Check out our new checking account options. «XFIRST», we re making some changes.

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1 November/ December 2012 Calendar of Events: From October 26 to November 7, you will be unable to reach me. During this time, Winona customers interested in signing up for future activities or pay for an upcoming event can contact Jane Knothe at (507) or Lisa Rae Skalicky at (507) or (800) October 26 to November 7: Canada & Colonial America Cruise November 4: Daylight Savings Ends November 6: Election Day November 11: Veteran s Day November 15: Perfect Marriage - Old Log Theater, Excelsior, MN November 22: Thanksgiving All Facilities Closed November 26: Christmas Party, Elks Club, Winona November 29: Movie Day Winona 7 Theatre, Winona December 1: Scrooge The Musical Fireside Dinner Theatre, Ft. Atkinson, WI December 4: Bachman s Christmas/Burnsville Center Check out our new checking account options New Checking Account Options for Premier Club and Premier Club Plus «XFIRST», we re making some changes. Those of you with Premier Club and Premier Club Plus checking accounts will recall that Merchants notified you in July of changes that would be taking place in your accounts. We re happy to provide you with some additional details now. Effective November 15, your account will change to Relationship Checking. You will receive more information by mail, but here is an overview of the Relationship Checking benefits: Relationship Checking: Our new Relationship Checking will continue to reward customers with discounts on products and services, and you ll continue to earn interest on your account. You will not incur a $10 monthly service charge when you maintain a $1,500 balance in the account, or a total deposit and/or loan balance of $15,000 or more. For those who do not currently have that amount in relationships with the bank and would like to avoid the monthly service charge, here are some good options: o o Consider opening a CD or another type of additional relationship with Merchants We have our Free Checking account available, as we always have, with no minimum balance required or monthly service charge. Please note that our Free Checking accounts will now carry a $2 monthly fee for check images returned with a paper statement. The fee can be avoided by accessing the check images through Online Banking. echecking: echecking is another great option for those of you who do most of your banking electronically. For instance, if you use ATMs outside of the Merchants network or you do not have access to Kwik Trip stores, Merchants will waive the first three foreign ATM charges every month. Those are usually $2 each. As mentioned, you ll be receiving more detailed information by mail, but if you have any questions before that, please give our Customer Service Representatives a call. Their contact information is listed on the back page of this newsletter.

2 Merchants Events & Adventures Page 2 of 6 Upcoming Events Friday, October 26 to Wednesday, November 7: Cruise Canada & Colonial America A group of Premier Club members will enjoy the idyllic landscapes and stroll history-filled streets on a magnificent voyage from Quebec, Canada to New England and ending up in Fort Lauderdale. Princess Cruise Line brings the best of this Thursday, November 15: A Perfect Marriage Old Log Theater, Excelsior, MN Join us on Thursday, November 15, as we head up to the Old Log Theater for a Perfect Marriage. A man wakes up in the bridal suite on his Wedding morning to find an attractive girl in bed beside him. Then his bride-to-be arrives to dress for the wedding and in the ensuing panic that girl is locked in Thursday, November 29: Movie Day It s Movie Day again at the Winona 7 Theatre. Join us on Thursday, November 29, for a free movie, refreshments and door prizes. Refreshments will be served at 8:30 a.m., followed by the movie at 9:30 a.m. The theatre manager has requested dazzling region, from the natural beauty of Maine s Acadia National Park and the breathtaking St. Lawrence River to cities like vibrant Boston and charming Newport. We will be making stops in Sydney, the bathroom. The crisis accelerates to nuclear levels by the time the mother of the bride and others arrive. This rare combination of riotous farce and touching love story has provoked waves of laughter across Europe and America. Cost is $67 and includes transportation, a tip for Monday, November 26: Annual Christmas Party The Annual Christmas Party. will be held on Monday, November 26, at the Elks Lodge #327 (4540 N Service Dr.) in Winona. The doors will open at 4:45 p.m. We will be having a sitdown dinner of pork loin and all the fixings, prepared by the Steak Shop. