April 6, 2020
Thank you for your patience during our systems integration. The systems integration process is now completed and your accounts are fully integrated into Santa Cruz County Bank.
Here are some helpful reminders for you.
Your Santa Cruz County Bank debit card is ready to activate and use. Follow the instructions on the card carrier letter you received. If you haven’t already done so, call the number shown on the white sticker on your new card to activate and set your PIN number. If you have not yet received your debit card, please contact customer support at CentralOps@sccountybank.com or call 831-457-5000.
Santa Cruz County Bank’s Online Banking is now available for all users.
To login to your online banking profile, please go to www.sccountybank.com.
We appreciate your feedback and encourage you to call us at (831) 457-5000 or email CentralOps@sccountybank.com or ebanking@sccountybank.com if you have any questions or concerns.
The following FAQ's are provided for Lighthouse Bank customers.
Q. Why are my accounts moving to Santa Cruz County Bank?
Lighthouse Bank and Santa Cruz County Bank have completed a successful merger and will operate as Santa Cruz County Bank starting April 6, 2020.
Q: When will my accounts be transferred over to Santa Cruz County Bank?
A systems integration will be completed over the weekend of April 4-5, at which point your accounts will be transferred to Santa Cruz County Bank. In a small number of instances, accountholders will be notified in advance if the above timing of transfer needs to be accelerated.
Q: Will my account numbers change?
No, your account numbers will remain the same unless we have notified you otherwise.
Q: Will Lighthouse Bank branches be closing?
No. The two branches, Santa Cruz and Cupertino, will remain open as Santa Cruz County Bank. All signage will change to reflect the merger.
Q: Will branch hours be changing?
No. Branch hours will remain the same. Please visit us online at www.sccountybank.com for a complete listing of hours by location.
Q. Will branch phone numbers change?
No, all branch phone numbers will remain the same.
Q: May I use my Lighthouse Bank checks after the merger?
Yes, you may continue using your Lighthouse Bank checks until December 31, 2020. When you re-order checks, you will receive new Santa Cruz County Bank checks.
Q: When will I be able to make transactions at Santa Cruz County Bank branches and ATMs?
On April 6, Lighthouse Bank customers can start making transactions at all Santa Cruz County Bank locations.
Q. What happens to my FDIC Insurance when the two banks merge?
See FDIC coverage information section below.
Visit our Education Center for product video tutorials and demos.
The following question and answers will help depositors understand their insurance coverage following the merger. Additional resources are available at fdic.gov.
Q. I have deposit accounts at Santa Cruz County Bank and Lighthouse Bank. What happens to my FDIC Insurance when the two banks merge?
When the merger closes*, and the deposit accounts at Lighthouse are acquired by Santa Cruz County Bank, the Lighthouse Bank deposits will be separately insured from any accounts a depositor may already have at Santa Cruz County Bank for an initial period of six months. This grace period is intended to give depositors an opportunity to restructure their accounts if the merger causes a depositor to have funds in excess of the insurance limits at Santa Cruz County Bank. If a depositor has funds at only Santa Cruz County Bank or Lighthouse Bank, this grace period will not apply, as the depositor's insurance coverage will be unaffected by the merger. *The merger closing date is October 18, 2019.
Q. I have a CD at Lighthouse, how will the merger affect my FDIC Insurance?
The CDs that will be acquired by Santa Cruz County Bank will be separately insured from pre-existing deposit accounts at Santa Cruz County Bank, subject to the following rules:
Q. Once the six month grace period has expired, I will have more than $250,000.00 on deposit and want it all to be FDIC insured, what are my options?
The FDIC insures deposits according to the ownership category in which the funds are insured and how the accounts are titled. Deposits held in different ownership categories are separately insured up to at least the $250,000 each. Designating beneficiaries can also increase coverage. For example, a revocable trust account including POD accounts.
Exchange of Lighthouse Bank stock for Santa Cruz County Bank stock
Q. What do I need to do to exchange my Lighthouse Bank stock for Santa Cruz County Bank stock?
If your shares are held in a brokerage account, your shares will automatically be exchanged for 0.5204 shares of Santa Cruz County Bank common stock. No fractional shares of Santa Cruz County Bank stock will be issued. Instead, you will receive an amount in cash (without interest), rounded to the nearest cent, equal to the value of your fractional share interest.
If your shares are held in certificate form, you will receive a package by mail from Computershare, our Stock Transfer Agent, with instructions on how to exchange your shares. Lighthouse Bank shareholders with stock certificates will need to complete the Letter of Transmittal included in the package and return their Lighthouse Bank stock certificate(s) by mail to Computershare for the exchange to Santa Cruz County Bank stock.
