January - March 2010, Volume 6, Issue 1 (This Newsletter is a quarterly publication containing topics of interest to MSBs regulated by the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (Department). We hope that you will find this publication to be informative and valuable for providing information about the issues affecting your industry. If there are any issues you would like for the Department to highlight or address in future editions, please e-mail your questions or suggestions to msb@dbf.state.ga.us). In This Issue: Check Seller and 1 Money Transmitter License Renewal Deadline REGULATORY MATTERS Georgia News Check Seller and Money Transmitter License Renewal Deadline The expiration date for all check seller and money transmitter licenses was December 31, 2009. If you did not submit the online license renewal forms by December 31, 2009, your license has expired and you cannot conduct business as a check seller or money transmitter until a new license is applied for and approved. Failure to properly RENEW a license will require a REINSTATEMENT of the license in order to conduct a sale of check / money transmission business. If you have questions regarding your license renewal, please contact Teresa Koeppel at (770) 986-1639 or via e-mail at tkoeppel@dbf.state.ga.us. Semi-Annual 2 Reporting: Check Sellers and Money Transmitters Check Cashing Class 2 2010 State Holidays 3 Reminder: Contact 4 Information E-mail Addresses Action on 5 Applications for the Previous Quarter Closed/Expired/ 8 Surrendered/ Revoked in the Previous Quarter Department Contact 9 Information Communications with the Department Please note that if you contact the Department via phone, e-mail, regular mail, etc., it is very important that you include your license/registration number with your communication. This will allow us to assist you more quickly and efficiently. Page - 1 - Semi-Annual Reporting: Check Sellers and Money Transmitters It is time once again to submit Semi-Annual Report information. As with the last reporting period, these reports must be made by the licensee through the Department's on-line reporting system. The report that is due covers the period of July 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009. Licensee passwords are e-mailed to the licensee's primary contact, per the Department's records. The licensee may change the password at any time. Please make certain that your e-mail on file with the Department is correct! The online system for Check Seller Semi-Annual Reporting is found at: https://bkgfin.dbf.state.ga.us/CSSemiAnnualReport.html The online system for Money Transmitter Semi-Annual Reporting is found at: https://bkgfin.dbf.state.ga.us/MTSemiAnnualReport.html You must complete the semi-annual reporting by March 1, 2010. Any licensee not filing a report by that date may be subject to a fine, administrative action, or both. Check Cashing Class Each month, the Department offers a class on the MSB Rules and Regulations for check cashers. There is no cost for the class, which is not mandatory. This class is a great way to learn about state law and regulations as well as the Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering requirements. Please read the law and the rules and bring your questions to ask the examiners at the class! Gain knowledge so that you can avoid violations and fines. The class is held at the Department Main Office on the second Tuesday of the month. The class size is limited in space, but if the demand is great enough, more classes will be scheduled. This is a one-hour class. You must reserve a seat by emailing msb@dbf.state.ga.us. Reserve your seat NOW! We look forward to seeing you. Page - 2 - 2010 State Holidays In accordance with O.C.G.A. 1-4-1, Governor Sonny Perdue proclaimed the following dates as public and legal state holidays for the year 2010: Holiday Name New Year's Day 2010 Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday Robert E. Lee's Birthday Washington's Birthday Confederate Memorial Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans' Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day Date Observed January 1st Friday January 18th Monday January 19th Tuesday Will be observed on Friday, November 26th February 15th - Monday Will be observed on Thursday, December 23rd April 26th Monday May 31st Monday July 4th Sunday Will be observed on Friday, July 2nd September 6th Monday October 11th Monday November 11th Thursday November 25th Thursday Lee's Birthday will be observed on Friday, November 26th December 25th Saturday (will be observed on Friday, Dec 24th)Washington's Birthday will be observed on Thursday, Dec. 23rd) Page - 3 - **REMINDER** Contact Information E-mail Addresses Since the Department's main method of communicating with licensees/registrants is via e-mail, it is very important that you supply this agency with a valid e-mail address and that you keep us informed if your e-mail address changes. To ensure receipt of these e-mails, please make certain that: The Department has your current e-mail address on file, and that notification of changes in that address are made via our online form at: https://bkgfin.dbf.state.ga.us/MSBUpdate.html Your e-mail account does not divert Department e-mail to your spam or junk folder. You are knowledgeable of website information, renewal or other filing due-dates, and check the DBF website for information. Information is posted on the website, in the event you did not get your personalized e-mail. Page - 4 - ACTION ON APPLICATIONS FOR THE PREVIOUS QUARTER APPROVED / REINSTATED CHECK CASHERS (License/Registration) R=Registrant L=Full Service Page - 5 - ACTION ON APPLICATIONS FOR THE PREVIOUS QUARTER APPROVED / REINSTATED CHECK CASHERS (License/Registration) Page - 6 - ACTION ON APPLICATIONS FOR THE PREVIOUS QUARTER APPROVED / REINSTATED CHECK CASHERS (License/Registration) R=Registrant L=Full Service APPROVED CHECK SELLERS AND MONEY TRANSMITTERS M=Money Transmitter S=Sale of Checks Company Page - 7 - CLOSED/EXPIRED/SURRENDERED/REVOKED IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER CLOSED/REVOKED CHECK CASHERS (License/Registration) CLOSED/EXPIRED/SURRENDERED CHECK SELLERS AND MONEY TRANSMITTERS Page - 8 - Department Contact Information NAME Joel Byers, Supervisory Manager - Money Service Businesses Teresa Koeppel, Administrative Examiner Susan Nelson, Applications Analyst (Check Cashers) E-MAIL ADDRESS byers@dbf.state.ga.us tkoeppel@dbf.state.ga.us nelson@dbf.state.ga.us PHONE# 770-986-1656 770-986-1639 770-986-1652 Mailing Address: Department of Banking and Finance 2990 Brandywine Road, Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30341-5565 Website: http://dbf.georgia.gov Phone & Fax Numbers: Phone: (770) 986-1633 or Toll Free: (888) 986-1633 Fax: (770) 986-1655 or (770) 986-1029 E-MAILING THE DEPARTMENT The Department would like to encourage you to correspond with us using e-mail. Providing written details in the e-mail regarding any questions or concerns you may have allows the Department to forward the request to the appropriate person who handles that area, and if sufficient details are included in the request, that person can then more efficiently provide you an answer. The main Division e-mail address is msb@dbf.state.ga.us In the event you still need additional information or you do not receive a timely response to your e-mail, please contact us by phone. NOTE: This publication is delivered to interested parties via e-mail and is also available from the Department's website at: http://dbf.georgia.gov under News/Press Releases. If you would like to be added to our distribution list, please send an e-mail to dbfpress@dbf.state.ga.us and indicate your name, the company you are with, license or registration # (if applicable), and phone number. Also, please indicate which publication(s) you would like to receive. See the list under PUBLICATIONS on our home page. Page - 9 -