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed with entertainment by the Cotter Senior High Choir. We will also have a drawing for 4 free dinners provided by the Elks Club. The more non-perishable items you bring for the 10 Days of Giving the more chances you will have to win. Santa will Sunday, June 10 Minnesota Twins at Target Field Minneapolis, MN that the doors be locked until 8:30 a.m., so please do not come until then. The cleaning crew is busy cleaning from the evening before, and we do not want to interfere with their duties. We will not know the name of the movies until November 23. Sunday, June 10 Minnesota Twins at Target Field Minneapolis, MN We re heading back to the Fireside Dinner Theatre for the Christmas show Scrooge The Musical on Saturday, December 1. For two decades The Fireside Theatre has been the number one choice for Christmas entertainment for hundreds of thousands of happy theatre-goers. So who but The Fireside could present this merry, sparkling, tuneful, boisterous, big Cape Breton Islands, Halifax, Bar Harbor, Boston, Newport, Manhattan, Charleston and the final stop in Fort Lauderdale. We will travel from October 26 to November 7 on this fantastic fall excursion. the driver, refreshments on the coach, lunch (tax & gratuity), and the performance. The deadline to sign up and pay for this trip was October 15. The audience roared with delight The Green Bay Gazette be back and there will be fun for everyone. It s a great way to get into the holiday spirit! Cost for The cost for this event is $13; non-members is $16. The deadline to sign up and pay for the Party is November 21. Please make reservations by Monday, November 26, so I have some idea when ordering refreshments. If you do not make reservations, your name will not be in the drawing for door prizes. Saturday, Dec. 1: Scrooge The Musical Fireside Dinner Theatre, Ft. Atkinson, WI Sunday, June 10 Minnesota Twins at Target Field Minneapolis, MN Broadway musical version of the world s most beloved Christmas story Dickens A CHRISTMAS CAROL? Based on the popular musical movie starring Albert ( Scrooge continued on page 3)

3 Page 3 of 6 Upcoming Events (cont d) Saturday, Dec. 1: Scrooge The Musical Fireside (Cont d from page 2) Finney, SCROOGE THE MUSICAL tells this time honored tale of redemption and love with a beautiful and rousing musical score (including the wellknown Thank You Very Much ), breath-taking dancing, gorgeous costumes, uproarious comedy, and heart-warming drama. Cost Sunday, December 9: Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears Go Vikings We re off to the Mall of America Field to help cheer the Minnesota Vikings on to a victory. We will be traveling to Minneapolis on Sunday, December 9, to watch the Minnesota Vikings play the Chicago Bears (12:00 noon). Our seats are in section 225 rows 9 through 11. Miss Monica and her band, The Bunkhouse Boys invite you to spend Christmas On The Ranch. Sing along to your favorite Christmas Classics like: Two Step Round the Christmas Tree, The Cowboy s Christmas Ball and Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy. You ll delight in the wit and wisdom For club members is $101; non-members is $111. Cost includes transportation, a tip for the driver, refreshments on the coach, lunch (tax & gratuity), and the performance. The deadline to sign up and pay for this trip is November 1. Space is still available; please give me a call if you are interested in attending. Tuesday, December 4: Bachman s Christmas/ Burnsville Center We have a super day planned for our Christmas Get-A-Way. We re heading up to Minneapolis on Tuesday, December 4. Our first stop will be at Bachman s Flower & Gift Shop for a little Christmas shopping and then we re off to the Burnsville Center for an afternoon of more Christmas shopping. Stores at Burnsville Center include: Macy s, Macy s, J.C. Penney s, Sears and 120 other shops. You are on your own for lunch. Cost for club members is $23; non-members is $33. Cost includes transportation, a tip for the driver and refreshments on the coach. The deadline to sign up and pay for this trip is November 12. Cost is $97 and includes transportation, a tip for the driver and refreshments on the coach and reserved seating tickets. The deadline to sign up and pay for this trip is November 9. This trip is full, but do not hesitate to put your name on the waiting list. Thursday, December 13: Christmas On The Ranch Plymouth Playhouse of colorful characters like Big Finn, Sheriff Andy, Long Tall Joey and Little Jenna. They ll share some of their favorite cowboy jokes and stories and you might even get involved in the action. On Thursday, December 13, ( Christmas On The Ranch continued on page 5) Merchants Events & Adventures Pumpkin Bread Pudding 1 loaf cinnamon-raisin bread, torn into small pieces 4 eggs 1 cup milk 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup chopped pecans, optional 1 jar caramel ice cream topping Place bread pieces into buttered 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Beat eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Pour evenly over bread. Sprinkle pecans on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm. Warm caramel topping and drizzle over each serving. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

