Quarterly Newsletter EF Educational Tours

Winter 2011
volume 5 | issue 3

Shelia Tuley, left, and Pam Lyng, stand before a castle on the Rhine River in Germany in the 2008 tour they helped organize.

Ever imagine yourself standing on the Great Wall of China looking out over the vast expanse of one of the oldest civilizations in the world? Or how about exploring the Amazon and the ruins of Machu Picchu, that played home to a war-like society that thrived for centuries? These are the two newest travel adventures being coordinated by Hannibal resident and F&M Bank customer, Pam Lyng, and fellow coordinator, Shelia Tuley, through EF Educational Tours. The two women have been coordinating such trips for years. Lyng said she took her first overseas tour in the 1990s when she was a student at HannibalLaGrange College. It was wonderful! I was hooked, she said with a delighted laugh. Lyng, Hannibal Middle Schools Drama instructor and an English teacher, said she and Tuley, currently an assistant principal at Hannibal High School, started coordinating tours for the middle schools Drama Club, although shes quick to note these are not school-sponsored trips, so anyone can go. Those early tours included trips to England to see performances of William Shakespeares plays, performed in the Bards hometown of Stratfordupon-Avon. Since then, the tours have since expanded with trips to Italy, Scotland, Greece, Germany, Costa Rica and Namibia in Africa. While the tours are designed for students, her
Hannibal, MO 505 Broadway 3912 Market Street Highway 61 North Monroe City, MO OFallon, MO Palmyra, MO Shelbina, MO

Business Spotlight: groups are a mix of about half students and half adults. EF Educational Tours There is no age limit, except that travelers must be 12 or older, and able to handle lots of walking. Don Bastian Appointed You go. You do. You see. I want to see as much as I Chairman of the Board can see. If I want to rest I can do that at home, Lyng said with a laugh, although she concedes that down time is also built into the itinerary. OFallon Chamber Lyng said everything for the trip tickets, hotels Awards F&M Bank and itineraries are handled by the EF Educational Tours. There are tour directors who accompany the Michael Wray group throughout the whole trip, and local experts Certified Internal Auditor are provided at various itinerary stops to provide information and history. The average tour is 9 to 11 Kim Starbuck Appointed to days long, cost is usually under $4,000 for adults. St. Charles Co. Workforce Pricewise, you cant beat it. If you want to travel, Development Board its the most economical way. (Plus), you really are well taken care of, Lyng said. Students who go on the tours hold fundraisers to Funding College: help cover the costs. 529 Plans We want the kids to have ownership in the program, Lyng said, noting that all fundraising money Switch to F&M Bank goes to offset the tour price. and Trust Companys Lyng said as the travel program has grown in eStatements numbers and scope. That was where F&M Bank Go Paperless! was able to help. The bank helped Lyng and Tuley set up a not-for profit account Expanded Savings Bonds No Educational Opportunities, Inc. in which to put Longer Available at fundraising funds. Financial Institutions Lyng cautions such trips are not for everyone, but says she loves exploring the history and experiencing the different foods and cultures. F&M Bank and Trust It opens up your eyes and teaches about tolerance, Company Announces New and about the diversity of other cultures, she said, Commercial Loan Officer noting such cultures are not wrong just different. The trip to China is scheduled for spring of 2012, and Lyng said there is still space for anyone interested in making the trip. It includes a visit to the Great Wall of China, the Terra Cotta Warriors, and Tiananmen Square. Bookings for 2013 trip to the Amazon and Machu Picchu have just started. Wed love to have people join us, Lyng said. For more information contact: Lyng at Pam Lyng is featured here with plyng@hannibal.k12.mo.us or Tuley at children she met while touring the stuley@hannibal.k12.mo.us. Lyng also can be reached by African nation of Namibia. phone at (573) 221-6921. Account Information 1.800.606.6414 MO Toll Free 1.877.221.6424 www.bankfm.com

Springfield, MO St. Louis, MO Quincy, IL

Don Bastian Appointed Chairman of the Board

Writing this at the years end, one always wants to look back and try to remember what major events happened during the year. In early 2011 we lost our Chairman, Bayard Plowman. In addition to his 63 years of management and directorship with our bank I lost my most trusted advisor. He always set the ethical leadership for all of us to follow, had a constant zeal to help our customers, and forward looking vision even late in life. I will miss him and hope I can do half as well as he did. In late 2011 F&M Bank and Trust announced a new Chairman, Mr. Don Bastian. The bank directors could not have made a better choice. Dons grandfather, Mr. Fisher was Chairman of MCM Savings Bank and a director of Farmers & Merchants Bank at the same time. For years Bayard Plowman told me his boss was Mr. Fisher. Today Don is my boss. With eight years experience on our boards and committees, a legal practice, a title insurance company, and consistent community involvement, Don is well prepared. Since assuming these responsibilities he has attended internal bank meetings and a seminar for directors put on by both the Office Don Bastian of Comptroller of the Currency and the Chairman of the Board Missouri Bankers Association 2011 for Bank Attorneys. Please join me in welcoming Don Bastian our new Chairman of the Board.

