BI-WEEKLY Volume 24, Number 9 - March 4, 2011

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940-766-0266

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 PROTECT
YOUR
IDENTITY
ONLINE

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 HURRY - OFFER ENDS SOON!
401 N. Scott Avenue
Wichita Falls TX 76306
Phone: 940.322.4121
Fax: 940.716.9333

*Finance offer subject to credit approval, applies to purchases of new Yamaha Motorcycles, ATVs & Scooters made on a Yamaha Installment Financing loan account from 7/1/10-9/30/10. Minimum
contract length is 24 months and maximum length is 36 months. Minimum amount financed is $5,000. Fixed APR of 3.99%, 5.99%, 8.99%, or 14.99% will be assigned based on credit approval
criteria. Monthly payments per $1,000 financed based on 36 month term are $29.52 at 3.99%, $30.42 at 5.99%, $31.80 at 8.99%, and $34.66 at 14.99%. **Customer Cash offer good on select
2010 (and prior year) models between 6/1/10-9/30/10. Offer good only in the U.S., excluding the state of Hawaii. Professional riders with advanced skills on closed course. Some models
shown with optional accessories. Dress properly for your ride with a helmet, eye protection, gloves and boots. Do not drink and ride. It is illegal and dangerous. Yamaha and the Motorcycle
Safety Foundation encourage you to ride safely and respect the environment. For further information regarding the MSF course, please call 1-800-446-9227. ATVs with engine sizes over 90cc
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or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety: Always avoid paved surfaces. Never ride on public roads. Always wear a helmet, eye
protection and protective clothing; never carry passengers; never engage in stunt riding; riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix; avoid excessive speed; and be particularly careful on difficult terrain.
©2010 Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A. All rights reserved. yamaha-motor.com

Page 4
Looking For Love Online? Simple Steps To Protect Your Identity
had provided their Social Security numbers or
bank account information to people they met
online.”

Even sharing such seemingly innocuous in-

formation as your full name, age, birthday and
home town could give identity thieves an op-
portunity to take advantage of you. Nearly 30
percent of those surveyed provided their home
address to a potential match, and almost 75 per-
cent revealed their birth date.

If you’ll be looking for love online this Valen-

tine’s Day, keep these safety tips in mind:

* Start out by being a bit mysterious. Do not in-

(ARA) - Long gone are the days when no one wanted to clude your full name, hometown, home address, work spe-
admit to frequenting online dating sites. Today, millions of cifics, phone numbers, educational background, and specif-
Americans interact, meet, date - and even marry - thanks to ics about your children in your profile, and don’t share that
dating sites. Unfortunately, not everyone you might meet information with a prospective match until you’ve estab-
online is looking for romance. lished a level of familiarity and trust. And there is never
a reason to share your Social Security number, financial
Some are looking to cheat unsuspecting love-seekers out of information or bank account numbers with someone you
their valuable personally identifiable information which is meet online.
then used for identity theft.
* Investigate. Don’t assume a prospective match is always
“The popularity of online dating has opened the floodgates being truthful. Conduct background work on sites like
of opportunity for identity thieves eager to capitalize on LinkedIn, Facebook or Google to see if conflicting infor-
the trusting nature of individuals looking to make a per- mation exists. And be especially wary of requests for loans
sonal connection,” says Jennifer Leuer, general manager or assistance of any kind.
of ProtectMyID. “Online daters need to take identity theft
protection steps to ensure the only thing they lose through * Consider enrolling in an identity theft protection product
dating is their ‘single’ status.” like ProtectMyID, which monitors your credit and alerts
you to more than 50 indicators of fraud, allowing you to
From paid online services to chatrooms, message boards quickly know if your identity has been compromised. Pro-
and virtual communities, anyone looking for a mate online tectMyID also uses daily Internet scanning to determine
has many choices for finding that special someone via the if your information appears on suspect sites or chatrooms
Internet. Unfortunately, few adults take appropriate pre- that specialize in trafficking stolen credit card numbers.
cautions to protect their personally identifiable information Identity theft resolution agents provide personal assistance
when dating online. In fact, nearly half of online daters do to resolve identity theft issues and help in the event your
not take steps to verify the authenticity of a potential match wallet is lost or stolen.
before communicating, according to a 2010 survey by Im-
pulse Research on behalf of ProtectMyID. “Many people are connecting online safely, happily and
successfully,” Leuer says. “By taking steps to proactively
“Imagine meeting the ideal partner online and then discov- protect your identity while dating online, you can improve
ering that his or her only motivation is to swindle financial your chances of avoiding the wrong people while you’re
information from an unsuspecting person,” Leuer says. looking for Mr. or Ms. ‘Right.’”
“Shockingly, nearly 10 percent of those surveyed said they

