Privacy Policy
Thank you for visiting the OCC's HelpWithMyBank.gov Web site and reviewing our privacy policy. We remind you that if you link to a site outside of the OCC, you are subject to the policies of the new site.
Privacy
The Privacy Act of 1974 establishes certain controls over any personal information collected by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and how it is used. For additional information on your rights under the Privacy Act, as well as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), please see Your Right To Federal Records—Questions and Answers on the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act.
The OCC respects your privacy. We do not collect or store information about members of the public who call or write the agency or visit our Web site, unless you identify yourself so that we can respond to an inquiry or request from you.
We do, however, collect and store information about your Internet connection when you visit our Web site to read or download information, such as our bulletins, alerts, or press releases. We use this information to help us stay abreast of technical upgrades that can make our site more accessible to visitors, and to record the date and time of your visit to our site.
If you identify yourself when you contact us, various people may see your information. We adhere to the following principles in handling information you provide, in accordance with 12 U.S.C. 1 et seq.:
- We use your personally identifying information only for the purpose for which it is originally collected.
- We maintain your personally identifying information in secure computer systems and we limit employee access to those with a business reason to see it.
- We do not disclose your information to anyone outside the OCC, except where compelled by law or in connection with a criminal investigation (as explained below).
To understand in greater detail how we handle your Internet connection and personal identification information, read the sections below.
When visiting the OCC HelpWithMyBank.gov Web site: If you visit our site to read or download information, we do not collect information about you, but we do collect and store information about your Internet connection and the date and time of your visit. Specifically, we record:
- The name of the domain from which you access the Internet (for example, aol.com, if you are connecting from an America Online account, or princeton.edu, if you are connecting from Princeton University's domain).
- The IP (Internet Protocol) address from which you access our site. An IP address is a number automatically assigned to your computer whenever you are connected to the World Wide Web.
- The Internet address of the Web site from which you linked directly to our site, if any (for example, www.fdic.gov, if you are following a link from the FDIC Web site, or www.yahoo.com, if you find us using the Yahoo search engine).
- The type of Web browsing software you are using to view our site.
- The date and time you access our site.
- The pages you visit.
- The action that you tried to perform or the item you requested from the OCC HelpWithMyBank.gov Web site (for example, download a document) and whether or not you were successful. When we examine this data it is presented in an aggregate form.
Cookies
"Persistent cookies" collect personal information to recognize your computer in the future. The OCC does not use "persistent cookies" or other technology to collect personally identifiable information about visitors to our Web site.
"Temporary" or "session" cookies are used on the HelpWithMyBank.gov Web pages to support voluntary customer surveys, and to help us accurately analyze how visitors navigate through our Web site at an aggregated-level. These cookies are stored in memory and are only available during an active browser session. These cookies do not collect personal information on visitors, and they are erased as soon as you close your Web browser. No personally identifiable information about you is maintained as a result of a temporary or session cookie.
We use this information to help us make our site more useful to visitors. We learn what users like and need; what kind of technology they are using; how often they visit; and other valuable information that helps us offer our visitors the best site possible.
When calling or sending postal or electronic mail: You may choose to tell us your name and address or other identifying information when, for example, you make an inquiry or comment that requires further correspondence, request that your name or organization be added to an OCC mailing list or database, or submit a complaint.
- If you make an inquiry or request to be added to a mailing list, we enter your information into one of our electronic databases that are used for mailing lists and for tracking correspondence.
- If you respond to a request for public comments on proposed rulemakings, policy statements, or other regulatory actions, a copy of your comment letter is placed in the public file and is available to the general public.
If you are sending electronic mail to the OCC, we want to remind you that e-mail is not necessarily secure against interception. If your information is very sensitive, or includes personal or confidential information -- such as your bank account, charge card, or social security number -- you may want to send it by postal mail to:
Formal written complaint with the OCC about a national bank or its operating subsidiary
Customer Assistance Group
1301 McKinney Street
Suite 3450
Houston, TX 77010
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request
Comptroller of the Currency
Disclosure Officer
Mail Stop 3-2
Washington, DC 20219
General Correspondence
Comptroller of the Currency
Administrator of National Banks
Washington, DC 20219
When making an inquiry, request or complaint that requires follow-up: If you are making an inquiry or request or filing a complaint that warrants supervisory or other attention, we may need to share your information with others.
- We may need to bring your correspondence to the attention of our attorneys, examiners, or other staffs as appropriate.
- If necessary to address the issue, we may need to share your correspondence with other federal, state, or local agencies responsible for administrating or enforcing laws, rules, or regulations or for investigating known or suspected violations of laws, rules, or regulations, such as the Justice Department or state bank regulators.
- Under limited circumstances, such as a request from Congress or a private individual acting with appropriate legal authority, we may be required by law to disclose information you submit.
- If you file a complaint about a national bank or its affiliate, we typically provide your customer identification information along with the complaint to the affected bank. This information is usually necessary for the bank to be able to investigate and correct a problem. In turn, a bank sometimes provides the OCC additional information about you when it responds to our inquiry. All of this information is securely retained in OCC records.
If you do not want your identity disclosed to the bank, it may be difficult to resolve your problem, but we will make every effort to assist you. Please state this clearly in your complaint, and submit your complaint to us in writing.
Security
For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, we employ software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Anyone using this system expressly consents to such monitoring and is advised that if such monitoring reveals evidence of possible abuse or criminal activity, such evidence may be provided to appropriate law enforcement officials. Unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage, on this server are strictly prohibited and may be punishable by law, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996.
Privacy Impact Assessments
Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) are performed on computer systems and applications in order to evaluate any risks systems may pose to personally identifiable information. To view a PIA and/or to print one using your browser, go to our Privacy Impact Assessments page.