Stevens Plowman

The OFallon Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce its award winners for 2011. The Chamber sought out nominations for Small Business, Business, and OFallon F&M Bank Large Business of the Year as well 2011 Business of the Year as the first ever Sue Proost OFallon Chamber Person of the Year award and honored all of the winners at the membership meeting luncheon. The selection committee had a lot of discussion when choosing from the nominees in each category, said Erin Williams, Chamber President/CEO, we are blessed to be in a community filled with businesses that are dedicated to OFallon and to our Chamber. F&M Bank and Trust Company was honored as the 2011 Business of the Year because of the companys dedication to the OFallon community as well as the Chamber of Commerce. F&M Bank and Trust relocated in OFallon in 2010 and has continued to grow since then while making a positive impact on the community. One example of how F&M Bank has helped the community is that employees of the bank wear blue jeans on Fridays as an effort to raise money for their Adopt a Family program at Christmas time. It seems like F&M Bank is always looking to help someone or some organization; their community spirit is evident in each one of their employees, said Williams. F&M Bank and Trust representatives are on hand at each Chamber event, whether it is a ribbon cutting, a new member orientation, or a fundraiser, they make their presence known. When the selection committee met, the one thing that we kept asking was, is this a company that we can hold up and say to our other members, this is what a good business does? I feel that each of the award winners are exactly that, businesses that our members can look to emulate, Williams said.

OFallon Chamber Awards F&M Bank

Michael Wray has successfully completed and passed the Certified Internal Auditor designation. The Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation is the only globally accepted certification for internal auditors and remains the standard by which individuals Michael Wray demonstrate their competency and Certified Internal Auditor professionalism in the internal auditing field. The CIA designation is perceived to be indicative of a significant level of competence in internal audit positions. The Institute of Internal Auditors has developed a

Michael Wray Certified Internal Auditor

set of program eligibility criteria and requirements for those who wish to earn the CIA designation. Candidates must have a bachelors degree or equivalent from an accredited educational institution, and preferably one that is in the financial sector. They must be able to provide a completed character reference form as part of the registration process, and have completed at least 24 months of internal auditing experience or its equivalent in a workplace setting. Prospective CIAs must also agree to abide by the Code of Ethics and maintain their skills and knowledge by completing 80 hours of Continuing Professional Education every two years. In order to become a Certified Internal Auditor, a candidate must be skilled and knowledgeable in four core areas: internal audit activitys role in governance, risk and control; conducting an internal audit engagement; business analysis and information technology; business management skills. We congratulate Michael on his accomplishment.

Kim Starbuck Appointed to St. Charles Co. Workforce Development Board

Kim Starbuck has been appointed to St. Charles Co. Workforce Development Board. She will be serving a two year term. She is Vice President, Branch Manager, and Senior Loan Officer for F&M Bank and Trust in OFallon, MO. The role of the Workforce Development Board is to increase the number of local businesses and jobs, provide public awareness and training, and allocate funding to advance an integrated, demand-driven workforce and economic development system.

Kim Starbuck VP Branch Manager

Funding College: 529 Plans

Outside of saving for retirement, a familys biggest financial challenge is paying for their childrens college education. Fortunately, there are tax favored vehicles available for college savings just as there are for retirement. A 529 college savings plan is a popular option for a number of reasons. First, 529s offer significant tax advantages. The earnings grow tax deferred and; as long as the withdrawals are used for qualified higher education expenses, the withdrawals are federal tax free. These qualified expenses can be for tuition, fees, room and board, etc. The benefits of tax deferral are significant when used over a long period of time. The contributions can also be deducted from your state income taxes. Second, 529s are also flexible as far as your control of the assets, who can be the beneficiary and who can contribute. The account owner controls the amount and timing of the withdrawals. The account owner also controls the investment options and chooses the beneficiary. You can have a child, grandchild, niece, nephew, friend or even yourself as beneficiary. Beneficiaries can be changed, if circumstances change. Anyone can contribute to a 529 plan. For instance, a grandparent can be the account owner, but parents, aunt, uncles and even friends can all contribute to the 529 plan. Third, 529s can be a valuable estate planning tool for someone who wants to transfer assets out of their estate and at the same time help family members. One can transfer up to $13,000 a year ($26,000 for married couples) per beneficiary without gift-tax consequences. There are also a number of income tax credits and deductions to help families pay for their childs education. However, these must be carefully coordinated with withdrawals from 529 plans for maximum effectiveness. F&M Bank and Trust is here to help you plan, save and invest for your important goals including educational funding for the important children in your life. To find out more, just talk to a trusted bank employee.

