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| Know the Risks for Heart Disease
The leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States is cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease and stroke. They kill an estimated 630,000 Americans each year.
Heart disease can be prevented. American Heart Month is a good time to decide what you can do to achieve a heart-healthy life.
The most common type of heart problem is coronary artery disease (CAD), which can lead to a heart attack. You can reduce your risk through lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medication, such as a statin.
The American Heart Association's Go Red For Women campaign urges citizens to spread the message that heart disease is not only a man's problem. More women die of cardiovascular disease than from the next four causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer. Women once believed breast cancer was their greatest health risk; new data show that while one in 30 women die of breast cancer, one in three women die of heart disease.
Eighty percent of all cardiac events can be prevented if people made the right choices for their hearts. The advice for both men and women is the same:
Watch your weight.
Quit smoking.
Control cholesterol
Control blood pressure.
Drink alcohol in moderation.
Get active and eat healthy.
Manage stress.
Stroke
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and a major cause of long-term disability.
Stroke and TIA (transient ischemic attack) happen when a blood vessel feeding the brain gets clogged or bursts. The signs of a TIA are like a stroke, but usually last only a few minutes.
Numbness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of your body.
Confusion, or trouble speaking.
Trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
Trouble walking or loss of balance.
Severe headache with no known cause.
Don't wait more than five minutes before calling 911 for help if you experience any of these signs.
This month, we can rededicate ourselves to reducing the burden of heart disease by taking steps to improve our own heart health and encouraging our families to do the same.
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The Little Legacy that Grew
Benjamin Franklin wanted to demonstrate to the public the great benefits of compound interest. In his will, he left 2,000 pounds, half to Boston and half to Philadelphia. The money was to be loaned in amounts of 60 pounds or less to young craftsmen who wished to set themselves up in business.
Two hundred years later Franklin's fund still existed. In Philadelphia it was used for mortgage loans.
In Boston the fund continued to finance education, though apprenticeships gave way to loans to students attending colleges in the Boston area. After 200 years, the Boston fund was worth over two million dollars.
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/  Welcome to our February 2012 Vol Street Journal. There are many special days associated with the month of February. First up is February 2,
Ground Hog Day. I know our famous Ground Hog "Punxsutawney Phil"
did see his shadow up in Hampton Rhodes, Virginia where the 126th Annual Ground Hog Festival took place. Even though it has been a relatively mild winter in the Southern U.S., our famous "Ground Hog" predicts six more weeks of winter.
Next up was the annual power house in the "Football World". The Super Bowl kicked off on Sunday February 5 at 6:30 PM ET from Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the classic match up of the NY Giants and the New England Patriots. Congratulations to the Giants for being Super Bowl Champions. Did you tune in to watch the football or the great TV advertisements?
Valentine's Day, February 14, is just around the corner and retailers all across Sumner and Robertson Counties are laying out all of their romantic "Goodies" hoping to catch the eye of that certain "Cupid". Who will be your "Valentine" this year?
In mid February, we will celebrate President's Day. By the way, Volunteer State Bank will be closed on Monday February 20, 2012 in honor of President's Day. This is always a good time to teach your children about our Presidents, past, present and future.
For many people along the Gulf Coast and surrounding areas, February is Mardi Gras Season.This is non stop fun from Feb 4 all the way up through Feb 21 (Fat Tuesday"). If you have never experienced Mardi Gras, be sure to put it on your "Bucket List". For those readers who want to experience the thrill of Mardi Gras in a more civilized environment, check out the Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama. An historical note: the oldest annual "Carnival" celebration in America started in Mobile, Alabama in 1703 some 15 years before New Orleans was founded. The editor of this newsletter was born and raised in Mobile and from first hand experience, Mobile Mardi Gras is terrific!