Page 5
Page 6
Will New School Lunch Programs Discourage Kids From Eating Their Veggies?
(ARA) - School lunches will be changing, thanks to “Based upon these results, it is likely that policies
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s complete over- promoting population-wide restriction of salt in foods
haul of federally subsidized school lunch programs. may result in significant segments of the population
But will all the changes be for the better? Possibly responding by avoiding the more bitter, but far more
not, according to some experts and studies. nutritious food choices or simply reaching for the salt
shaker to make bitter better,” Satin says.
The changes, implemented over a period of years, aim
to limit calories, reduce sodium and increase the con- In the United Kingdom similar actions backfired.
sumption of vegetables and whole grains. “Improved Their government outlawed the use of salt in schools
nutrition is a laudable goal, but the realities of sci- in 2005. Writing in the UK Telegraph, journalist Paul
ence and nutrition may surprise the government,” says Eastham complained that, since the school ban on
Morton Satin of the Salt Institute in Alexandria, Va. saltshakers, his 14-year-old daughter stopped eating
“Scientific studies show that kids are more likely to vegetables, because they were so bland.
eat their vegetables if they have adequate salt.”
“All the goodness they promise to deliver remains un-
“The promotion of healthy food choices in schools touched on the plate - a complete waste of nutrients,
should be driven by knowledge and understanding of health potential and money - all because they remain
science and nutrition,” Satin says. Dark green veg- unpalatable,” Eastham wrote. “My daughter might not
etables are among the most nutritious foods. However, touch the ‘bland’ vegetables at school, but at home -
they all contain very bitter phytochemicals that affect where she is allowed to use salt - she clears her plate.”
their palatability. Broccoli is a perfect example. Add-
ing salt to these vegetables makes them taste much bet- The World Health Organization points to iodized salt
ter. “There is a natural concern by some as to whether as key to eliminating iodine deficiency disorders, one
the current salt reduction ideology may end up having of the most common - and preventable - world-wide
a negative impact on nutritious food choices and over- causes of brain damage. The WHO calls iodized salt
all health,” Satin adds. a “spectacularly simple, universally effective, wild-
ly attractive and incredibly cheap ‘weapon’ against
A recent research paper from the University of Penn- childhood mental retardation.”
sylvania examined the response of tasters to varying
amounts of salt in a range of foods that were naturally “Salt is a necessary nutrient,” Satin notes. “Without
bitter, including vegetables and other foods deemed to adequate intake, serious consequences arise. If the
be healthy. Reducing the salt intake made these foods United States continues down a path of forced sodium
less appealing, and as a result adversely affected the reduction, with no recognition of the science indicat-
tasters’ nutrient intake. ing many negative effects of such reduction, Ameri-
can children may have more serious worries than
In another double-blind taste panel study conducted bland food and a diet lacking in vegetables. In some
at Ohio State University, cooked broccoli was fed to countries where pregnant women and children do not
individuals from three different age groups: children, consume enough iodized salt, cognitive development
adults and senior citizens. The broccoli florets were is a serious problem in children. This is a problem
prepared with different levels of salt and the results remedied many years ago in the United States through
made it clear that, even though participants were un- the iodization of salt.”
aware as to which sample was which, salt significant-
ly increased broccoli’s palatability. Both children and While proponents of the school lunch sodium reduc-
seniors liked broccoli better with more salt on it -- up tion campaign may have the best of intentions for
to 350 mg per 85 g serving of broccoli, the highest children, some science and health experts are skepti-
level of salt used for these two groups. For both chil- cal. “I predict a lot of salad and vegetables will go
dren and adults, the broccoli’s bitterness decreased as in the trash can at local schools,” says Lisa Katic, a
the level of salt increased. registered dietician. “This will not help us improve
childhood nutrition.”
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Page 8
Don’t Overlook These Tax Breaks On Your 2010 Return
(ARA) - Every year, taxpayers miss out on hundreds or
thousands of dollars in tax breaks simply because they
don’t know the benefits exist.
“Figuring out what tax breaks are available, whether you
qualify, and what forms you need can be tricky,” says Jessi
Dolmage of TaxACT, makers of tax preparation software.
Dolmage offers some tips for taking advantage of com-
monly missed deductions and credits:
* Be rewarded for contributing to your employer-spon-
sored retirement plan or an individual retirement arrange-
ment (IRA). The Retirement Savings Contributions Credit
is worth up to $1,000 for taxpayers born before Jan. 2,
1992 ($2,000 for joint filers). The non-refundable credit is
a percentage of the qualifying contribution amount minus
distribution amounts, with the highest rates given to lower
incomes.