Q. I cannot find my Lighthouse Bank stock certificate. What do I do?
If you cannot locate some or all of your certificates, please complete the Lost Securities Affidavit which is included within the aforementioned packet of material you will be receiving by mail from Computershare, our Stock Transfer Agent.
If your shares are held in a brokerage account, there is nothing you need to do.
Q. What is the exchange rate for exchanging Lighthouse Bank shares for Santa Cruz County Bank shares?
As a result of the merger, each Lighthouse Bank share has been cancelled an automatically converted into the right to receive the per share merger consideration consisting of 0.5204 of a share of Santa Cruz County Bank common stock. No fractional shares of Santa Cruz County Bank stock will be issued. Instead, you will receive an amount in cash (without interest), rounded to the nearest cent, equal to the value of your fractional share interest.
Q. Where can I call with questions about the package I received from Computershare?
You may direct any questions regarding the Letter of Transmittal to Computershare at (800) 546-5141.
Q. Is the exchange of Lighthouse Bank stock for Santa Cruz County Bank stock a taxable event?
A description of the Merger Agreement was included in the Lighthouse Bank and Santa Cruz County Bank joint Proxy Statement/Offering Circular dated August 12, 2019 that was mailed under separate cover to Lighthouse Bank shareholders on or about August 15, 2019. You should read this carefully and in entirety. For certain information regarding the federal income tax consequences of the merger, see “Material Federal Income Tax Consequences” on pages 52 through 54 of the Joint Proxy Statement/Offering Circular, an excerpt of which is provided below:
Characterization of the Merger for Federal Income Tax Purposes. Santa Cruz and Lighthouse intend that the Merger qualify as a "reorganization" within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. Each recipient of this joint proxy statement/offering circular should consult his, her, or its tax advisor as to the United States federal income tax consequences to Santa Cruz, Lighthouse and to such recipient if the Merger does not qualify as a "reorganization." For purposes of the discussion that follows, it is assumed that the Merger will qualify as a "reorganization."
Tax Consequences of the Merger for Santa Cruz and Lighthouse. No gain or loss will be recognized by Santa Cruz or Lighthouse as a result of the Merger.
Tax Consequences of the Merger for U.S. Holders of Lighthouse Common Stock. A U.S. holder that exchanges shares of Lighthouse common stock for the per share merger consideration, i.e., a combination of Santa Cruz common stock and cash, will recognize gain (but not loss), determined separately for each identifiable block of shares of Lighthouse common stock (generally, Lighthouse common stock acquired at the same cost in a single transaction) that is exchanged in the Merger, equal to the lesser of (i) the excess, if any, of the amount of cash for fractional shares plus the fair market value of any Santa Cruz common stock received in the Merger, over such U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares of Lighthouse common stock surrendered by such U.S. holder in the Merger and (ii) the amount of cash for fractional shares received by such U.S. holder in the Merger.
A U.S. holder's aggregate tax basis in the Santa Cruz common stock received by such U.S. holder in the Merger will equal such U.S. holder’s aggregate tax basis in the Lighthouse common stock surrendered in the Merger, increased by the amount of taxable gain or dividend income (discussed below), if any, recognized by such U.S. holder in the Merger, and decreased by the amount of cash for fractional shares received by such U.S. holder in the Merger. The holding period for the shares of Santa Cruz common stock received in the Merger will include the holding period for the shares of Lighthouse common stock exchanged therefor.
Q: What is the tax basis on the exchange of Lighthouse Bank for Santa Cruz County Bank shares?
As required by IRS regulations, we have filed a Form 8937 with the IRS in conjunction with the following organizational action: Santa Cruz County Bank (SCZC) acquired Lighthouse Bank (LGHT) effective October 21, 2019 for common stock and cash in lieu of any fractional shares. Holders of Lighthouse Bank stock should consult their tax advisors for additional information or with any questions.
When the merger transaction is completed, the number of Santa Cruz County Bank branches will increase from five to seven. Both Lighthouse Bank branches, one in Santa Cruz and one in Cupertino, will remain as full service branches. After the merger is completed customers of both banks will have access to a total of seven branches, six in Santa Cruz County and one in Cupertino. In addition, Santa Cruz County Bank operates two ATM/ Night Depository kiosks.
These Lighthouse Bank locations will become Santa Cruz County Bank branches in the second quarter of 2020:
Santa Cruz County Bank has no control over information at any site hyperlinked to or from this site. Santa Cruz County Bank makes no representation concerning and is not responsible for the quality, content, nature, or reliability of any hyperlinked site and is providing this hyperlink to you only as a convenience. The inclusion of any hyperlink does not imply any endorsement, investigation, verification or monitoring by Santa Cruz County Bank of any information in any hyperlinked site. In no event shall Santa Cruz County Bank be responsible for your use of a hyperlinked site.
