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F&M Newsletter - January 2004
We have a monthly publication, which we send to our customers. If you'd like to receive our newsletter by regular mail, let us know. Otherwise, we'll keep the latest version here. These are the articles from January 2004.
It’s a brand new year, and winter has arrived! The cold weather and snow outside make us wish we could stay in front of the fireplace and do our banking at home. The good news is that at F & M Bank you can stay toasty warm and do just that!
First-time internet banking customers should visit our web site www.bushnellbank.com, and click on Internet Banking. Complete the application in Step 1 and submit. Print out a copy, sign, and mail (or hand deliver) it to the main bank. You will be notified when your application has been processed. Complete Step 2 to register, and you’re now ready to bank on the internet with Step 3. All of this without leaving your home! For those of you who do shovel the snow from your driveway and venture out, you can still do your banking from your car. Visit our Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) located at Route 9 and 41 to get cash from your account, with no service fee. Or, visit our drive-thru facility located at the corner of West Hail and West Main to transfer funds, make deposits or withdrawals, buy money orders and do your other banking. You never have to leave your vehicle or worry about slipping and falling on the ice.
Don’t have a computer? Car not running? Sick with the flu? Sign up for telephone banking by calling our toll-free number, 1-877-428-2171, and follow the simple instructions. You can get your account balances, make transfers between accounts, and make loan payments from your phone without ever getting out from under your afghan! Nestle in and stay warm while you take advantage of Farmers & Merchants banking options.
Josh Robertson was recently named the first quarter Most Improved Senior at B-PC High School. Congratulations, Josh!
What do popular F & M employee, Carolyn Carr, and four calling birds have in common? Both were part of the “Twelve Days of Christmas” performance in Branson, Missouri, recently! Yes, Carolyn was invited to sing the ‘four calling birds’ part of this popular Christmas carol, on stage with the Gatlin Brothers, in front of a live audience! Join us on our upcoming Hall of Fame trip to Hawaii to see if F & M’s “star-in-the-making” attempts to perform the hula for you! Charles (Spike) and Shirley Myers of Bushnell recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary, and Bob and Pat Rutledge of Adair celebrated their 50th! Congratulations to each of you!
You’ll be happy to know that Farmers & Merchants State Bank protects your personal data. We never sell your information and never will. Now credit bureaus must give you the opportunity to “opt out” from having your personal information made available to others. To comply with this law, they have provided a phone number, 800-353-0809, to assist you. To “opt out”, just dial. The phone call is completely automated. You will need to provide personal information such as your telephone number, name, address, etc. (all information that the credit bureau already has), and you will have the option to opt out for two years or permanently. You will receive a confirmation by mail in about a week verifying your request.
You should notice a significant decrease in your credit card offers in approximately six weeks.
Don’t become a victim of this scam. Trying to fight the charges afterwards can become a nightmare.
Doug Allaman joined the F & M family nearly 9 years ago in the loan department, and currently serves as Assistant Vice President, Loan Officer, Farm Manager, and Compliance Officer. Doug was born to Roger and Jule Allaman and grew up in the Roseville area . He graduated from Roseville High School and the University of Illinois. Doug, wife Brandy, and one-year old son, Cooper, live in Bushnell. Doug is an avid Chicago Cubs fan (Will this year be the year?), as well as a Denver Broncos and Illini fan. His favorite pastimes are playing with his son, golfing, playing basketball, and helping his parents harvest. Doug is also particularly proud to be a resident of Bushnell, is a member of the Roseville Christian Church, and in charge of the Shaw Creek Men’s Golf League. When it comes to food, Doug’s actual favorite’s include:
When he cooks though, his favorite recipes are:
Combine ground beef, beans, tomatoes and taco seasoning in slow cooker. Cover. Cook on Low 3 to 4 hours, or on High 1½ hours. Add cheese. Stir occasionally. Heat only until cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips. This dish may be served as a main dish alongside a soup.
In large re-sealable plastic bag combine flour, salt and pepper. Add pieces of steak, seal, and toss to coat meat. Place onion in greased slow cooker. Top with steak, celery and tomato sauce. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours, until meat is tender.
The most common expenses that qualify when itemizing deductions include: Medical expenses, medical insurance premiums, taxes paid, mortgage interest, charitable contributions, unreimbursed employee business expenses and job-seeking expenses. Check with our tax professionals at Trust-Mart® for additional expenses that qualify for itemizing.
Save your cancelled checks and receipts as proof of payment.
Pfizer Inc. (ticker PFE) discovers, develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines and over-the-counter products for both humans and animals. A few familiar product names include: Celebrex, Lipitor, Viagra, Zithromax, Zoloft, Zyrtec, Anusol, Benadryl, Efferdent, e.p.t., Listerine, Nicotrol, Pediacare, Rogaine, Rolaids, Sudafed, Visine and Zantac 75. Recent Pfizer acquisitions include Warner-Lambert (June 2000) and Pharmacia (April 2003). PFE sales have increased from $1.25 per share in 1987 to $5.25 per share in 2002, with earnings-per-share ranging from $0.17 to $1.53 for the same time period. Sales have increased substantially from $7.47 billion in 1993 to $32.26 billion in 2002. Total Pfizer debt is $14.9 million with a 9% debt-to-capital ratio. Pfizer recently traded at $34.50 per share, had a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 33.1, is currently paying an annual dividend of $0.60 per share, and has a dividend-reinvestment plan available to investors. PFE common stock has also split three times (2 shares-for-1share) since 1995. Many analysts believe PFE is currently a good buy, and believe price of the stock could increase significantly in the next three to five years. For further information on Pfizer Inc. or any investment, please contact Shirley Rapp or any of the professionals of Trust-Mart® to help you implement your investment decisions
*This column is informational only, with no investment advice given or intended. Investments in securities are not insured by the FDIC, and involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. All material presented is compiled from sources believed to be reliable, but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Before buying any security, its prospectus should be carefully read. Trust-Mart© is a full-service trust department of the Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Bushnell, Illinois.
Past Newsletter Issues Interested in reviewing a past issue? Here are the past year's!
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Curl up with your afghan in front of your computer and proceed to internet Banking. Review your account activity, see if your Social Security check was directly deposited, see which checks have cleared your account, transfer funds from one account to another, make a loan payment and even pay your bills in the middle of the night. You can handle your banking needs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, all from the warmth of your home.
Kermit Oliver, of Bushnell, recently turned 97 years young, and Joe Meloan, of Highland, Illinois, turned 86! F & M wishes both of you many more happy birthdays.
If you receive a message by way of e-mail, on your answering machine, or on your pager, asking you to return a call regarding a family member’s illness, death, or arrest, or notification that you have won a prize, and the area code is “809”, DON’T CALL!! The “809” area code is located in the Bahamas, outside the U.S. and not covered by U.S. regulation of 900 numbers. If you return the call, you will be charged about $2,425 per minute!
