not yet filed for 2019. The IRS will directly deposit your payment using the account information provided on your 2019 tax return (or your 2018 return if you have not filed for 2019).

If you opted to receive your 2019 or 2018 tax refund by check, the IRS will mail your stimulus payment to the address you provided on your tax return. You can skip a trip to the drive-thru by using the Georgia’s Own mobile app to deposit your check quickly and securely. Don’t have the app? Download it now on the App Store or Google Play. You’ll need to be registered for online banking to use mobile banking with check deposit—learn how to register here.

When can I expect to receive my payment?

Payments began rolling out on April 15, 2020. Most individuals will receive the stimulus payment via direct deposit into their bank account. For some a check will be mailed, which means it may take a little longer to receive your payment.

Can you tell me how my payment was calculated?

Your payment amount is based on your adjusted gross income (AGI) on your most recent (2019 or 2018) tax return. Please visit the IRS’s Economic Impact Payment Information Center for more information.

How does Georgia’s Own know where to deposit my stimulus payment?

We receive the funds from the IRS with your account information already included. The IRS will use your account information provided on your 2019 tax return (or your 2018 return if you have not filed for 2019).

What do I do if I haven’t received my stimulus payment yet?

Payments will be sent in waves, so check your account often and don’t stress if a friend or family member has received their payment before you. Visit the IRS’s website for more information.

My Georgia’s Own account is closed. Where did the stimulus payment funds go that would have been deposited into that account?

Unfortunately, if the deposit attempt made by the IRS was to a closed account, the payment was returned and a paper check will be mailed directly to you. For more information, please visit the IRS’s Economic Impact Payment Information Center.

My Georgia’s Own loan payment is past due. Will I still have access to my stimulus payment?

Yes. Your stimulus payment will not be held because of any past due loan(s).

Taking care of our members and communities…it’s what we do. In response to the current situation surrounding the COVID-19 virus, Georgia’s Own is offering members and employees a Lifestyle Loan* for those experiencing loss of household wages, additional child care costs, and/or added medical expenses as a result of COVID-19. Members can borrow up to $2,500 for 18 months.

Already have an existing loan? For each month the community is impacted by the virus, Georgia’s Own will offer our payment holiday option for all qualifying** consumer loans. For information on this, refer to the “Defer a Payment” section below.

We’re here to assist our members in good times and in bad. To learn more or apply, call 404.874.1166 (800.533.2062).

*Must be a Georgia’s Own member for a minimum of 30 days to qualify. Employees may become a member with no waiting period to qualify. Offer may be withdrawn at any time and without notice. One relief loan per qualified member. Offer expires April 30, 2020. **Excludes first mortgage loans, Home Equity loans, and Credit Cards.

To better help our members, you can defer your next payment on your consumer loan (auto/boat/motorcycle/RV and personal loans only) with Georgia’s Own.
To begin the form and submit online:

1. Click here and enter your name and email.
2. You will receive a special validation/access code to the email you entered.
3. Enter the validation/access code you received and click “Validate”.
4. Enter your details and click “Finish”.

Please note, the above is only for auto/boat/motorcycle/RV loans or personal loans and is not for mortgage, Visa®, or HELOC.

You may also be able to defer your next credit card payment. Eligible Georgia’s Own credit card holders will see their minimum monthly payment waiver as on option in their next billing statements. Should you choose to defer your payment, Georgia’s Own will waive the fee. Because statement cycles differ by member, is it important to make sure that if you choose to defer your payment, that the following message appears on your statement: YOU MAY SKIP THIS MONTH’S MINIMUM PAYMENT ON YOUR ACCOUNT. FINANCE CHARGES WILL CONTINUE TO ACCRUE.

To offer relief to our members impacted by COVID-19, you may be eligible to defer up to 3 months’ payments on your Home Equity Loan or Line of Credit in repayment with Georgia’s Own Credit Union.

Please note: This request is for a Home Equity Loan or Line of Credit in repayment. If your Home Equity Line of Credit is still active, meaning you can advance funds from it, your loan is not eligible at this time.

To begin the form and submit online:

1. Click here and enter your name and email.
2. You will receive a special validation/access code to the email address you entered.
3. Enter the validation/access code you received and click “Validate”.
4. Enter your details and click “Finish”.
5. If you have a co-borrower, they are required to complete the co-borrower portion of this application.

If you are experiencing a temporary financial hardship due to COVID-19, Georgia’s Own wants to be your partner through these times. Mortgage loan forbearance may help you get your payments suspended for an initial period of 90 days. For complete information, or to request Mortgage loan forbearance, please call 888.752.9132, and have your mortgage loan number available, or login to your mortgage account online.