Santa Cruz County Bank has no control over information at any site hyperlinked to or from this site. Santa Cruz County Bank makes no representation concerning and is not responsible for the quality, content, nature, or reliability of any hyperlinked site and is providing this hyperlink to you only as a convenience. The inclusion of any hyperlink does not imply any endorsement, investigation, verification or monitoring by Santa Cruz County Bank of any information in any hyperlinked site. In no event shall Santa Cruz County Bank be responsible for your use of a hyperlinked site.
Continue to Directions to Lighthouse Bank's Santa Cruz office
Santa Cruz County Bank has no control over information at any site hyperlinked to or from this site. Santa Cruz County Bank makes no representation concerning and is not responsible for the quality, content, nature, or reliability of any hyperlinked site and is providing this hyperlink to you only as a convenience. The inclusion of any hyperlink does not imply any endorsement, investigation, verification or monitoring by Santa Cruz County Bank of any information in any hyperlinked site. In no event shall Santa Cruz County Bank be responsible for your use of a hyperlinked site.
Continue to Directions to Lighthouse Bank's Cupertino office
Santa Cruz County Bank has no control over information at any site hyperlinked to or from this site. Santa Cruz County Bank makes no representation concerning and is not responsible for the quality, content, nature, or reliability of any hyperlinked site and is providing this hyperlink to you only as a convenience. The inclusion of any hyperlink does not imply any endorsement, investigation, verification or monitoring by Santa Cruz County Bank of any information in any hyperlinked site. In no event shall Santa Cruz County Bank be responsible for your use of a hyperlinked site.
Santa Cruz County Bank has no control over information at any site hyperlinked to or from this site. Santa Cruz County Bank makes no representation concerning and is not responsible for the quality, content, nature, or reliability of any hyperlinked site and is providing this hyperlink to you only as a convenience. The inclusion of any hyperlink does not imply any endorsement, investigation, verification or monitoring by Santa Cruz County Bank of any information in any hyperlinked site. In no event shall Santa Cruz County Bank be responsible for your use of a hyperlinked site.
Santa Cruz County Bank has no control over information at any site hyperlinked to or from this site. Santa Cruz County Bank makes no representation concerning and is not responsible for the quality, content, nature, or reliability of any hyperlinked site and is providing this hyperlink to you only as a convenience. The inclusion of any hyperlink does not imply any endorsement, investigation, verification or monitoring by Santa Cruz County Bank of any information in any hyperlinked site. In no event shall Santa Cruz County Bank be responsible for your use of a hyperlinked site.
Santa Cruz County Bank has no control over information at any site hyperlinked to or from this site. Santa Cruz County Bank makes no representation concerning and is not responsible for the quality, content, nature, or reliability of any hyperlinked site and is providing this hyperlink to you only as a convenience. The inclusion of any hyperlink does not imply any endorsement, investigation, verification or monitoring by Santa Cruz County Bank of any information in any hyperlinked site. In no event shall Santa Cruz County Bank be responsible for your use of a hyperlinked site.
Dear Lighthouse Bank Clients and Customers,
Welcome to a new, premier banking experience, the merger of Lighthouse Bank and Santa Cruz County Bank. We know Lighthouse Bank has been a great bank for you. After all, we have been friendly competitors for the past twelve years. In fact, many of us have worked together at both banks.
Behind the scenes, a bank merger is a complex, time-consuming procedure. It is our sincere desire that you, our Lighthouse legacy clients and customers, will enjoy a smooth and seamless transition throughout the process.
You will continue to see familiar faces at your branch and in the community, serving your business and personal banking needs. You will still have access to top decision makers. And you can now enjoy the convenience of six regional branches, one Silicon Valley branch and eight ATMs.
The most significant change this merger brings is that Santa Cruz County Bank is now the first community bank founded in Santa Cruz to grow to $1 billion in assets. We are truly excited for the opportunity to extend our personal banking service to new businesses and clients. Moreover, to amplify our commitment to community service.
With the finalization of our systems integration in early April, all Lighthouse accounts and loans will become Santa Cruz County Bank accounts. Wherever possible, we are working to keep your account numbers, loan numbers and terms the same. If this is not possible, we will inform you of any changes through a change in terms notice.
Soon you will be receiving a Welcome Guide with detailed information about what to expect. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, or we can help you in any way, please do not hesitate to call our customer service department. You can also find updates on the Merger Information page on either website, sccountybank.com or lighthousebank.com.
