Score Big with the Bank of Prairie du Sac s VISA Gold card!

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1 Fall 2007 with big ones Bank Earns Top Spot A recent Wisconsin State Journal news story listed the Bank of Prairie du Sac as the strongest bank in comparison to all 73 banks in 16 counties in Southern Wisconsin. Only Premier Bank in Fort Atkinson shared the Bank of Prairie du Sac s A+ rating among the entire group. The ratings were based on ratings individual banks earn with the independent bank ratings firm TheStreet.com. The ratings are based on capital adequacy, asset growth and earnings, and show which banks have the best chance to survive tough economic times. How strong is your bank? Institution TheStreet.com financial strength Headquarters city rating Bauer financial star rating Total assets as of 3/31/07 (in thousands) Bank ratings from Th TheStreet.com uses l First quarter net income (in thousands) Bank of Prairie du Sac Prairie du Sac A+ $221,351 $950 Premier Bank Fort Atkinson A+ $232,664 $940 Bank of Sun Prairie Sun Prairie A $266,001 $719 Bankers Bank Madison A $287,099 $1,134 Farmers & Merchants State Bank Waterloo A $130,868 $301 Farmers State Bank Hillsboro Hillsboro A $75,014 $309 La Farge State Bank La Farge A $40,235 $259 Middleton Community Bank Middleton A $162,837 $529 Oregon Community B&TC Oregon A $184,268 $687 DMB Community Bank De Forest A- $244,215 $570 Citizens State B&TC Fort Atkinson B+ $108,047 $233 Steve Ploetz, president and CEO of the Bank of Prairie du Sac, attributed the high rating to steady growth and a diversified portfolio. In addition to the A+ rating, the Bank also has achieved sustained superiority status with Bauer Financial, another independent bank ratings firm, meaning it has earned five-star status for more than 16 years. For more than 90 years, the Bank of Prairie du Sac has served the Sauk Prairie communities. It is a community bank, locally owned with local decision making. Score Big with the Bank of Prairie du Sac s VISA Gold card! Our Visa Gold card now features Scorecard, offering you lots of chances to score big. Earn bonus points for every net dollar you spend Decisions made by people you know Serviced locally No annual fee And best of all, fabulous prizes! Visit to browse the many travel and brand-name merchandise prize options you can earn with each purchase you make. Call (608) to learn more about our special introductory offer. You ll be hitting it out of the park before you know it.

2 The Bank for Business Online Banking The Bank understands that time is money. With online banking for business coming this fall, we can help you manage your financial profile. When you bank online, you can increase efficiency, have more control at your fingertips, and more time left to grow your business. Online banking offers fast and flexible ways to manage your money and optimize cash flow, including: multiple disbursements payment options balance reporting Receive convenient, 24/7 accessibility along with the security you can expect from the Bank. Call (608) to learn more about online banking. Small Dollar Receipt Change A recent legislative change may now mean that you might not receive a receipt if you are performing a transaction that is $15 or less at some ATMs or point-of-sale terminals. 2 Agriculture 2007 Strong grain and dairy prices mixed with the unpredictable and challenging forces of nature have made 2007 a year to remember. Grains have offered great opportunities for a successful financial year, says Tommy Brennan, vice president, business development. Nothing in the agricultural industry ever happens in isolation. Veteran agricultural loan officer Noel McCormick points out that with the higher cost of grain, farmers in the western states generally milk fewer cows to save on feed costs, resulting in less milk production and therefore, higher milk prices not only in the West, but also the Midwest. It is all inter-related, Noel says. What happens nationally can impact prices in Sauk Prairie. Add to these facts record drought followed by a deluge of flooding and you have The weather brought us extremes, not only in Wisconsin, but nationally, says Tommy. The drought reduced overall yields and diminished the quality of silage. Despite the reduction in yields, 2007 saw more acres of corn raised than ever before. With this increase in corn production, came higher costs to cultivate crops. Most crop inputs are derived from energy and those costs are expected to continue to rise. Overall 2007 is a good year for agriculture, with a large dose of mother nature and the undeniable laws of supply and demand. The Bank of Prairie du Sac offers a full range of agricultural services. Tommy and Noel are available to assist farmers of every size and experience level. For more information, call (608)

