Fall 2014 News and notes on living the good life...
COUNTRYMINUTE
EXPERIENCE THE BENEFIT OF OUR STORY– You have likely heard about GreenStone’s current 2.99 percent interest rate special on five year new real estate loans. What we haven’t been as vocal about is the service and benefits that comes with our nearly 100 years of experience. In looking back at those almost 100 years of service to our members, and looking forward to many more, we are excited by the vision of a centennial sign in our office similar to the signs we see along the countryside. It is the tradition and commitment the sign represents that makes what we
do every day seem better than the previous, and certainly more valuable than a one-time rate special. Having seen many lenders here today and gone tomorrow, we are confident that it is our partnerships with our members that have led us to greener grass both today and in the future. We have learned from our success and from our failures, but our history is only part of the story of who we are today. It is our Core Four Values that set us apart and the reason you, and thousands of others, have chosen to be a partner in our story.
Fall Safety Tips—
Customer First We have high standards of success at GreenStone and one of those measurements is customer satisfaction. We believe so highly in providing our members the opportunity to tell us how we are doing that we conduct a customer satisfaction survey each year and hold member meetings. Deliver Quality Our team of professionals are committed to being informed and Continued on page 2...
This Country Minute is brought to you by your local country living lender:
Fall is the perfect time for yard cleanup and preparing for the cold winter, but it is also important to remember to stay safe. Axe Safety
Caution on Ladders
Selecting the appropriate axe is a good place to start! For males, the ideal handle is typically around 30 inches and weighs about three pounds; females often require an axe approximately two pounds with a slightly shorter handle.
Choosing ladder that is the proper length to reach the needed working height is important to avoid injury. Wear appropriate footwear; wet boots or shoes can increase your risk of slipping. Place the ladder away from Continued on page 3...
Serving Michigan and Northeast Wisconsin with 36 locations
Two Ways the Affordable Care Act May Affect You By: Mark Koester, GreenStone Tax Accountant February and March of 2015 may be months of frustration and confusion for some because of two major items in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that came to fruition in 2014: 1) the Premium Tax Credit and 2) the Individual Shared Responsibility Payment. Premium Tax Credit Taxpayers with an income level greater than 100 percent and less than 400 percent of the poverty level, who purchase their insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace (Exchanges), may qualify for a refundable Premium Tax Credit. This means for a family of four to qualify for the credit for tax year 2014, income needs to range from $23,550 to $94,200. If you currently have insurance through the Exchanges, you may be getting advance payments of the premium tax credit. If your circumstances changed (family addition, marriage, income level change, etc.), the time is right for a checkup. Reporting the changes will help you avoid getting too much or too little advance payment of the premium tax credit.
The IRS has proposed regulations to have the Exchanges provide a written statement to the taxpayers enrolled in a qualified health plan through the Exchange. The Exchanges may use a Form 1095-A for this statement. This will affect 2014 if you qualified, and you will receive the Form 1095-A in January of 2015.
Individual Shared Responsibility The penalty for not having insurance has been judiciously named the individual shared responsibility provision. It requires you and each member of your family to either: • Have minimum essential coverage, or • Have an exemption from the responsibility to have minimum essential coverage, or
...Our Story continued
aware of markets and economic changes. By knowing what is on the horizon, we can ask the right questions when we are meeting with you to ensure we provide options that will best fit your needs.
our members are provided the necessary tools to be competitive in their markets. This stretches beyond our patronage program into loan conversion options and customized lending programs.
Get Involved GreenStone encourages and even provides time to all of our teammates to be involved in the communities where we work and live. Whether it is supporting 4-H and FFA youth, establishing a garden to benefit a food program, or helping Detroit reclaim their town by planting trees in the community, you know you can count on GreenStone to lend a hand in your community.
While our core values are all reasons we have partnerships that last multiple generations, these competitive advantages are amplified with special financing programs. GreenStone is pleased to offer you the opportunity to participate in a 2.99 percent five year interest rate special for all new real estate loans. This special runs through Dec. 31, 2014; do not wait to talk to your financial services officer in one of our local 36 branches, and let us reaffirm why you have chosen to be a part of the GreenStone story—service, value and so much more!
Do the Right Thing Being member-owned allows us to focus on being good stewards of investments, but also focus on ensuring
• Make a shared responsibility payment when you file your 2014 federal tax return in 2015.
If you or any of your dependents do not have minimum essential coverage and do not have an exemption, you will need to make an individual shared responsibility payment on your tax return. For 2014, the annual payment amount is the greater of: • One percent of your household income that is above the tax return filing threshold for your filing status, or • Your family’s flat dollar amount, which is $95 per adult and $47.50 per child, limited to a family maximum of $285.
As you can see, you need to be prepared to answer many questions about health insurance this year when filing your 2014 tax return. Call your local GreenStone tax accountant now to plan for your 2014 taxes!
TECH TIP—
Password Points Passwords are used everywhere these days and we know how important it is to make them secure! A strong password is the first defense against others gaining access to your personal information. Passwords are recommended to be at least eight characters long, use upper and lower case letters, contain at least one number, and/ or use special characters. Your password should not include your real name, company name, or a complete dictionary word. Each password should be different for each of your accounts and should not follow a pattern (Pa$$word1, Pa$$word2, etc.). While it may sound like a lot remember, utilities are available to help create and store passwords. The website https://strongpasswordgenerator.com can be used to generate strong passwords; and at http://keepass.info/index.html you can download KeePass to your computer to securely store passwords for reference when needed.
