 |
 |
F&M Newsletter - March 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 March 2004.
Are you an Illinois resident age 65 or older? Or an Illinois resident, disabled and receiving benefits through the Social Security Administration? If you answered yes to either of the above questions, you probably qualify for the new Illinois RX Buying Club that recently went into law. It’s that simple! Mid-February the state started accepting applications from eligible citizens. The program covers all prescription drugs approved by the FDA and marketed in the U.S., and a preferred listing is available at www.savrx.com. A non-refundable annual membership fee of $25 per person entitles you to 12 months of savings, estimated to be between 20 and 30 percent of regular drug-store prices. There is no annual cap and no limit to the savings.
The really good news is that there is no income requirement. Middle-class individuals are eligible for this program, and can apply for the Illinois Rx Buying Club either by calling toll-free 1-866-215-3462, or by downloading an application at www.IllinoisRxBuyingClub.com. (If you are in the Circuit Breaker/Pharmaceutical Assistance Program, you are automatically enrolled and you do not need to pay another fee.) More than 50,000 pharmacy locations will be accepting the Illinois Rx Buying Club card. Local participating pharmacies in Bushnell and Macomb include: Glash Drugs, Walgreens, HyVee, Osco, Ford-Hopkins, Medicine Shoppe, and United Discount. You will receive an immediate discount at the point of sale. If you also have other prescription cards, your pharmacist will determine the best discount, and will use that card. You may also use a mail-order service if you prefer to have your prescriptions delivered directly to your home and still receive the discount to which you are entitled.
Take advantage of this new program now. Mail you completed application to Illinois Rx Buying Club, P.O. Box 94858, Chicago, IL 60690-4858. When your eligibility has been determined, an identification card will be issued and mailed to you within 30 days of application.
Millions of people will be filing their federal and state income tax returns by April 15th. When you have Connie, Betsy or Shirley prepare your return at Trust-Mart®, it can be electronically filed (most of the time) for no additional charge. Bring in all your W-2s, 1099s, rental and farm income and expenses, medical expenses, and other items that may be used in preparing your return for filing. Your return will be completed, and when your refund is deposited directly into your bank account, you can have access to your funds in as little as 10 days, even for filers in April! (A paper check will take approximately 10 additional days.) With other preparers, many taxpayers take out “tax-refund anticipation loans” because they can’t wait for their refund. A typical surcharge (at least 5%) is $75 to get your $1,500 refund. How long would you have to work to earn $75? Or at today’s interest rates, how long would it take to earn $75 interest on that $1,500? Your answers could be one day (if you earn $9.37 per hour), or two and one half years in a certificate of deposit earning 2%. A better option is to bring your tax information to Trust-Mart as soon as you have collected all your data. Your return will be prepared and processed in a timely manner and electronically filed in most instances. Be patient and you will normally receive your refund in 10 to 15 days, without spending money to get your refund instantly. When your refund is deposited in your checking or savings account at Farmers & Merchants State Bank, you can even delay payment of preparation fees until the refund is deposited.
Some of those who celebrated really big wedding anniversaries recently included: Clair (Jim) and Leona Yocum (62 years) of Avon, Lewis and Bernice Barr (62 years) of Tonica (parents of our own Shirley Rapp), former F & M director Lyndall and Norma Jean Pigg (60 years) of Bushnell, Leland and Martha Wolf (60 years) of Good Hope, Keith and Mary Mansir (60 years) of Macomb, Ray and Charlotte Fayhee (56 years) of Bushnell, Tom and Peggy Norris (53 years) of Bushnell, Don and Verna Fay Irwin (52 years) of Bushnell, and Duane and Virginia Chipman (52 years) of Bushnell. Special anniversary wishes are extended to each of you!
Some birthdays recently celebrated were: Clifford Connor (101) of Macomb and Bessie Payne (86) of Bushnell. Happy birthday!
If you have an item that you could loan or donate to the museum, please contact Peggy Hood.