* If you paid for child care in 2010, you may be eligible
for the Child and Dependent Care Credit. Day care, pre-
kindergarten, before-school and after-school programs and
summer day camp for children 13 or younger qualify. The
care must have been provided so that you, and your spouse,
if filing jointly, could work or look for work (exceptions
apply for full-time students and the disabled).
The credit amount varies based on filing status and adjust-
ed gross income, but the maximum benefit is 35 percent of
expenses for joint filers with an adjusted gross income of
$15,000. Eligible expenses are reduced by dependent care
benefits provided by your employer that you deduct or ex-
clude from your income. Payment for care cannot be paid
to a spouse, a dependent on your return, or to a child who
will not be age 19 or older by the end of the year even if he
or she is not your dependent; thus, care provider(s) must be
identified on your return.
* 2010 is the last year to claim the Nonbusiness Energy
Credit, worth up to 30 percent of the costs for many ener-
gy-efficient home improvements. Up to $1,500 for 2009
and 2010 combined can be claimed, but only for the
year during which the improvements were made.
Other green improvements like solar hot water prop-
erty, geothermal heat pumps and wind energy prop-
erty may qualify for the Residential Energy Efficient
Property Credit.
* If you spent money looking for a job in the same field
during 2010, you may qualify for a miscellaneous deduc-
tion. Employment agency fees, resume printing and post-
age costs and travel to and from the area (if the travel was
primarily to look for a new job) are eligible. You aren’t
eligible if you’re looking for your first job or there was
substantial time between the end of your last job and the
time you looked for a new one.
“Affordable, do-it-yourself tax software and online solu-
tions make getting all your credits and deductions easy
and fast,” Dolmage says. “The program walks you through
each credit and deduction, and completes the necessary
forms. Solutions like TaxACT also guarantee your biggest
refund and make getting every credit and deduction you
deserve easy.”
Details about these and other 2010 tax breaks can be found
at www.irs.gov. TaxACT Free Federal Edition, available
at www.taxact.com, guides you through these tax benefits,
and allows you to prepare, print and e-file your federal re-
turn free.

* If you travel in order to provide services at chari-

table events, you may be able to take a miscellaneous
deduction. Deductible expenses include transporta-
tion costs, out-of-pocket expenses for your car, taxi
fares or other costs of transportation between the air-
port or station, and your hotel, lodging and meals.
The trip should include little to no personal recre-
ation or vacation. Be sure to keep receipts and de-
tailed documentation.

Page 9
Experience counts. And, when
it comes to making a business
decision that impacts your
company’s performance, you
want an experienced banker by
your side. Matching the right
financial product with your most
immediate business need in the
timeliest manner possible is what
Fidelity bankers do best. Put
our experience to work for you!
Contact a Fidelity Banker today.

Wichita Falls-Kell Wichita Falls-Downtown Burkburnett

2525 Kell Blvd, Ste 100 909 8th Street, Ste 101 301 South Ave D
940.763.2100 940.322.5600 940.569.9000

Danny Cremeens
Sr. Vice President

Tommy McCulloch
President & CEO

Page 10
Metro Areas With The Best And Worst Credit Ratings
(ARA) - Did you know that where you live, might be an
indicator of your credit score?
Just as students around the country receive their aca-
demic grades throughout the school year, TransUnion
recently revealed a ranking of metropolitan areas with
the best and worst credit grades in the country. The met-
ropolitan area at the very top of the class is the Minneap-
olis-St. Paul region, which includes the Twin Cities and
surrounding areas in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Ranking
lowest is the Memphis, Tenn. metropolitan area, which
includes the city of Memphis and surrounding areas in
Arkansas and Mississippi.
The ranking is the first of its kind from TransUnion,
which determined the five metropolitan statistical areas
with the largest percentage of As, and Fs, based upon the
VantageScore credit scoring model. VantageScore is a
highly predictive and consistent consumer credit scoring
model first developed by all three major credit reporting
companies together. Consumer scores fall within a range
of 501 to 990, with higher scores representing a lower
likelihood of risk. At TransUnion.com, each score deliv-
ered is accompanied by a letter grade (901 to 990 scores
receive an A, 900 to 801 ratings a B, 800 to 701 ratings a
C, 700 to 601 ratings a
D, and 600 to 501 rat-
ings an F).
obtain at TransUnion.com is so beneficial. If my grade is
an A, I innately understand that means a lender is likely
to view my creditworthiness in a very positive light; and
that’s primarily what I want to know.”
Whether your credit receives high grades or could use
some work, TransUnion provides the following tips to
keeping your credit healthy:
* Study your situation. Proactively manage your credit
and risk for identity theft with an ongoing credit monitor-
ing product. This will help you understand your financial
situation. Then create a plan to position yourself better in
the eyes of the lender.
* Don’t be tardy with your payments. A history of late
payments - even by a few days - can potentially harm
your credit score.
* Manage your debts. Keeping high balances relative
to credit limits on key credit accounts can likely have
a negative impact on a score, so concentrate on paying
down debt. As a rule of thumb, keep these balances at or
below 30 percent of your total available credit to present
the best possible financial image to lenders. Set budget