...Fall Safety Tips continued
RECIPE CORNER
electrical wires or other obstructions and on a flat surface; avoid ground that is bumpy, muddy or soft.
Fallen Leaves Keep your driveway and walkway clear of fallen leaves. Wet leaves can make the sidewalk slippery, and later in the season, snow may mix and increase this risk.
Grill-Roasted Apple and Pumpkin Bisque INGREDIENTS
Pruning Trees
Serves: 10 – 12 Prep time: 15 minutes Grilling time: 10 – 15 minutes
Before you begin trimming the trees in your yard, be sure to look up and survey the area carefully. Pay attention to where power lines are located and double check the limbs you cut will not interfere.
Grill the apple halves, cut sides down, 10 to 15 minutes over direct medium heat (350° to 450°F) with the lid closed until nicely browned and the skins start to pop off, turning once. Then remove the skins, and chop into large pieces.
Outdoor Decorations
In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the butter and sauté the celery, onion, and carrot until the onion is translucent. Add the apples and cider. Simmer until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the pumpkin and cream; return to a simmer and then add the allspice and nutmeg.
Prior to adding festive décor to your house this holiday season, inspect all lights, decorations, and cords for damage. Avoid overloading electrical outlets and remember to turn off all decorations before leaving the home or going to sleep to avoid fires. Sources: www.lovetheoutdoors.com
Puree until smooth. Heat through. Season with salt and pepper.
2 Granny Smith apples, halved and cored ½ cup unsalted butter 1 rib celery, diced 1 small onion, diced 1 small carrot, diced 1 quart apple cider 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin 1 quart heavy whipping cream 1½ teaspoons ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Source: http://www.weber.com/ recipes/veggies/grill-roasted-apple-andpumpkin-bisque
Customized Convenience at your Fingertips…
MY ACCESS IS NOW LIVE! My Access hit the cyber waves a month ago. Since that time, GreenStone’s existing Online Banking customers have been making the switch to the new, single sign-in system. While these users gain direct access to their Online Banking account, they have also opened the door to a variety of useful tools designed to take their local GreenStone relationship one step further. File Exchange Through My Access, File Exchange is a twoway communication tool where documents can be sent and received securely between you and GreenStone staff members.
My Documents With the use of My Documents, you may have access to view and download specific documents GreenStone has securely stored.
My Alerts Take control and set alerts to be sent to any email or mobile phone number you desire. Based on the type of loans you have, you can establish custom email and/or text alerts for the available line of credit or loan
maturity date. You can also set alerts to be notified when documents are received through File Exchange.
Online Banking Manage your account 24 hours a day with GreenStone’s Online Banking system available through My Access. The simplicity of these user-based solutions within this portal make managing information, accounts and communication with GreenStone more convenient than ever. With 36 offices throughout Michigan and northeast Wisconsin, GreenStone is committed to being your local financial partner.
Don’t wait! Enroll today and begin experiencing these online benefits with GreenStone! ENROLL Today
➊ Go to www.greenstonefcs.com ➋ Select ‘My Access’ under the ‘Account Login’ dropdown found in the top right corner of the site
➌ Click the ‘Enroll Now’ button Note: Previous online banking customers should follow the steps already provided.
3515 West Rd. East Lansing, MI 48823
COUNTRYMINUTE Inside this issue: - Benefits of GreenStone - Fall Safety Tips - Affordable Care Act
- Apple and Pumpkin Bisque - My Access - Member notes
GREENSTONE MEMBER NOTES Satisfied Customers
Customers who receive the Country Minute do not receive GreenStone’s agricultural member publication, Partners. Therefore, the following is a snippet of news and feature stories found in the most recent issue of Partners. More information and complete articles can be viewed at www. GreenStoneFCS.com by selecting “Publications” found under the “News and Media” drop down.
GreenStone scored a 95 percent satisfaction rating on the 2014 survey. That makes thirteen consecutive years that our customers have rated GreenStone with a satisfaction score above 90 percent.
$12,000 in Scholarships: Students across the country have now settled into their educational year to become one step closer to their career goals. GreenStone is proud to assist six college freshmen continue their pursuit of a degree related to agriculture at Michigan State University (MSU) and the University of Wisconsin (UW).
GreenStone Office Updates Bad Axe, Michigan: A new office will be built on South Van Dyke
Road in Bad Axe. Construction began in August with the move planned for early 2015. Schoolcraft, Michigan: Construction will start soon for a new office at the same location. The completion is anticipated in Spring 2015. Alma, Michigan: In 2015, a new office will be constructed on West Monroe Road in Alma.
Defining your Appointed Directors Within your association’s 16 board directors sit two appointed directors. GreenStone’s appointed directors, Dennis Muchmore and Gene College, share their perspective on the role of their appointed director position and
www.greenstonefcs.com
the expertise they bring to our cooperative members.
Land Values Increasing, Sales Slowing GreenStone recently completed a study of real estate land value trends. For the 12 month time period ending June 30, 2014, land values have continued to trend higher in all categories with an average increase of 11 percent. Data from the last six months in the study may indicate the market is softening.
Something to Share Have something on your mind or kudos to give? Take a minute and send your “Candid Comment’ or “Pause for Applause” to marketing@greenstonefcs.com.