Welcome to the new Santa Cruz County Bank.
Hello Lighthouse Bank Online Banking Users!
In January, we announced our upcoming scheduled systems integration of Lighthouse Bank accounts and loans into Santa Cruz County Bank due to the merger of our two banks. We have been working behind the scenes to integrate your online banking with Santa Cruz County Bank’s. This integration will take place on the weekend of April 4 - 5th. Your online banking services will be limited or temporarily unavailable while the systems integration is performed.
Beginning April 6, 2020, you can take advantage of Santa Cruz County Bank’s competitive products and enjoy the customer and community focused banking that you have come to expect from our banks.
To get a preview of your new online banking experience, we invite you to visit the Santa Cruz County Bank Education Center:
Here, you will find educational videos and product demos that provide a "click thru" user experience.
And, we will be happy to orient you in person at any of our banking offices.
We will be communicating all the steps necessary to ensure you have a smooth transition to the Santa Cruz County Bank online banking system. We appreciate your feedback and encourage you to call us at (831) 457-5000 or email ebanking@sccountybank.com if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you!
Lighthouse Bank Online Banking Users:
Due to our merger with Santa Cruz County Bank, a new Online Banking system will be available beginning Monday, April 6, 2020 after 6:00am Pacific Daylight Time (PDT). Please mark your calendar to sign on to Santa Cruz County Bank's online banking system after that time and save the instructions below.
FIRST TIME LOGIN INSTRUCTIONS: Access Santa Cruz County Bank's website at www.sccountybank.com and locate the blue Account Login section in the upper right-hand corner of the Bank's homepage. Click on Personal to login to your personal online banking.
LOGIN CREDENTIALS: Your username will be the same, all lowercase. In the event your username is less than 6 or greater than 19 characters, you will be prompted to change it. Your password will be set to a temporary password of 8 characters: sccb+last 4 of your SSN, for example sccb1234. Once you have logged in, you will be asked to set a new password of 9-17 characters, containing at least 1 number, 1 letter and one special character. These new credentials will also allow you to access the Santa Cruz County Bank My County Mobile Banking app.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WILL NOT AUTOMATICALLY MIGRATE TO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BANK'S ONLINE BANKING SYSTEM:
Lighthouse Bank Account Statements
Custom Alerts You have Set up on the Lighthouse Bank System
External Transfers (automatic transfers to accounts at other banks)
Recommended Steps for Users: We recommend you download and print all Account Statements and make a list of your Custom Alerts and External Transfer data prior to April 3, 2020. You will have the ability to set up Custom Alerts in the new system and to initiate external payments through Santa Cruz County Bank's Bill Payment system.
You will be automatically prompted to enroll in eStatements, which are accessible through Santa Cruz County Bank's online banking system. If you do not choose eStatements you will receive a paper statement in the mail. eStatements will be available in online banking on a go-forward basis.
Your bill payment payees, future dated payments and recurring payments will migrate to the Santa Cruz County Bank Online Banking system.
We will send you a final reminder in the next two weeks to welcome you to Santa Cruz County Bank's online banking system. We appreciate your feedback and encourage you to call us at (831) 457-5000 or email ebanking@sccountybank.com if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you!
Lighthouse Bank Online Banking Users:
Due to our merger with Santa Cruz County Bank, a new Business Online Banking system will be available beginning Monday, April 6, 2020. Please mark your calendar to sign on to Santa Cruz County Bank's online banking system through the website: www.sccountybank.com.
FIRST TIME LOGIN INSTRUCTIONS: Access Santa Cruz County Bank's website at www.sccountybank.com and locate the blue Account Login section in the upper right-hand corner of the Bank's homepage. Click on Business to login to your business online banking.
LOGIN CREDENTIALS: Your username will be the same, all lowercase. Your password will be set to a temporary password of 8 characters: sccb+Last 4 of User SSN, for example sccb1234. Once you have logged in, you will be asked to set a new password of 9-17 characters, containing at least 1 number, 1 letter and one special character.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WILL NOT AUTOMATICALLY MIGRATE TO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BANK'S ONLINE BANKING SYSTEM:
Lighthouse Bank Account Statements
Custom Alerts You have Set up on the Lighthouse Bank System
External Transfers (transfers to accounts at other banks)
User Authority (Admin Access to add or modify users and user access will no longer be available)
ACH & WIRE ORIGINATION
As of March 26, 2020 at 4pm PDT, you may only originate transactions with effective dates less than or equal to April 3, 2020. In addition, further changes to ACH and/or Wire templates during this period will not be migrated.