4 Merchants Events & Adventures Page 4 of 6 Merchants Investment Services To the Victor Go the Spoils What are the spoils and how do we become the victor? These are two questions that most investors ask when considering their investing approach, not necessarily in those words. What most investors are asking is, What s the BEST investment to be in, or, What is the magic bullet, or, What is a good investment right now? These are all frequently asked questions, and while they may appear sound, they are questions all born of the same breed: market timing & speculation. To address the impossible feat of attempting to time the markets and to suggest an alternative, below are my 3 D s of investing. Diversification (& Asset Allocation): Financial Advisor and prominent writer, Nick Murray, coined the following mantra and it nicely sums up diversification, in a no-nonsense kind of way. Nick states, While we never want to own enough of one thing to ever make a killing on it, we also never want to own enough of one thing to ever get killed by it. Doesn t that make logical sense? Spreading holdings around among stocks, bonds, cash, alternatives and sectors, according to your personal risk tolerance, age and personal needs, makes logical sense and fulfills the first D ; Diversification. Determination: Can you put your head down, ignore CNBC shouting at you and when things get tough, refer back to your original financial plan? If you can, that s determination. We are constantly bombarded with news media experts, who have no accountability to your success, telling you what you should and shouldn t be investing in. Having the determination to tune them out, stay fixed on your investing plan, and follow through, should give you a better probability of success and allow you to sleep better at night. Diligence: The market has no doubt, felt quite turbulent over the last 5, 10, even 20 years. We can readily access information about the market s performance, but how has the INVESTOR done over this time-frame and beyond? To answer this, a study done by DALBAR, Inc. found over the past 20 years (since we are longterm investors), to 2012, the average equity mutual fund INVESTOR has seen a 3.49% return. Over this same time-frame, the S&P 500 has returned 7.81%. So what happened? There are many hypotheses out there, but the most probable answer tends to draw the blame on investor behavior. The average investor felt fearful at market lows, and sold, while feeling euphoric at market highs, and perhaps bought. We all know we are supposed to buy low and sell high, right? In fact, all we really had to do was hang on. In all, the 3 D s give a few guidelines to follow on our investing journey since there are no guarantees with the stock market. So what are the spoils and how do we become the victor? As a financial advisor, I d call the spoils a sound plan, a peace of mind and the 3 D s. The victor then, must be you following the 3 D s, sleeping well at night, and often referring back to one of the most important pieces of investing, your plan. Written by Jamie R. Pomeroy Source: DALDBAR, Inc. The Quantitative Analysis of Investor Behavior, 2012

5 Page 5 of 6 Merchants Events & Adventures Upcoming Events (cont d) Thursday, December 13: Christmas On The Ranch Plymouth Playhouse (Cont d from page 3) we head up to the Plymouth Playhouse for an afternoon performance of Christmas On The Ranch. We re heading to the Fireside Dinner Theatre for the performance of the Sizzlin 60 s on Saturday, January 26. The 1960 s was the most creative, the most turbulent, the most exciting, and the most entertaining decade of the last half of the 20th Century. It was an era of new styles, new ideas, and fabulous new music. It was the era of The Beatles; The Beach Boys; The Rolling Stones; The Association; Chicago; The Doors; Crosby, Cost for Premier members is $63; non-members is $73. Cost includes transportation, a tip for the driver, refreshments on the Stills and Nash; Simon and Garfunkel; Peter, Paul and Mary; as well as the Motown sound of The Temptations, The Supremes, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, and Aretha Franklin and much, much more! This season we continue our tradition of spectacular live band and The Fireside Band and a cast of talented singers and dancers in a