“Because lenders have

so many scoring mod-
els at their disposal,
it’s rare when the
credit score they re-
ceive for a consumer
and the score the con-
sumer obtains for him-
self actually match,
and that causes a lot
of confusion,” says
Heather Battison, di-
rector of education for
TransUnion consumer
products. “That’s why
the A to F academic-
style letter grade that
comes with every Van-
tageScore consumers

Page 11
 goals and use only cash if you can’t seem to master your card, you should expect that an inquiry will appear on
credit card habit. your credit report. Frequent credit card inquiries can
make it look like you have a cash flow problem and
* Give yourself time. Long-term credit relationships and may lower your credit score. However, when you shop
a diverse mix of credit accounts may help you achieve a for mortgage or auto loan rates over a two to three week
higher credit score. Avoid closing credit cards and other period, credit scoring models typically factor the result-
accounts that have been paid on time over a long peri- ing inquiries together as a single item. This enables you
od, as it can make your credit history appear shorter and to shop for favorable loan rates with minimal impact to
could affect your score. your credit score.

* Limit inquiries. Every time you apply for a new credit

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Solving The College Cost Dilemma
(ARA) - You can find a lot of information - sometimes con-
fusing - about the cost of a college education. By some
reports, it can cost $50,000 per year to earn a bachelor’s
degree.
On the other hand, according to the College Board, half of
all full-time students attending public and private not-for-
profit colleges pay less than $8,700 per year in tuition and
fees. Despite these extremes, the cost of higher education
is increasing at an alarming pace.
According to the same College Board report, the average
annual tuition and fees at all schools (public, private, for-
profit and not-for-profit) rose as much as 6 percent last year.
At these levels, amid calls for a higher degree completion
rate among Americans, it’s justifiable to be concerned over
mounting student loan debt.
Expense verses investment
While not a defense of high tuition, an important step in
reconciling this dilemma is to realize that a college educa-
tion is an investment - for individuals and the nation - not
an expense.
According to 2008 Census data, the median earnings of
someone with only a high school diploma is $27,448, com-
pared to the median income of $47,853 for those with a
bachelor’s degree. Perhaps more important, those with a
bachelor’s degree tend to stay employed. The current un-
employment rate for those with a degree is less than 5 per-
cent.
In addition to enriching the intellectual capital of indi-
viduals and our country, it is also reported that the typi-
cal college graduate pays 80 percent more in total fed-
eral, state, and local taxes than a high school graduate.
Alternatives for achieving an educated America
There are practical alternatives to keeping a college de-
gree within the reach and budget of all, solutions that
are real, present and useable today.
* Be a strategic educational consumer. Attending a
community college is a practical way of saving on tu-
ition while preparing for later entry into a “flagship”
bachelor’s program. Attending a “blue chip” institution
can carry value beyond instruction alone. However,
Page 13
less expensive institutions can offer similar or even better
educational outcomes.
* Satisfy general education requirements through online
study, credit by examination, or at a community college.
Costs often are less, and most four-year institutions will
accept credits in transfer.
* Attend summer-term classes or take transferable courses
online. Accelerate time to degree completion and to full-
time employment. A “four-year” degree can be earned in
less than three years of year-round, full-time study.
* Take advantage of being an adult student. For those who
have some college but no degree, the best bet may be an
accredited, nonprofit institution like Excelsior College. Ex-
celsior combines affordable tuition with the acceptance of
prior credit from other colleges and universities for trans-
fer students, military and corporate training programs that
have been evaluated for college-level credit, and its own
credit-by-exam program to help students finish what they
started in degrees from its Schools of Business and Tech-
nology, Health Science, Nursing or Liberal Arts.
President Barack Obama has challenged the nation to once
again lead the world in the number of adults with college
degrees. To achieve this goal, a degree must be both af-
fordable and accessible. And, higher education itself must
be open to innovative, academically sound models to meet
this challenge. Otherwise, Americans can expect to see
their standard of living fall and more jobs move abroad in
search of more highly educated workers.
 ♦Smoking/Non-Smoking Rooms
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Wichita Falls, TX 76301

940-767-9700
Page 15
 Abbey
Ave. M
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Page 18
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Page 21
Experience counts. And, when
it comes to making a business
decision that impacts your
company’s performance, you
want an experienced banker by
your side. Matching the right
financial product with your most
immediate business need in the
timeliest manner possible is what
Fidelity bankers do best. Put
our experience to work for you!
Contact a Fidelity Banker today.

Wichita Falls-Kell Wichita Falls-Downtown Burkburnett

2525 Kell Blvd, Ste 100 909 8th Street, Ste 101 301 South Ave D
940.763.2100 940.322.5600 940.569.9000

Danny Cremeens
Sr. Vice President

Tommy McCulloch
President & CEO

Page 23
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