3 Online Bill Pay Is New & Improved As part of the Bank s ongoing efforts to offer features to help make customers lives easier, in October online bill pay will be enhanced. Receive bills electronically Not only will you be able to pay bills online, but you will also be able to receive bills electronically, reducing mail time and use of paper. Establish alerts Enjoy enhanced recurring payment Features such as the ability to modify established recurring payments, set a start date and view pending payment information. Receive more information including: Totals in Pending Payments Confirmation number in payment history See the date when a check clears for electronic bill payments by check Financial Advisors Making Sense of their Designations When it comes to your retirement nest egg, choosing the right financial advisor is obviously a very important decision. But what certifications should you look for in your selection? Financial Advisors can have many different designations and unless you do some research on your own, a raft of fancy titles can easily be misleading. At last count there are now more than 90 different designations conferred by 72 associations. Many of these certifications require very little training and are no more than successful completion of a correspondence course. Others ensure that the professional has studied and practiced financial planning for an extended period of time. Some of the most rigorous financial training is offered through the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) program. There are more than 55,000 CFPs worldwide who have completed comprehensive coursework, passed a two-day exam, and have at least 3 years experience under their belts. A similar financial planning designation can be earned by state-licensed Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) who have at least 1400 hours in financial planning experience and also pass a rigorous examination. These CPAs are accredited as Personal Financial Specialists (PFS) and are rare birds as there are only about 2,500 of them. There are a host of designations with senior in the title, which are advertised as assisting people at retirement age regarding various aspects of financial planning. It is difficult to do Categorize payees by type of service (credit card, auto payment, etc.) Register for Online Bill Pay If you are not yet paying bills online, it is easy to register. 1. Enter Online Banking at 2. Select Bill Payment 3. The prompt Click here to sign up for Bill Payment will appear If you have questions or want to register for online banking, call the Bank at (608) Darwin F. Issacson, CPA, PFS has been with North Central Trust Company, located at 230 Front Street North in La Crosse, Wisconsin for 16 years and serves as Senior Vice President. North Central Trust Compay offers financial and estate planning, company retirement plans, investment accounts, trust and other financial services. Securities are not FDIC insured, no bank guarantee, may lose value, not a deposit, not insured by any Federal Government Agency. He can be reached at (608) or by at disaacson@northcentraltrust.com. research, as there is no central database that lets you punch in an advisor s name and pull up basic data such as age, investment performance, fees, or background information. However, it is possible to check with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) to see if a planner has run into problems with regulators or customers. Of course one of the best ways to find a good financial advisor is through word of mouth. Friends who have a long successful relationship with a financial advisor are a common starting point. Another good source of information would be from other professionals whom you trust such as your accountant, attorney, or personal banker. Remember, it s good to do a little legwork before taking someone s advice regarding your life savings. 5

4 Want Your Children To Be Good Savers? Check out Eaglee s Savers Club Area children are invited to participate in the Eaglee s Savers Club s Annual Halloween Party on Wednesday, October 31 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Bank of Prairie du Sac s main location. The annual event features games, education about the importance of saving money and candy and cookies. The Eaglee s Savers Club is open to kids 12 and under and helps teach good savings habits. A child can have his/her own account with a $10 minimum balance. All children who save at least $100 receive a stuffed Eaglee Eagle. For more information on the Eaglee s Savers Club, call or visit the Bank of Prairie du Sac. Holidays: A Time to Celebrate Christmas Open House Coming It s a holiday tradition worth keeping. Plan to attend the Bank of Prairie du Sac s Annual Christmas Open House on Friday, December 7 between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. The main location will feature the Friends of Sauk Prairie Hospital s Sunshine Patch gift sale throughout the day. Children will enjoy meeting Santa Claus from 4 to 5:30 p.m and creating a craft in Santa s workshop. Enjoy cookies, punch and door prizes at both the Prairie du Sac and Sauk City locations. Join us in welcoming a wonderful holiday season. Linda Oelke-McNamer Vice President Mortgage Lending Community Banks: Stable Loan Source The Bank of Prairie du Sac joins more than 5000 community banks nationwide November 5 through 9 to celebrate National Community Bank Mortgage Week. The purpose of the celebration is to remind consumers that community banks remain a stable source for mortgage and small business loans even as the national mortgage market is shaken by talk of a credit crunch. Despite the media coverage of mortgage woes and the inability to get loans, the Bank of Prairie du Sac has a variety of financing options to help individuals and families secure the home of their dreams, said Linda Oelke-McNamer, vice president mortgage lending. The Bank of Prairie du Sac is here for our community to not only help families get a mortgage loan, but help them get a mortgage loan they can afford for the long-term. Some segments of the mortgage market have seen an increase in foreclosures, but the Bank of Prairie du Sac is in solid shape and open for business, said Mike Jones, senior vice president lending. A credit crunch like we re seeing now is exactly why the nation needs the community banking industry to ensure that credit remains consistently and widely available in good times and bad. Today, consumers and communities can continue to rely on community banks for their financial needs. Jones says that the community banking business is weathering this latest crisis in the mortgage market because community banks are well run, highly capitalized and among the most highly regulated financial institutions in the country. 2 Mike Jones Senior Vice President Lending

