Posted: 30 Mar 2010 11:11 PM PDT

Indexes

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

After decades of service, Lodi banking icon Ole Mettler officially steps down

After more then 50 years of loyal service to Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Ole Mettler will work his last official day with the company's board of directors today.

Mettler, a native Lodian who has served as chairman of the board for 37 years, was unanimously voted to the position of chairman emeritus earlier this month. The honorary and non-voting role will enable Mettler to serve as a community ambassador for F&M Bank, as well as an adviser to executive management.

"Words cannot describe the positive and long-lasting impact that Ole Mettler has had on this outstanding 94-year-old institution and the Lodi community," said Kent Steinwert, CEO and president of Farmers & Merchants Bank, in a press release. "Throughout his lifetime, Ole has been involved in various human service organizations committed to improving the quality of life for citizens in California's Great Central Valley."

'A straight-laced all-American'

One group Ole Mettler is committed to is the Lodi-Tokay Rotary Club. Larry Mettler, a distant cousin of Ole Mettler's, said he's never seen him miss a meeting in the 30 years he's been a part of the organization.

"When he commits to something, he does it," Larry Mettler said. "It says a lot about his commitment to make a meeting every week."

Rotary meetings can be rescheduled due to travel or illness, but Larry Mettler said Ole Mettler makes sure to give the organization his time and efforts. If he's ever been away while a meeting is conducted, Larry Mettler said, he makes it up before the next one.

Although he hasn't worked directly with Ole Mettler, Frank Alegre, owner of Alegre Trucking, knows he is an honest and hard-working man.

"You can tell just by seeing him in public and how he carries himself," he said. "I've never heard a bad word about him."

A friend of Mettler's was quick to talk about his giving nature, selfless attitude and professional demeanor.

"He's always in a suit and tie," said Mark Armstrong, general manager of the Lodi Grape Festival and Harvest Fair. "He's a straight-laced all-American."

Ole Mettler's professionalism and dedication to the Grape Festival is unparalleled, Armstrong said. He was recently given an award from the Western Fairs Association for his 60 years of service to the group, just one of many awards he has received during his lifetime.

"We've given him every award and named a building after him," Armstrong said, referring to the Ole Mettler Grape Pavilion on the Grape Festival Grounds.

Mettler's sacrifice and giving nature are just a part of who he is, he said. He doesn't do what he does for attention, awards or accolades, Armstrong said.

Not completely gone, and never forgotten

While Mettler is cutting back his duties with the bank, Steinwert said he was grateful to still have access to the man's vast experience and knowledge.

"All of us at the bank deeply appreciate Ole's valuable leadership. We are extremely pleased that he is willing to remain involved at the company as chairman emeritus," Steinwert said in a press release.

Leadership has always come naturally to Mettler. The native Lodian served as president of the Future Farmers of America when he attended Lodi High School. Years later, after he graduated from University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in agriculture economics, he would serve as chairman of the board and CEO for the California Future Farmers of America Foundation.

In 1960, Mettler started his career with F&M Bank. He served a president until 1994 and helped the bank grow from $37 million to $1.7 billion in total assets. He also helped oversee the bank as it expanded into new territories and markets.

Service to family and the community

He has given his time and energy to a plethora of organizations, including Lodi Memorial Hospital, the American Legion, the Lodi District Grape Growers, the Lodi Grape Festival and National Wine Show, the University of California Agricultural Advisory Council and the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau.

Obviously, Mettler's leadership experience in the banking industry is vast as well.

He served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, president of both the Independent Bankers of Northern California and the California Bankers Association.

In 2002, he was the first banker to receive the California Bankers Association's annual Distinguished Banker of the Year award.

Despite his well-earned reputation as hard-working businessman, articles from the Lodi News-Sentinel's archives showed that Mettler was capable of living life to the fullest and enjoying himself as well. An article from the sports section of the Jan. 21, 1941, News-Sentinel talked about a skiing trip to Sun Valley Mettler and four of his friends went on. They reported seeing famous skiers who were at Sun Valley practicing for an upcoming competition.

Mettler lives in Lodi with his wife of 68 years, Dorothy. The couple have two children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Despite scaling back his duties with the bank, Mettler said in a press release that he won't stop serving the city he loves.

"I am looking forward to enjoying more time with my wife Dorothy and our family," he said. "However, my commitment to Farmers & Merchants Bank and our community will continue."