Recommended Steps for Users: We recommend you download and print all Statements and make a list of your Custom Alerts and External Transfers prior to April 2, 2020. You will have the ability to set up Custom Alerts in the new system. eStatements will automatically be available in the new system on a go-forward basis.
After April 6, 2020, please visit your local branch or contact us to make desired changes for User Authority.
If you currently download transactions to Quicken or QuickBooks or any other accounting programs, it is important that you perform a final download before the system goes offline to avoid duplicate transaction downloads in the new system.
All other information stored in the current Lighthouse Bank online banking and bill pay system will migrate to the Santa Cruz County Bank Online Banking system.
Beginning April 6, 2020, you can take advantage of Santa Cruz County Bank's competitive products and enjoy the customer and community focused banking that you have come to expect from our banks. We invite you to explore new business products and services available to you: Positive Pay, Business Mobile Banking, Health Savings Accounts, depositing checks and cash through our network of ATMs without the need for deposit slips and envelopes, and much more!
We appreciate your feedback and encourage you to call us at (831) 457-5000 or email ebanking@sccountybank.com if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you!
Dear clients and customers,
On behalf of everyone at Santa Cruz County Bank, I imagine you might have concerns about the status of the Lighthouse Bank merger with Santa Cruz County Bank and our ongoing operations amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Please be assured, the final integration of our systems will be completed over the weekend of April 4 -5, as scheduled, and we look forward to welcoming you to Santa Cruz County Bank on April 6. All milestones and dates, as published in your Welcome Guide and posted on both banks' websites, remain in effect.
If you currently have a Lighthouse Bank debit card, you can expect to receive a new Santa Cruz County Bank Debit Card by US Postal mail this week. Please note, for security reasons, your new card will arrive a nondescript envelope, so please be on the lookout. Instructions on how to activate your card, are included in the mailing.
Since banks are considered an essential business, our offices and branches have remained open during the COVID-19 crisis. We are taking every precaution to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, as prescribed by the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and our local authorities. This includes ongoing hand and surface sanitizing, and minimizing person-to-person contact through sheltering in place and social distancing. Our team members are telecommuting whenever possible. Circumstances are changing rapidly and this week we have made the decision to temporarily close our Scotts Valley and Aptos branch locations for everyone's safety. All other locations remain open and ready to serve you.
If you have been negatively affected, personally or professionally, from the financial fallout of COVID-19, please talk to us. We want to help you ride out the storm and plan for the best outcome. Delivering solutions to our community remains our top priority. We are here to serve and support you. We can help.
Sincerely,
Hello Lighthouse Bank ACH and Wire users,
We are working to integrate your ACH & Wire settings into Santa Cruz County Bank's online banking, and have some additional information to provide to you.
Online banking ACH and Wire access, future dated ACH and Wire transfers, and ACH and Wire templates will migrate from Lighthouse Bank. On or after April 6, please verify this information has imported correctly into your Santa Cruz County Bank Online Banking.
As of March 26, 2020 at 4pm PST, you may only originate ACH transfers with effective dates less than or equal to April 3, 2020. In addition, further changes to ACH and Wire transfers or templates during this period will not be migrated.
We appreciate your feedback and encourage you to call us at 831.457.5000 or email ebanking@sccountybank.com if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you!
Hello Lighthouse Bank Remote Deposit Client,
We are working to integrate your existing Remote Deposit setup with Santa Cruz County Bank and require some additional information from you.
Important Dates and Information:
Please print the pdf form and complete your contact information and choose times that will work for you.
The schedule will be finalized on March 25 and we will notify you of your installation time. We will do our best to schedule your preferred date/time; slots will be filled in the order received. We appreciate your feedback and encourage you to call us at 831.457.5000 or email ebanking@sccountybank.com if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you!
April 6, 2020
Welcome to Santa Cruz County Bank!
Thank you for your patience during our systems integration. The systems integration process is now completed and your accounts are fully integrated into Santa Cruz County Bank.
Here are some helpful reminders for you.
Your Santa Cruz County Bank debit card is ready to activate and use. Follow the instructions on the card carrier letter you received. If you haven’t already done so, call the number shown on the white sticker on your new card to activate and set your PIN number. If you have not yet received your debit card, please contact customer support at CentralOps@sccountybank.com or call 831-457-5000.
Santa Cruz County Bank’s Online Banking is now available for all users.
To login to your online banking profile, please go to www.sccountybank.com.
We appreciate your feedback and encourage you to call us at (831) 457-5000 or email CentralOps@sccountybank.com or ebanking@sccountybank.com if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you!