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#1418023 - 07/21/10 05:16 PM RIGHTS OF AUTHORIZED SIGNER
Beckster Offline
Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 64
Minnesota
I would like clarification of what rights an authorized signer has to an account. I was told the authorized signer can write checks, make deposits and make transfers. I was told that the bank cannot give balances or any information on the account to the authorized signer or the statements cannot be given to anyone but the owner(s) of the account.

Specifically I would like to know about Internet Banking access, making transfers between accounts that do not have the same owner(s).

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#1418083 - 07/21/10 05:58 PM Re: RIGHTS OF AUTHORIZED SIGNER Beckster
Bob The Banker Offline
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Bob The Banker
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 958
Not sure who told you this, but at least at our institution, authorized signers have full access to the account including balances -- seems silly to allow them to write checks/withdraw money and not let them know what is in the account.

We do require the statement to go to the tax reported for owner, however, I am unsure if that is because or regulations or our policy.

Internet Banking we allow transfers as long as the person is a signer on both accounts and both accounts are enrolled in their online banking. Or, we allow what is called a cross-customer transfer, where they may transfer to any account within the bank as long as they have the account number and last name on the account.

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#1418380 - 07/22/10 12:34 PM Re: RIGHTS OF AUTHORIZED SIGNER Bob The Banker
rlcarey Online
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rlcarey
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 83,227
Galveston, TX
Any of these issues boil down to the legal agreement that is in place governing the authorized signers or your on-line banking product. What is or is not allowed should be specifically addressed in the agreements.
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#1418451 - 07/22/10 01:46 PM Re: RIGHTS OF AUTHORIZED SIGNER Beckster
Elwood P. Dowd Offline
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Elwood P. Dowd
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 21,939
Next to Harvey
Only making it a duet with rlcarey...

This is an issue of 1) state law and 2) contract law. Whether the person is called an agent, authorized signer, or convenience signer, there is no universal direction saying what they can and cannot do.

In any state where I've ever done a program, there are significant differences from bank to bank about what a person with these powers can do. The smartest approach is to spell it out in the document signed by the account owner(s).

Hint: I would make the grant of authority very broad; e.g. the equivalent of a general power of attorney over a specific account, so I did not have to police it.

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