Y2K SURVIVAL GUIDE 

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Citizens says your money is safe with them

You've heard about it. You've read about it. You may have even had nightmares about it. But you still may not know the truth about it -- the Y2K scare.

Will your money be safe in the bank? It is a question many banking customers may be asking themselves right now.

The answer is yes at Citizens National Bank.

As the new millennium quickly approaches, banking institutions across the country are preparing to tackle the changes in their computer systems. Citi-zens National Bank, like many other FDIC insured banks, is working endlessly to prevent any possible disruptions in the usual transactions.

Citizens National Bank, with locations in Magoffin, Floyd and Johnson counties, has established a Y2K committee to oversee the computer trouble prevention process. Committee members include Carol Pelphrey, vice president of technology/operations and chairman; Rose Wheeler, assistant vice president of customer data center; Paula Spriggs, vice president of retail banking coordinator; Pam Butcher, assistant vice president of mortgage lending; and Beverly Oxford, assistant vice president of the credit department. Pelphrey says the group was formed "to ensure that computers, systems and third-party providers are Year 2000 ready."

The "Y2K bug," or the "Year 2000 problem," as so many people are calling it, simply involves reprogramming computers or replacing the systems computers to be certain the date will change correctly and systems don't mistake the Year 2000 with the Year 1900. This changeover is necessary because some computers and computer software only store the last two digits in the year

So, 1999 immediately becomes 99, and 2000 would become 00. When computer systems lose the date, so to speak, strange malfunctions can occur. To prevent such perceived disasters, Citizens National Bank has tested and assessed their computer systems using the Year 2000 date. The committee has been working together on this project since June 1997, completing phases such as assessment, renovation, testing and contingency planning.

Successfully, the committee has witnessed many positive results.

"Our testing results reflect that everything will work as planned for the turn of the century," Pelphrey said. "We will continue to do testing procedures during the remainder of the year."

Due to the reliance on computers, businesses such as banks must be prepared for the new millennium, and this means becoming technologically up to date. Banks, major corporations, and nearly every business in the world use computers to keep track of bookkeeping, data entry and appointments. Therefore, Citizens National Bank has made the Year 2000 a top priority. Customers will be relieved to know that the cash vaults at Citizens National Bank are not controlled by computers and that their accounts will continue to be insured by the FDIC during the millennium, just like any other day of the year.

"We are extremely pleased with our efforts to prepare for Y2K," Pelphrey said. "We can assure you that Citizens National Bank customers can expect banking as usual on January 3, 2000.