Ole Mettler at a glance

Former president of F&M Bank.

Former director for the American Institute of Banking and the California Community Reinvestment Corporation.

He was a founding member of the San Joaquin Partnership, a nonprofit economic development organization.

Served on the Grape Festival's board of directors for more than 50 years.

Elected to Lodi's Hall of Fame in September 2007.

News-Sentinel staff

Reader Feedback

Note from Editor Rich Hanner: Please be civil — or be gone.

Our online comments are not reviewed before they are posted. We expect readers to post comments that are respectful and constructive. This is not a forum for personal attacks or invective. Those who post comments that ridicule or disparage will be warned and then blocked from making further comments. Readers who spot comments they believe are inappropriate are encouraged to use the "Report Abuse" links next to each comment. Thank you. Let's play clean.

Add Your Comments

Registered Users Sign in Here

Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone and we reserve the right to remove any comment from publication.

Do not post:

Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
Profane, explicit, or racist language.
Personal attacks, insults or threats.
The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
Comments unrelated to the story.

Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in Lodi News-Sentinel story comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the Lodi News-Sentinel. The Lodi News-Sentinel provides an interactive computer service and does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized Lodi News-Sentinel spokespersons.

Become a Registered User

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Bankers launch practice code - Stabroek News

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 02:39 AM PDT

In an effort to promote good banking practice, the Guyana Association of Bankers yesterday formally launched its Code of Banking Practice- the first of its kind in the country.

The purpose of the code is to outline standards of good practice and service, promote the disclosure of information that is both relevant and useful to customers, promote informed and effective relationships between banks and their customers and to ensure that banks have procedures for resolution of disputes with its customers. The Code is subject to review every three years.

On the question of bank charges which has attracted criticisms over the years, the code says at 5.1 "A bank shall, before or at the time of providing a particular banking service to a customer for the first time or otherwise on request by a customer, make available to the customer a schedule containing the standard fees and charges which currently apply to the Banking service". Where the bank provides the customer with a payment service the bank shall make available to the customer details of any fees applying to the service.

In relation to dispute resolution, the code states that a dispute arises when a customer lodges a complaint with the bank concerning a matter. Thereafter, the code states that the bank shall have an internal process for handling the dispute which will be done at no charge to the customer.

This process is expected to be completed within a maximum of two months and the outcome should be communicated to the customer in writing.

Meanwhile, under the code, the bank is sworn to privacy and confidentiality regarding the affairs of a customer, except under specific situations provided under the Financial Institutions Act, Companies Act, The Securities (Industry) Act, Tax Act and the relevant aspects of the Anti-Money Launder-ing Law.

At the launching ceremony held at the Republic Bank Head Office, Chairman of the Association John Tracey pointed out that the code seeks to foster greater communication between financial institutions and their customers. He pointed out that the code represented a formal documentation of banking practices that were already in existence.

He pointed out that such codes were not new to banking institutions and explained that the local code was patterned after that which currently exists in Trinidad and Tobago. Now that the code has been launched, Tracey explained that the Bankers Association will now engage in a massive education campaign.

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh saluted this initiative as the latest of several positive developments that have occurred in the banking sector in recent years. He noted that the voluntary subscription to the code by the banks offers greater openness and transparency in the relationship between these financial institutions and their customers. Singh also opined that it will promote healthy competition among the banks.

Meanwhile, Singh also called on the banks to work together on a single point-of-sales terminal which would be able to process all the cards from the different banks. This, he suggested, would be easier on customers and would be cheaper on the banking institutions. He urged the banks to embrace the use of technology even more and use it to increase their coverage to various sections of the population.

Singh further said that the task of promoting competitiveness and growth in the economy was not solely the responsibility of the government but also extended to the private sector. He also urged domestic and private operators to reflect on how they can improve competitiveness. Speaking specifically about the banking sector in Guyana, the Finance Minister, said that local banks have performed well especially when compared with other such institutions internationally.

He stated too that local banks have responded favourably to the regulating regimes that have been put in place.

The Guyana Association of Bankers consists of Republic Bank, GBTI, Scotiabank, Demerara Bank Ltd, Citizens Bank and the Bank of Baroda (Guyana) Inc.

