Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some known issues we are working on and answers to members’ frequently asked questions.

BRANCH TRANSACTIONS

• Deposit, withdrawal, transfer, and payment forms are no longer needed for in-branch transactions. Simply tell the representative what you’d like to do, and we will be happy to assist you. For privacy, you may provide your name or swipe your debit card instead of stating your account number.

DEBIT CARDS

• For a period of time, merchandise returns that were credited to a member’s debit card were displaying the amount of the return credit in the withdrawal or debit column in online banking. These returns were being applied to the account correctly and balances were being updated appropriately. Sunward has corrected this issue and going forward these returns will appear in the credit column.

DIRECT DEPOSIT

• In certain cases, direct deposits may be going into a member’s savings account instead of the desired checking account. In addition, distributions from direct deposits to other Sunward accounts and loans may have been duplicated. We are working on correcting these issues and apologize for the inconvenience. Any service charges generated as a result of any inconsistencies will be reversed. If you identify a transaction which appears incorrect, please contact us so we can ensure your account is functioning as you intend. 
• If you are setting up a new direct deposit, we recommend depositing all funds into your checking account, and scheduling automatic transfers to other savings or loan accounts in online banking. In addition to being able to view upcoming and completed transfers in online banking, this process will give you more control over your deposits and payments.

ONLINE BANKING

• Members with the following types of accounts associated with their Social Security number are now able to view the additional accounts in online banking:
  • Conservator accounts for which the member is the Conservator
  • Custodial accounts for which the member is the Custodian
  • Estate accounts for which the member is the Personal Representative or Executor
  • Multiple/additional primary accounts on which the member is the primary owner
  • Organizational/Club Accounts set up under the member’s Social Security number  
  • Representative Payee Accounts for which the member is the Representative Payee
  • Trust accounts set up under the member's Social Security number
• Members can now deposit checks to any account associated with their Social Security number using the Deposit Checks widget. Please note this functionality is currently only available with the Sunward mobile app. 
• Members who are joint account owners are now able to view and transact on their jointly owned accounts in online and mobile banking.
• At this time, bill pay is available for any primary checking account. We hope to make these services available for other accounts in the future.

SKIP-A-PAY

• Sunward allows members in good standing to skip up to two months’ payments per eligible loan in any rolling 12-month period. There is a $25 service charge per month skipped, which must be paid from a savings or checking account at the time skip-a-pay is requested; we are no longer able to add the fee to the loan balance. Interest will continue to accrue on the loan. For details, visit sunward.org/SkipAPay.

STATEMENTS

• Statements for Home Equity and Signature CreditLines are sent 15 days prior to the loan’s due date. These loans are not included on the monthly statement.
• eStatements are currently available in online banking. You may see some differences in how information is displayed on your statements; if you believe there is an error on your statement, please follow the instructions on the last page of the statement.
• We have made the following improvements to monthly account statements based on input from our members. 

Transaction type(s) or information	What has been added or improved
Card Purchases  and Returns	The last four digits of the card used for a purchase or a return now appear in the transaction description.
Check Withdrawals	The description now shows as “Check Withdrawal” followed by the check number.
Transaction Comments	Comments now appear below the transaction on statements.
Transaction Adjustments	Transaction adjustments now include a description as to why the adjustment took place.
Transfer Descriptions	Descriptions now include the name of the member who sent or received the transfer (for both online and in-person transfers). If the transfer was within the member’s own account, the description shows the four-digit product ID of the sending or receiving account.
Electronic Check Withdrawals	Descriptions now include a check number as well as the company or person’s name to whom payment was made.
Loan Payments	Descriptions now include where the payment came from, if it was another Sunward account.
Certificate Penalty	Any penalties now appear as a transaction on the statement. The year-to-date penalty amount appears in the Summary of Fees and Service Charges at the end of the tatement section for the certificate.
Check Summary	A Check Summary will be provided that includes every check that cleared the account during the statement period, ordered by check number. Check numbers that are out of sequence (i.e. – jumping from #1120 to #1125) are marked with an “*”.
Certificate Term	Certificate term now displays next to the Dividend Rate and Maturity Date information.
Check Withdrawals	Description now states “Withdrawal Check #123” to apply to both personal and business check withdrawals.

ENOTICES

• At this time, all account notices are being sent by physical mail. We are working to restore eNotices for members who have requested them.