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Happy New Leap Year to All!
One mathematically inclined says that, for 2012, we
should wish you 12 months of happiness, 52 weeks of life, 366 days of success, 8,784 hours of good health, and 527,040 minutes of good luck. Because 2012 is a leap year, it is as if we have an extra day, with all of its hours and minutes, to accomplish our goals. More important than time, is the dedication that our customers have shown over the years.Our customers are the most important factor in our future. We thank you for your patronage in 2011 and look forward to working with you throughout the coming year. Happy New Year to you and yours! |
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Estate Planning Not Just for the Rich: Estate planning can protect your family. Your estate consists of the property you own outright and jointly, including bank accounts, real estate, stocks and bonds, vehicles, jewelry, and retirement accounts. When you add up the value of these assets, it's easy to see that you need a plan for how you want them distributed after you're gone. Estate planning is not just for the rich or those who have a great deal of money or property. Making a will is the first step. It should tell what property you wish to leave to family members, friends and organizations. It should tell who will act as guardian to manage property for dependent children. It will name an executor to manage your estate, pay debts and taxes, and distribute property according to your wishes. For some people, a will is enough, but those with more assets or special situations should consult an estate planning attorney. They include people who want control of what happens to property after their death, parents who have a child with a disability or special needs, couples with children from first, second or third marriages, or those who fear someone might declare their will to be invalid. If you're worried about how much an attorney's services will cost, bring up the subject when you make the appointment. Many questions you have can be answered quickly, while others may take an hour for a meeting and more time for research. Some attorneys offer a free first visit and fixed estimate for legal work involved. Estate plans should include who will make decisions about your medical care and final arrangements, such as whether you want to be cremated or buried. This planning also involves finalizing one or more documents that give legal force to your wishes for property management and medical care. The good news is that your plan can be updated as time goes by. Your wishes at age 45 or 50 will probably change in the next 10 or 15 years. | | |
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Protect Your Hearing for a lifetime:
No matter what your age may be.
Whether a person is 10 years old, 40, 60 or older, it's not too soon, or too late, to protect hearing, one of the vital five senses.
These are some easy ways to do it:
* Get some quiet, if only for a short time, and give your ears a rest. Whether you're working with loud equipment, listening to music or watching TV, turn off the noise and have a few minutes of quiet time.
* Check your headset. High volume can cause permanent hearing damage. Turn it down if you can't hear people speaking to you. Never turn volume up to block out noisy surroundings. Seriously limit high-volume listening.
* Move back from the stage. At a concert, music club or karaoke bar, take a seat that is a safe distance away from amplifiers and speakers.
* Spend less time in loud environments. Whether it's a construction zone, a party with loud music, or a stock car race track, the longer you stay, the harder it is on your hearing. Any time you have to shout to be heard, it's too loud. Avoid loud music in the car.
* Wear hearing protection. When you know an event will be loud, wear foam, silicone or premolded earplugs. They are all effective because they must have a noise reduction minimum of 9 decibels.
Wear them while using the garden tractor, chain saw, air compressor or any loud equipment.
* High fidelity protections reduce all frequencies equally. Though there are several brands available, Hearos High Fidelity Long Term Use lets you hear all the highs and lows in an entire jam session while your ears receive up to 20 decibels of noise protection, and they are comfortable to wear. Users say the music is more enjoyable.
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Welcome to Our January 2012 Newsletter
We hope that all of our readers had a Merry Christmas and we wish you much happiness in the new year. The 2012 Christmas holidays
will long be remembered by VSB employees as the season of the Christmas Parades. Our trolley was decorated for Christmas and we participated in up to seven parades spread over Sumner and Robertson counties. When you add it all up,we estimate that our "VSB Christmas Trolley" was seen by approximately 50,000 people. During three of these parades, our trolley was the official ride for Santa Claus. If you are interested in having our trolley come to your event in 2012, contact Terry Durham, Marketing Director at: tdurham@volstatebank.com.
The year 2012 will be the year we introduce our new mobile banking product to our customers. We live in an ever increasing technology age when more and more customers are moving their banking online with their computer and smartphone. We will have all the details in a future issue of Vol Street Journal.