5 Celebrating 90 Years of Community Banking Visit Us At Prairie du Sac Office 555 Park Avenue lobby: Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Friday 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. drive-up: Monday - Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Friday 8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Sauk City Office 865 Phillips Boulevard lobby: Monday - Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Friday 8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. drive-up: Monday - Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Friday 8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Visit our Internet Neighbors, too, directly through our Web site. CECY HAINES, INVESTMENT REPRESENTATIVE Please see page 3 for disclosure information SAUK PRAIRIE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Find out what s happening in our community. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Want the latest commodities prices? You ll find them here free. USA TODAY MARKET REPORT Get a different perspective on business and market news. LOCAL NEWS Channel3000 is our site for local, state and national news. Also check airline flights. VEHICLE PRICING GUIDE Edmunds, an automotive information resource, helps you be a smart buyer. STUDENT LOAN INFORMATION This site helps you estimate, then plan for, college costs. CREDIT CARD ACTIVITY INFORMATION On a secure site, check payments, activity, balance. VAL 24-hour telephone voice response system (608) or (800) Web site address bank@bankpds.com Telephone number Mailing address (608) P.O. Box 130 Prairie du Sac, WI Member FDIC Prairie du Sac 555 Park Avenue Sauk City 865 Phillips Boulevard PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 1 Prairie du Sac, WI 53578

6 Ask Cecy Cecy Q I recently changed jobs and I am not sure what my options are with my retirement plan. Also, I have two other former employers retirement plans still held with those companies. What are my options with those accounts? Can I combine them all? AFirst of all, congratulations on your new job! In answer to your questions, you have a couple of options with former employers retirement plans. The first option is to do nothing if the former employers allow you to remain in their plans. The second option is the option that most people choose and that is to rollover all former employers retirement plans into one Individual Retirement Account (IRA) account. With the rollover option you would have the advantage of having all of your retirement dollars in one place and would have control over how those assets are invested. Your underlying investment options would depend on your timeline, investment objectives and tolerance to risk. Working with an investment adviser will help you set retirement goals and plan a strategy that would work toward achieving your retirement objectives. Want to know more about investments? Retirement planning? What is an IRA? How to go about rolling over a 401(k) from a previous employer or more? Ask Cecy Haines, the Investment Representative at Park Avenue Investments, located in the Bank of Prairie du Sac, 555 Park Avenue, Prairie du Sac, WI This column will be a regular feature. Your questions are encouraged. Please send your questions to: Ask Cecy Bank of Prairie du Sac PO Box 130 Prairie du Sac, WI or them to: klanter@bankpds.com Note: Questions will be answered as time and space allows. Cecy Haines is a financial representative for Park Avenue Investments, located in the Bank of Prairie du Sac, 555 Park Avenue, Prairie du Sac, WI. She offers financial and estate planning, mutual funds, retirement plans, stocks, annuities, long-term care and life insurance as a Registered Representative of Commonwealth Financial Network - a member firm of FINRA/SIPC and a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and Advisory Services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network. Securities are not FDIC insured, no bank guarantee, may lose value, not a deposit, not insured by any Federal Government Agency. She can be reached at or at chaines@parkaveinvest.com. 3 New Web site to Debut The Bank of Prairie du Sac is rolling out a new Web site in December of Our current site is being redesigned to keep in step with the times. We know that the consumer needs to find useful information fast, says Karen Lanter, director of marketing. The new site will be more user friendly, require fewer clicks, including featuring the online banking login on the homepage. It will also be more interactive, featuring enhanced information and services.