We’ve got some exciting news to share! The team at Bank Michigan has been working hard behind the scenes on a brand-new website and is excited to launch it for the rest of the world for you to enjoy. In addition to a fresh new look and feel, we’ve added new features to make the website more helpful and make it easier to discover all the great services we have to offer.

But one of the less obvious, but a very important change, is our move from “.com” to a “.bank” website address. This shift to bankmichigan.bank provides a higher level of security for our customers, helping us continue to fulfill our promise of Better. Thinking. Banking. 

Since many of you may have questions about this domain name, below are a few of the top questions We’ve answered a few frequently asked questions to help you understand our rationale for the change.

What is a ‘.BANK’ domain?

You’ve likely searched online for a government, educational, or non-profit website and noticed .gov, .edu, or .org in the address, extensions that identify the organizations' unique characteristics. The .bank domain is similar in that it readily tells you the website you've found is a bank. Unlike a .com extension that anyone can purchase, a .bank in a website URL or an email address is only available from verified banks.

How does the .BANK domain improve security?

To obtain the .bank extension, banks throughout Michigan and across the U.S. must complete a verification and authentication process run by fTLD, an affiliate of the American Bankers Association. The fTLD organization manages the .bankdomains and re-verifies bank eligibility annually. Having a .bank domain means hackers can’t create lookalike addresses to phish for personal information and steal identities, a practice that's easier to accomplish with a .com extension.

When you see .bank in an email address from your community bank, you'll know the communication is authentic. The visual cue and authentication protect our internal team and suppliers from breaches or financial fraud.

What are the requirements for the .BANK domain?

Qualifying for the .bank extension means fulfilling security requirements, including:

• Email authentication is a technology designed to prevent the use of forged emails to capture personal information. The authentication software like Sender ID, or DomainKeys Identified Mail confirms the sender's identity. When verification of identity isn't possible, emails are blocked, or recipients receive notice that the sender's identity is unauthenticated. 
• Encrypted connections transform information into coded messages that hide transferred data from third parties.
• Domain name system security confirms that you connect with your community bank's website and not a fraudulent site. 

The enhanced security protects customers, teams, and vendors from cyber-attacks. The fTLD continually monitors banks’ compliance with security requirements. 

Why doesn’t every bank have a .BANK domain?

Moving from a .com to .bank extension for website and email communications isn’t required; it’s a business decision each bank makes based on resources and priorities. The Bank Michigan leadership team decided to invest in additional security to give our customers a quick way to confirm our emails and website are authentic. 

What does the .BANK domain mean for customers?

All Bank Michigan team member email addresses end with the .bank extension. Before you respond to emails or use online banking, look for the .bank domain to confirm you’ve connected with your community bank.

If you receive an email without the .bank domain or notice any discrepancy when visiting our site, please contact your local branch immediately. 

We encourage you to visit one of our convenient Southeast Michigan banking locations or contact us with any additional questions about security at Bank Michigan, including the .bank domain change.