Switch to F&M Bank and Trust Companys eStatementsGo Paperless!

Have you ever had to look up something from an old checking account statement and had trouble finding it? Or have you worried about how long you have to store your statements in a box in the basement? If youve answered Yes to either of these questions, you probably should look into F&M Banks eStatements. Once you are receiving your checking and/or savings accounts statements electronically, youll enjoy the ease of not having to deal with paper and paper storage! Youll also get access to your statements faster than through regular mail within 24 hours of your statement cutoff date! Youll receive an email within 24 hours of your statement cutoff date with a link. Once you click on the link, it will take you to a secure website where you would login with a user name and password of your choice. Youll then have access to view Simplify. all of your checking and/or savings Sign up for eStatements. account statements for the past 18 months. You can then either view them, download them to your PC, or simply view them and let us archive them for you. Once you are setup with eStatements and see how fast, easy, and convenient this service is, youll wish you would have done this years ago! To register for this free service, just visit any of our branch locations or contact Cathy via email at cjones@bankfm.com or phone at 573-221-6425 x 314.

F&M Bank and Trust Company Announces New Commercial Loan Officer
F&M Bank and Trust Company is pleased to announce that Corey Sanborn has joined the bank as Vice-President, Commercial Loan Officer out of the banks headquarters in Hannibal, MO. Sanborn joins the bank with thirteen years of bank experience in both small communities and larger city settings. In 2001 he was recognized by Bank of America in Toronto, Canada as one of the top 5% Branch Managers in the company for that year. He was promoted and relocated to St. Louis, MO, as the Regional Service Manager Corey Sanborn covering 32 bank branches in Missouri and VP Commercial Loan Officer Illinois, responsible for driving operations, sales, and training for the Region. In 2007 Sanborn accepted a position with US Bank of Bowling Green, MO, as a Commercial Loan Officer specializing in agricultural loans, and then as District Manager relocating to Lebanon, MO, where he was responsible for all retail aspects of the bank for 11 branches in South Central Missouri. He was a Pinnacle winner five quarters earning outstanding revenue growth within the Division of Missouri and Kansas. Sanborn was Chamber of Commerce President for Bowling Green, MO, in 2008, Vice President and Board member of the Aurora MO Chamber of Commerce 2000 - 2004, Rotary Member, Board of Elderman for his church, Chairman for Relay for Life and served on the Board both in Aurora and Lebanon MO, and was a Board Member of the Park Board for four years. He is a member of the Hannibal Early Bird Kiwanis Club, the Hannibal Country Club, and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. He graduated with an Associates in Science from Independence Community College and attended Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg Kansas for Marketing and Business. Sanborn has two children, ages fourteen and ten. Sanborn can be contacted at 573-221-6425, extension 318 to meet your commercial, agricultural, and SBA needs.

Savings Bonds No Longer Available at Financial Institutions

As you may have heard, in July The Bureau of Public Debt announced that as of January 1st, 2012 paper Savings Bonds will no longer be sold at Financial Institutions. Electronic Savings Bonds will remain available for purchase through Treasury Direct. Opening a Treasury Direct account is FREE and once it is established you can: Buy, manage, and redeem Series EE and I electronic savings bonds.

Convert Series EE and I paper savings bonds to electronic through the SmartExchange feature. Purchase electronic savings bonds as a gift. Enroll in a payroll savings plan for purchasing electronic bonds. Invest in other Treasury securities such as bills, notes, bonds, and TIPS (Treasury InflationProtected Securities). If you have paper savings bonds you will still be able to redeem them at the bank. For more information, and to set up a Treasury Direct Account visit www.treasurydirect.gov.

Board of Directors: Donald M. Bastian Michael Bukstein, M.D. William H. Craigmiles Tom R. Dorsey, D.V.M. Alvin (Spike) Ehrhardt Mark Gorman Charles Hickman Jack Martin Stevens Plowman Paul Richards Phillip Smith Gordon Spilker