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35th Anniversay Year (2012):
Vounteer State Bank will be celebrating its 35th Anniversary during 2012. In 1972, Larry Collins and Fred White saw the need for another bank in the growing city of Portland, TN. They solicited the help of a local banker, Wayne Lamberth and together these three men worked diligently in a small rental office behind Mr. White's grocery store. They were soon joined by other individuals who shared their vision.The first meeting of the stockholders of the new Bank of Portland was held on January 17, 1977. The new bank opened for business on April 15, 1977. After establishing banks in Gallatin and Hendersonville the Bank of Portland became Volunteer State Bank in July 1981.
The bank will be sponsoring events throughout 2012 to celebrate our 35 years in business. Stay tuned for future announcements.  |
Christmas Open House at VSB: Christmas Open House was held this last year on Friday December 9, 2011. All of our branches participated in this annual event. In addition to great food and drink, the children had the opportunity to get a photo made with Santa Claus. Everone involved had a great time! |
Protecting Against Children's Identity Theft:
One of the first and easiest things you should do to prevent your child's identity from being stolen: caution him or her about giving personal information, especially their Social Security number, to anyone over the Internet.
The most likely person to steal your child's identity is a family member or frequent visitor to your home. Be sure your child's Social Security card is stored in a secure place. Shred any papers that have your child's Social Security number on them.
One part of the problem: credit bureaus don't check social security numbers with the Social Security Administration in order to verify a person's name and age.
That means thieves can use the number with their own name, or a fake name, to open credit accounts, get student loans, home, boat and car loans, receive government benefits, unemployment compensation, tax refunds or access to medical care and employment, all using your child's number.
The crime will not be known until your child grows up and is denied credit because of debts on his credit report.
To obtain your child's credit report, you have to contact a credit bureau through the mail by sending them your child's complete name, address, date of birth, a copy of the child's birth certificate, a copy of the child's social security card, and a copy of your own driver's license or other government-issued proof of identity.
Also, the proof must include your residential address along with a current utility bill that also includes your home address.
Mail these items to one or more of these credit bureaus:
Equifax, P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374.
Experian, P.O. Box 9532, Allen TX 75013.
TransUnion, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834.
Be suspicious of credit offers sent to your children. Notify credit bureaus, then check your child's credit report.
You need the report to prove your child is a victim. Learn more by contacting the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or (877) IDTHEFT. |
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Medicare Increase is Nominal for 2012:
In October, it was announced that about 55 million Social Security recipients would get their first increase in benefits next year since 2009, a 3.6 percent raise for 2012. It meant that the average Social Security check would be about $39 more than before.
Most recipients worried that Medicare premiums would rise so much that their check wouldn't be much higher.
* The smaller-than-expected increase is only $3.50 per month. That means an increase from $96.40 per month to $99.30.
* Seniors who make over $85,000 a year or couples earning $170,000 a year will pay higher Medicare rates, $139.90 per month. The highest rates will be paid by couples who have income of $428,000 per year. They pay $319.70 each for Medicare in 2012.
* All Medicare recipients will see lower deductibles in 2012. The annual deductible is $140, down $22 from 2011.
* Deductibles for hospital treatment will rise by $24, making them $1,156 per stay.
Government officials credited the lower rates to their efforts to rein in Medicare and other health-care costs under the 2010 health overhaul law. Some Republicans say costs were down because seniors could not afford to go to the doctor as often. |
nDo the Voices and Activities in the Office Make it Difficult to Concentrate?
Would you like to have a more serene environment at work or on the train?
Apparently, many people do. "White noises" are some of the hottest tracks on digital playlists. They include the sound of an oscillating fan, a waterfall or crickets. All the most popular sounds are from nature, like rain, wind and waves crashing on a beach.
When HeavyDuty Apps released its "Sleep Pillow Ambience," they quickly realized that many customers used it during the day. The $1.99 app has had 1.6 million downloads. Some say it makes the brain ignore other sounds. Others just say when they play it on their headphones, it makes the world go away.
Some parents are using white noise to calm infants or help them go to sleep.
Simply Noise has 99-cent apps called soundscapes that are downloaded 400 times a day. Thunderstorm is the most popular for adults.
White noise contains random sounds across all frequencies, according to electrical engineers at Columbia University in New York. Pink noise blends some high and lower frequencies resulting in a low rumble. Brown noise shifts to the lower end of the spectrum and sounds like rumbling.
The most effective noise at blocking other sound is white noise, because it covers the largest range.
Calling sounds such as rain or thunder white noise is something of a misnomer, but the makers of downloadable apps and sleep machines use the term anyway.
Congratulations to April Trevino for winning our January $50 Gas Card.
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