FIRST NATIONAL BANK of WALKER May 2014

FIRST NATIONAL BANK
of WALKER
May 2014
PRIORITY 55 TRAVEL TO IRELAND
The first day consisted of airports and flying. The
second day we arrived in Dublin and met our tour
guide Sarah Swanney. If you didn’t know better you
would have thought that she was from Ireland with
her infectious laugh, witty personality and knowledge of the country. A walk through St. Stephens
Green Park took us to Trinity College to view the
exhibit of the Book of Kells which includes the four
gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. That evening it was off to one of the local pubs for the dinner
and entertainment by the Irish House Party performers. An assortment of instruments were used including uilleann pipes, tin whistle, bodhran drum and the
button accordion. We enjoyed a fast stepping Irish
Jig, too. And of course we had to learn an Irish song
that went like this: Her lips were red as roses, her
eyes a deep sky blue, her hair as yellow as the gold,
she stole from me and you!
The next day took us to the Brazen Head Pub for
lunch and then on to the Guinness Storehouse for a
tour and sampling of their famous beer. The food
was fantastic and always piping hot. We enjoyed
their Irish Stew, Fish and Chips, Soda Bread, Irish
Roasted Salmon, and Sticky Toffee Pudding just to
name a few. And of course no matter what you had
to eat there were always plenty of potatoes!
Our next stay was in Waterford where the famous
“Waterford Crystal” is made and sold. And of course
what is Ireland without stopping at Blarney Castle to
kiss the “Blarney Stone”. One of our evening meals
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Priority 55 Ireland Travelers
Cliffs of Moher
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included a Medieval Dinner and Show at the Bunratty Castle. We drank the bowl of potato and leek soup
with our hands and the main course of ribs, chicken, potatoes and vegetable was eaten with a dagger
(knife).
As we traveled on, our journey continued to take us
through the awe inspiring landscape of Ireland. From
rolling lush green fields to the intriguing geo-sites
of Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark and around
the Ring of Kerry. We stopped at the Molanna Farm
where we enjoyed fresh scones and a cup of Irish
coffee with Paddy and his wife.
Our final day included a stop at the Tullamore Dew
Whisky for a tour and you guessed it, some tasting
also. Then it was on to Cabra Castle where we enjoyed our farewell dinner and our last night’s stay in
Ireland.
The next day we were all up bright and early to head
back to the United States. We knew that it would be
a long day, but knew in our minds that it had been
well worth it. Ireland with its beauty, food, music
and history would stay in our minds forever.
Slainte – Cheers and good health to all of you.
Upcoming Events
May 2, 2014
Plant Day
May 14, 2014
Church Basement Ladies Trip
RSVP By May 5th
Cost $60 Includes Transportation,
Meal, Show and Gratuity
June 6, 2014
Priority 55 Golf Tournament
August 28, 2014
State Fair Trip
September 10, 2014
Priority 55 Fish Fry
December 5, 2014
Christmas Open House
For more information please contact
Jeanette at 218-547-1160
Eat Red for Heart Health
Want a simple way to make your heart stronger? Try
these three red fruits.
It’s time to amend that “apple a day” aphorism: Tomatoes and cranberries keep the doctor away too.
New research shows that incorporating these three
red, round fruits into your daily diet can reduce your
risk of heart disease by as much as 40 percent. Indeed, diet can have a tremendous impact on heart
health and should be the first line of defense when
treating high cholesterol or high blood pressure, two
of the biggest risk factors for heart disease. These
antioxidant-rich fruits featured here are as tasty as
they are healthy.
Tomatoes: Eating lycopene-rich foods such as tomatoes more than five times a week over an 11-year
period reduced coronary disease risk by 26 percent.
It’s best to eat tomatoes cooked through. The heating
process allows lycopene to be better absorbed.
Apples: An apple a day can reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol by as much as 40 percent. Postmenopausal
women who eat apples lowered their risk of heart
disease. Be sure to munch on the fruit rather than
drink juice; the peels house the most antioxidants.
Cranberries: Drinking three cups of cranberry juice
daily can raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels by
10 percent and reduce heart disease by 40 percent.
Plus, this juice decreased diet-caused atherosclerosis
(clogging of the arteries) by preventing plaque from
forming. If you can’t quite stomach three glasses of
cranberry juice a day, one or two have benefits, too.
Cell Phone Numbers Go Public
Remember … all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start
to receive sales calls.
You will be charged for these calls.
To prevent this, call the following number from your
cell phone: 888-382-1222.
It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only
take a minute of your time. It blocks your number
for five years. You must call from the cell phone
number you want blocked. You cannot call from a
different phone number.
Help others by passing this information on.
Social Security:
Planning Tips by Age
There are many age-related financial and planning
milestones that clients will encounter in their sixties.
Here is a list of some of the common ones that you
and your clients should keep in mind.