Marc McCance recently joined the F & M family as Managing Director of the Palm Tree Mortgage & Capital Funding Group in Ft. Myers, Florida. Marc was born to Kenneth and Irene McCance (both deceased) in Bushnell and graduated from B-PC High School. He earned his B.S and Masters degree from Illinois State University, worked with Agricultural Mortgage Co. of America, Illinois Agricultural Association/Country Companies, Farm Credit Banks of Louisville, co-founded two commercial mortgage banking companies, served in the U. S. Navy and has now served in the Naval Reserve over 30 years. He and his wife, Gaye, have two children, Nicole (and B.J.) Sams and Tyler McCance, and an 18 month old granddaughter, Eden Grace Sams. Marc especially enjoys fishing, boating, golfing and cooking in his spare time.
Marc’s famous recipes include:
Put chicken in cooking pot, cover with water and simmer several hours until meat falls away from the bone. Debone chicken, return to pot, and set aside. Lightly rub oil on asparagus and corn and brown lightly on the grill. When done, cut the corn off the cob and cut asparagus into ¼ to ½” chunks. Set aside. Saute onion, pepper, garlic and sausage. Add to the chicken pot with all spices and grilled vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add rice and shrimp and more water if necessary. Bring to a boil for several minutes. Cover, reduce to low heat, and cook until rice is tender.
Add 3-4 Tbsp. olive oil to hot wok. Drain anchovies (save anchovy oil), add to wok, and cook just a few seconds. Quickly mash the anchovies in the wok with a fork, add garlic and red pepper flakes, stir and turn off heat. Add pasta and chopped cauliflower to the wok and mix together. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle remaining anchovy oil and olive oil over top before serving.
Dish up bowl of ice cream. Pour espresso over the top. (This is a famous Naples, Italy dessert.) A great variation is to heat a coffee liqueur on the stove and add it to the ice cream!
Michigan based Gentex Corp (ticker GNTX) designs and manufactures many automotive mirror options, with its Night Vision Safety mirror generating a large percentage of the company’s sales. The NVS rear view mirror automatically darkens when headlight glare from vehicles traveling behind you is detected, making nighttime driving safer. Another GNTX mirror that is turning heads is the exterior mirror with the LED turn signal, to warn drivers in your blind spot of your upcoming lane change. Gentex was named a General Motors Supplier of the Year in 2003, for the sixth consecutive year. The GNTX mirrors are already being shipped on many GMC, Chevrolet, Nissan Audi, Lexus and Toyota vehicles, and Gentex is now developing more electronic rear-view mirror features, including fog/rain/gas sensing, time display, back-up aids, obstacle detection and collision avoidance. GNTX recently traded at $46.54, had a P/E ratio of 33.2, and pays an annual dividend of $0.60 per share. Earnings-per-share have increased in the last ten years from $0.15 to $1.38, and sales for the same period increased from $63.7 million to $469 million. GNTX shares have split shares (two-for-one) twice since 1995, and the 52-week price range has been $23.90 to $46.54.
For further information on Gentex Corp. or any investment, please contact Shirley Rapp or any of the professionals of Trust-Mart® to help you implement your investment decisions.
Approximately seventeen million workers every year fail to take advantage of the free money that their employers offer through matching contributions to retirement plans such as 401Ks or 457s. Some employers match the first two percent contributed by employees, while other employers may match 25 or 50 cents for every dollar contributed, up to a certain percent. Why would you pass up this opportunity? Even if investments such as certificates of deposit or money market accounts are selected, the account can grow significantly. A two percent contribution from a $20,000 salary ($400) and an employer match of the same amount ($400), doubles the account! If a bank offered to match savings deposits ‘dollar for dollar’, people would trample each other to get it, regardless of the rate of return.
That’s what happens when you pass up matching contributions to a retirement account. The free money your employer offers to match will help your retirement account grow now, while you are still young and part of the working world.
|
|
Steam cauliflower until tender. Chop finely and set aside. Cook pasta until tender. Drain and set aside.