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VSB Celebrates 35 Years as a Community Bank
This year marks our 35th Anniversary as a community bank. From humble beginnings in 1977, we have grown into a $371 million dollar bank with nine locations in Sumner and Robertson counties. We will celebrate our accomplishment through a series of events that are designed not only to honor our heritage but also to thank our loyal customers for their many years of patronage. We recently adopted a 35th Anniversary logo that will be used thoughout the year on our advertising and event promotional material. We will outline all of our planned events in next month's Vol Street Journal. |
 Volunteer State Bank Features America Saves Week February 19-26, 2012 America Saves Week is an annual campaign sponsored by America Saves and the America Savings Education Council to encourage everyone to learn more about saving, sign up for automatic savings plans, and to set savings goals. Volunteer State Bank has joined the campaign to promote savings education. During America Saves Week organizations promote good savings behavior and help individuals assess their own saving status.The personal savings rate is near zero, many Americans are not saving adequately for retirement and some lower-income households do not have adequate emergency savings for unexpected expenditures like a car repair. But with more societal encouragement and support, more Americans will be persuaded to build wealth, not debt. Volunteer State Bank is pleased to participate and ready to serve our community with a full range of savings accounts and services. Join today at www.americasavesweek.org where you can test your savings knowledge, assess your progress, and learn to take action to save more effectively. Then visit any of our locations where we can assist you in your savings goals. We offer a complete selection of checking, savings, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts, and can help you set up an automatic savings plan. Set a Goal, Make a Plan, Save Automatically, with Volunteer State Bank. Member FDIC. |
Tim Ferguson Joins VSB Board of DirectorsHendersonville resident Timothy D. Ferguson has accepted a position on the Volunteer State Bank Board of Directors. Tim was born and raised in Ottawa, Illinois. In 1981 he received his B.S. Degree in education from the University of Illinois. That same year he moved to Tennessee to attend Belmont College. In 1983 he received a math certification for secondary education and a year later served as a statistical analyst for the State of Tennessee. In 1992, Tim received his J.D. degree from the Nashville School of Law and was employed as an attorney for the State of Tennessee. In 1994 he entered private practice with attorney Carl H. Oldham in Hendersonville.
Tim is active in the community being a member of the noon Sertoma Club and serving as a board member for the Hendersonville High School Foundation. His musical talents are displayed as the pianist for the Steeple Players Theater in Hendersonville, an accompanist for theHendersonville High School choirs and as a keyboardist for Gallatin First Baptist Church.Tim is married to his wife Virginia and they have one daughter, Susan, who is a senior at Hendersonville High School.
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Big Money Problems Coming? Here's How to Borrow from Your IRA without Paying a Penalty.
Whether you need a stack of cash to pay college tuition for two students this year, or to pay it for two or three years to come, you are among many people who have big expenses coming up. Fortunately, you can take money from your IRA penalty-free at any age, and for any purpose, if you follow certain rules. Early-out payments are known as 72(t) distributions, named for the section of the tax code that authorizes them. The provisions allow you to take "substantially equal" distributions for at least five years or until age 59 1/2, whichever is longer. If you have more than one IRA, you can choose to take distributions from just one account. If you have only one account, you can split off a portion of it into a new IRA to satisfy your early distribution requirements and let the remainder continue to grow tax-deferred. Try the free calculator at www.72t.net to estimate how much you can withdraw under three different distribution methods. The site also lets you calculate in reverse. Start with how much you would like to withdraw each year and you can see how much you need in an IRA to satisfy the withdrawal schedule. You have to follow the plan once you're into it. There's a big penalty if you deviate from the distribution schedule once it's set up. Advisors at Kiplinger Personal Finance remind you that if you do deviate from the schedule, you'll owe the 10 percent withdrawal penalty retroactively on all your plan withdrawals.
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Congratulations to Barbara Allen for winning the February $50 "Gas Card". When Barbara signed up for our monthly newsletter she became eligible to win this prize. We give away a "Gas Card" every month. Go to our website: www.volstatebank.com (bottom of the home page) and complete the registration form. You could be our next winner!
Sincerely,
Terry Durham
Volunteer State Bank
Marketing Director / Newsletter Editor
615-323-1285
 
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