Copies of the code are expected to be distributed to bank customers from today.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Government wants children to save with Post Office - This is Wiltshire

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 03:07 AM PDT

Government wants children to save with Post Office

11:10am Wednesday 31st March 2010

Print
Email
Share
Comments(2)

CHILDREN in Swindon will be encouraged to save their pocket money in Post Office accounts under a Government plan to transform the network into a neighbourhood banking service.

Ministers hope the Children's Savings Account, which will be introduced over the next 12 months, will help bring more customers to sub-post offices in the wake of the national closure programme that culled several Swindon branches.

Business Secretary Peter Mandelson yesterday announced £180m of new Government funding for the Post Office in 2011/12 to maintain the network around its current size.

The cash will go beyond the £1.7bn that is already being invested between 2007 and 2011.

Unveiling his rescue plan, Lord Mandelson announced that the Post Office would offer first-time buyers mortgages for a deposit of just 10 per cent and would double the amount it lent to customers over the next year.

The Post Office would also offer customers access to accounts with other banks, and a new account would be launched – known as a Saving Gateway– to encourage workers on lower incomes to start saving, with the Government adding 50p for every £1 deposited.

The push to expand financial services follows pressure on the Government to secure the network's future after 2,500 branches, including 36 in Wiltshire and West Berkshire, were earmarked for closure by the Network Change programme, launched in 2007.

Nationally, about 11,500 branches survived the programme.

Lord Mandelson said: "Since the global banking crisis we have set about re-inventing the financial services industry piece by piece, building a system that is fairer, trusted and more responsible.

"Today is the next step in that process. The Post Office is a well-loved community institution and this move will bring more banking services back to the heart of those communities."

George Thomson, the general secretary of the National Federation of sub postmasters, said: "While the Government's proposals for financial services at the Post Office are a potential significant next step, we repeat our concern that more needs to be done to safeguard the future viability of the post office network."

Shadow Business Secretary Ken Clarke said: "We welcome any plans to offer new services through the Post Office but this is all too little, too late.

"Labour have had 13 years to reform the Post Office, but have allowed it fall into decline with more than 6,000 closures as a result.

"Conservatives will prevent the closure of any profitable post office, reform the Post Office Card Account to help with utility bills, free up sub-postmasters and allow branches to offer a wide range of business services."

Print
Email
Share
Comments(2)

Your Say YourWiltshire

Ian13, Swindon says...
12:08pm Wed 31 Mar 10

The Government want children to save at the Post Office... . The public want the Government and especially our MP's to save the Post Offices!

Bobfm, South Marston says...
12:23pm Wed 31 Mar 10

So they now want to save the Post Office, which they allowed the EU to destroy. Doesn't give a warm glow.

Or probably a Hot Rage if you were one of the Post Masters who lose their business.

Not an election coming is there.

So they now want to save the Post Office, which they allowed the EU to destroy. Doesn't give a warm glow. Or probably a Hot Rage if you were one of the Post Masters who lose their business. Not an election coming is there.

Your sayYour Wiltshire

comment Add your comment

Register for a FREE This Is Wiltshire account and you can have your say on today's news and sport by adding comments on articles we publish. The best comments may even get published in the paper.

Please register now or sign in below to continue.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

BECU launches CashEdge's Popmoney payments service - TMCnet

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 06:32 PM PDT

Mar 24, 2010 (Datamonitor via COMTEX) -- Boeing Employees's Credit Union or BECU has launched CashEdge's Popmoney, a person-to-person payments service, to its members.

Popmoney is an e-mail and mobile person-to-person (P2P) payments service that allows credit union members and bank customers to send money directly from their online or mobile banking service, using the recipient's e-mail, mobile number or bank account information.

Popmoney provides support for text messaging, WAP and downloadable mobile applications, enabling financial institutions to extend their P2P functionality to mobile phones.

Howie Wu, vice president of virtual banking at BECU, said: "We are excited to be the first credit union in the country to offer this service. At BECU we strive to make banking as easy and convenient as possible for our members. That means offering services that allow them to bank wherever and whenever they want.

"Popmoney helps us meet that goal by extending the reach of our online and mobile banking capabilities to include person-to-person payments - a simple, secure and convenient way for our members to send money directly from their BECU account to anyone for free." http://www.datamonitor.com Republication or redistribution, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without prior written consent. Datamonitor shall not be liable for errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon

[ Back To 4g-wirelessevolution.tmcnet.com's Homepage ]

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.