59 ½ Penalty Goes Away. This is the age at which
one can withdraw money from traditional IRAs,
401(k) s or similar retirement plans without restrictions and without an added 10% tax penalty. Withdrawals will still be taxed at normal rates. For most
people, it is not wise to draw down retirement accounts at this relatively young age unless they have
specific financial needs. Usually, the value of maintaining tax-preferred savings exceeds the benefit that
may come from early spending.
60-Survivors-This is the first year to collect a Social
Security survivor benefit if a spouse or ex-spouse (if
they were married for at least 10 years and never remarried) has died.
62-Social Security – First Call. The earliest age that
someone could collect Social Security retirement
benefit. Most people should not file for benefits at
this early age although certain spousal strategies may
be an exception.
62 – Pension alert. This is a common age at which
pension benefits kick in. Pension features vary significantly from company to company or between industry and government. Encourage your clients to
carefully evaluate the features of their pension today
if they are fortunate enough to have one.
63 ½ -Bridge to Medicare. Not an official milestone
but might be an important age for laid-off workers
who are offered COBRA health care benefits. COBRA benefits typically last for 18 months and 65 is
the age at which one can begin Medicare medical
coverage. Therefore, 63 and a half is the earliest
age at which, if one were laid off and covered by
COBRA health care benefits, that COBRA benefits
would provide a health care bridge all the way until
they are eligible for Medicare.
65-Medicare. Medicare eligibility age. Most people should sign up for Medicare benefits within a 7
month window around this birthday in order to avoid
lifetime surcharges on Medicare benefits. There are
a few exceptions to this requirement such as active
employees who are still covered under a large employer health plan.
66-Social Security Magic Age. Sixty-six is the
“magic age” for Social Security when many options
become available. For most boomers, 66 is the official full retirement age. At this age a number of creative Social Security strategies for couples become
available such as File and Suspend and Restricted
Filing. If a client is second-guessing their decision
to file for earlier benefits, 66 is also the first age at
which they can suspend benefits in order to allow delayed retirement credits to build up.
70-Social Security-Last Call. Don’t delay any longer. This is the age at which there is no additional
benefit to delay filing for Social Security benefits.
If a client has not filed for benefits yet, congratulate
them. They have maximized their lifetime monthly Social Security benefit but encourage them to file
immediately.
70 ½ - Required Distributions Ahead. Owners of retirement accounts such as IRAs, 401 (k) s or other
similar retirement plans are required to start taking
specified required minimum distributions (RMDs)
from these accounts when they turn seventy and a
half. They actually have until the following April
1st to take the first year distribution. After that, each
year’s distribution must be taken by Dec. 31 of that
year.
The total required distribution is based on the total
values of all of a person’s IRAs and retirement plans
as of December 31st of the eariler year. The total
distribution may all be taken out of any one account
or may be split among the accounts in any manner
that one chooses.
Insurance Discounts
First National Insurance Services would like to announce NEW group discounts available to PRIORITY 55 members. These discounts are with select
companies for Personal products - homeowners, automobile, recreational vehicle, watercraft and motorcycle. We welcome the opportunity to quote your
entire protection plan. Call us today for a free, no
obligation quote. Please contact our agency at 5473330.
Happy Birthday, Barbie!
Mattel’s most fashionable doll turns 55 this month-and she still
doesn’t look a day over 20!
More than 1 billion outfits have been designed for Barbie since she
debuted at a toy fair in 1959. Her high-fashion wardrobe includes
contributions from more than 50 top designers, Furstenberg, Calvin
Klein and Vera Wang.
Inventor Ruth Handler and Barbie’s first clothing designer, Charlotte Johnson, insisted on authenticity. As a result, Barbie’s outfits
included features like tiny working zippers, luxurious liners and
sparkly jewelry. Doris Day and Jacqueline Kennedy served as Johnson’s inspirations for Barbie’s early wardrobe.
Each year Mattel’s marketing team makes sure that Barbie gets recognized at New York Fashion Week via runway shows that highlight
her evolving style. This year Barbie will model an updated version
of her original black-and-white striped swimsuit in Sports Illustrated‘s 50th anniversary swimsuit issue. Work it, Barbie!
•
Barbie’s inventor, the late Ruth Handler (a former president
of Mattel Inc.), named the doll Barbara after her daughter. Barbie’s
full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.
Walker ~ 218-547-1160
Lobby
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Friday
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Saturday
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Saturday
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Branch Offices
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Friday
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Saturday
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Longville Main Office
Lobby
Monday Thru Thurs.
9:00 to 4:00
Friday
9:00 to 5:00
Saturday
Closed
Walk Up
Monday -Friday
8:00-5:00
Saturday Closed
Longville Drive Up Office
Monday thru Thurs.
8:00 to 5:00
Friday
8:00 to 6:00
Saturday 9:00 to12:00
Akeley
Lobby
Monday thru Thurs.
9:00 to 4:00
Friday
9:00 to 5:00
Saturday
Closed
Drive-Up
Monday thru Thurs.
9:00 to 5:00
Friday
9:00 to 6:00
Saturday
9:00 to 12:00
24 - Hour Banking
Bank Anytime 218-547-2060
ATM’s availabe at all locations.
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