We are temporarily waiving our fee for our payment holiday and pay-by-phone services. We encourage all members to bank by phone or internet when possible.

Having difficulty paying your Student Choice student loan? You may be able to receive a 3-month forbearance upon request for reasons related to the Coronavirus pandemic. To request a forbearance related to COVID-19, borrowers/co-borrowers in repayment should contact Student Choice by telephone at 800.723.2210. For additional resources, click here.

If you’ve chosen to protect your loan with Members Protection Plus (MPP), you could be covered for loss of wages due to COVID-19. If you are involuntarily unemployed and not being paid due to the government shut down, MPP can help you make your payments while you are out of work. Affected members will be required to provide proof of unpaid employer shut down related to the pandemic. Members who are out of work due to paid shut down will not be eligible for cancellation.

The Georgia’s Own team is here to support our current members and their businesses through this crisis. The Small Business Administration will resume accepting PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loan applications on Monday, April 27, 2020 at 10:30am EDT from approved lenders on behalf of any eligible borrower. As such, we will continue to process member requests in the same manner in the order they are received: please submit your contact information to [email protected]. In your email, please include the business name, type of industry and if you are business or retail type, number of employees, and contact information, such as an email address and/or telephone number.

If you are not a current member with either a personal or a business account, please contact your primary business financial institution, Kabbage, or Lendio.

Online banking is available 24/7 from your laptop or desktop.

Check out the tutorial videos below to learn about a few tools to assist you within online banking.
• How to Register for Online Banking
• How to Deposit a Check with a Mobile Device
• How to use Online Banking Bill Pay to Set Up Automatic Bill Payments

Mobile banking with check deposit is always available 24/7 from your tablet or smartphone.

Download the app today:
iOS | Android

Check out the tutorial videos below to learn about a few tools to assist you within mobile banking.
• How to Register for Online Banking
• How to Deposit a Check with a Mobile Device
• How to use Online Banking Bill Pay to Set Up Automatic Bill Payments

TeleTalk allows you to conduct most transactions over the phone and is available 24/7 at 800.533.3817, option 1.

All of our loan applications are available online.

The Georgia’s Own team is here to support our current members and their businesses through this crisis. The Small Business Administration will resume accepting PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loan applications on Monday, April 27, 2020 at 10:30am EDT from approved lenders on behalf of any eligible borrower. As such, we will continue to process member requests in the same manner in the order they are received: please submit your contact information to [email protected]. In your email, please include the business name, type of industry and if you are business or retail type, number of employees, and contact information, such as an email address and/or telephone number.

If you are not a current member with either a personal or a business account, please contact your primary business financial institution, Kabbage, or Lendio.

Fraud alerts: COVID-19 scams to look out for

Scams on the rise during COVID-19

Our financial education partner, EVERFI, is making available a new K-12 Family Portal that will allow parents to receive direct access to our library of 20+ digital courses for K-12 students for a limited time. This is a free resource, but you will need to register in order to access!

How Will the Coronavirus Stimulus Package Help Your Family

5 things to do at home while practicing social distancing

How to manage stress and anxiety during a pandemic

What to do if you’re in real financial trouble

Each year, one million students in Georgia depend on free and reduced lunch programs to sustain their nutrition. When school is not in session, however, these food-insecure children lose access to essential meals. For more than five years, Georgia’s Own and the Georgia’s Own Foundation have worked with Action Ministries and their Smart Lunch, Smart Kid program to combat this issue during the summer, but with school being out for such an extended time as the country battles the spread of COVID-19, these students need our help right now.

To support our community, the Georgia’s Own Foundation is currently accepting donations towards Action Ministries’ efforts to stop hunger during this time. A $25 donation will connect a child to food for 2 weeks, but of course any amount is greatly appreciated.

To make a donation, please click here. Please add “children” in the order notes.

Thank you for helping us improve what matters and for being there for our children.

During the month of April, the Georgia’s Own Foundation will be feeding healthcare workers at various hospitals across the state and use local restaurants to provide those meals. Supporting the frontline who are working so hard to keep our community healthy and supporting our local businesses is more important than ever now. Thanks to your donations to the Georgia’s Own Foundation, we continue to be able to give back to the people helping our state the most.

May 6th-12th is National Nurses week. Each day during that week, we will honor a nurse on the Georgia’s Own sign. Additionally, we will show our gratitude by presenting each person we feature with a $500 gift card.

May is graduation month for so many seniors across the country and because of this pandemic, seniors will not get to celebrate with a formal graduation. To help honor seniors missing this important milestone, we will be honoring a different high school or college senior each day on the Georgia’s Own sign from May 13th-18th and giving them a $250 gift card.