dazzling, fastmoving, sizzlin extravaganza. The cost for this trip is $101; Merchants Bank credit card customers is $93; and noncustomer is $111. Cost includes transportation, a tip for the driver, Friday, October 26 to Wednesday, shows November with a tribute to 7 that Cruise Canada refreshments & Colonial on the America coach, lunch unforgettable decade! From the (tax & gratuity), and the creator of VIVA VEGAS comes performance. The deadline to this all new production featuring sign up and pay for this trip is audience favorite Steve Watts December 31. February 6 13, 2013: Barcelo Maya Tropical and Colonial Resort All Inclusive Barcelo Maya Tropical and Colonial Resort is surrounded on three sides by a tropical rainforest Friday, and more October than 1.12 miles 26 to of Wednesday, professional November theater, 7 beach Cruise front Canada Xcaret & Colonial (nature s sacred America private white sand beach on the fourth side and a blue Caribbean surf. Barcelo Maya offers you the opportunity to truly get away from it all. Barcelo Maya offers a master complex which has 8 restaurants, 6 lounges, free form pool complex, shopping mall, 24 hour allinclusive services and also included is a Tour of Chichen- Friday, February 1: Elvis: The Essence Of The King Fanny Hill Join us on Friday, February 1, for Elvis: The Essence Of The of Rock n Roll. The show spans King. Elvis is in the building! Elvis s entire career and is sure That s Friday, right! October The King 26 is back to Wednesday, at the to please November die-hard fans 7 Cruise and the Canada lunch &(tax Colonial & gratuity), America and the Fanny Hill Dinner Theatre! George Thomas performs one of the top Elvis shows in the country. It s a coach, lunch (tax & gratuity), and the performance. The deadline to sign up and pay is for this trip is November 15. Saturday, January 26: Sizzlin 60 s Fireside Dinner Theatre, Ft. Atkinson, WI fun, high energy tribute to the King uninitiated alike. The cost of this trip is $58; Merchants Bank IRA customers is $51; and Itza (one of the greatest archaeological sites in the Yucatan peninsula) and a visit to paradise). For more details, please contact Diana Thorson at (507) or dkthorson@merchantsbank.com non-customers is $68. Cost includes transportation, a tip for the driver, refreshments on the coach, afternoon performance. The deadline to sign up and pay for this trip is January 2. Gotta see this! Friday, 10 Days October of Giving 26 - a to way Wednesday, for you to November help support 7 Cruise our local Canada food shelves & Colonial America The 10 Days of Giving is nearly at hand, and we ask that you join the many others throughout the area in supporting our local food shelves. Winona and St. Charles will be holding their 24 th 10 Days of Giving from December Last year 206,371 pounds of food were gathered. That equaled cash donations of $83,944 and 38,484 pounds of the 23-year total to 1,918,247 pounds of food. America actual food. Each dollar is calculated for two pounds of food. This was the second highest total ever and pushed This year, non-perishable food items can be able to be dropped off at a number of locations, including Winona Volunteer Services, the primary beneficiary of the drive, as well as the Southeast Minnesota Resource Center in St. Charles. You may also drop off cash donations at those locations or at any Merchants Bank location. Friday, October 26 to Wednesday, November 7 Cruise Canada & Colonial America

6 «XNAM1» «XAD2» «XAD3» «XAD4» «XAD5» «XAD6» Y o u Need to Subscribe for 2013 We hope you have been enjoying the various events and travel adventures we offer through Premier Club. To better reflect that, we have changed the title for our newsletter to: Merchants Events & Adventures. So that you don t miss an issue, we need you to subscribe to Merchants Events & Adventures, by January 31, If we don t hear from you, your last issue will be the January/February issue. We need you to return this subscription form to us and indicate your preference for delivery. You can certainly Diana Thorson as well with your preference at dkthorson@merchantsbank.com. We recommend delivery so that you can be the first to sign up for those popular events and adventures that fill up quickly. We think you ll agree that the new name, Merchants Events & Adventures reflects Merchants direction moving forward. We will be focusing on informative and fun events that we can share with you. We are also dropping the age requirement for receiving this publication, so anyone can receive this valuable information from Merchants by contacting Diana Thorson at dkthorson@merchantsbank.com or by phone at (507) or any of the Customer Service Representatives pictured in this newsletter. Name: I d prefer to receive by Mail or (Check one) Address: