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Banking Full Circle

JackRussellDawg

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Gold Member
Jun 29, 2018
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Coastal Florida
This past week, I announced that I am retiring after a 35-year career in trust banking. The story of my career is a sort of banking circle of life.

My Daddy grew up in Savannah at the end of West Bay Street at the old Traffic Circle. It was a tiny house, and my Granny ran a little store in the front room of the house. She even had one of those old timey gas pumps with the glass at the top.

The old Savannah Bank & Trust Co. decided to build a new branch at the Traffic Circle in the late 50’s, and my Granny sold the bank a strip of land so it could build the drive thru of the branch. But unbeknownst to my Mom and Dad, she made another deal. While the branch was being built, the temporary office was run out of my Granny’s front-room store. The bank advertised it as the “Smallest Bank in the U.S.A.”

Then I came along, and in the 60’s I would ride my tricycle and later bicycle around that bank branch on weekends while visiting my Granny. One day, I found a $5 bill in the parking lot, and I caught the fever for lost treasure. I didn’t know much about banking, but I knew that’s where they kept the money. From then on, I searched that bank property every time I visited Granny.

Granny passed away in the early 70’s, and Dad sold the little house to the bank so it could expand its drive thru. I made it to UGA in the early 80’s and majored in Banking & Finance. I would go to that career office on Lumpkin and sign up for interviews to get practice. One of the people I interviewed with was a Mr. Jimmy at Savannah Bank.

After graduation, I started with C&S Bank in Savannah and worked as a trainee at its branch near the old Traffic Circle. I eventually joined the Trust Department where I got to know and spend some time with banking legend Mills Bee Lane, Jr.

My career took me to North Carolina then back to Georgia and back to Savannah to a new local bank. Mr. Jimmy was one of the founders of that bank, and for a time my office was in the old Savannah Bank building on Johnson Square. After a good run there, I headed to Florida to make more money to close out my career and retire with the love of my life.

I saw Mr. Jimmy at my uncle’s funeral last fall, and we briefly reminisced about the past. Why is Mr. Jimmy so important in this rambling story? He’s the young banker that ran the branch in my Granny’s front room store on the old Banking Traffic Circle.
 
This past week, I announced that I am retiring after a 35-year career in trust banking. The story of my career is a sort of banking circle of life.

My Daddy grew up in Savannah at the end of West Bay Street at the old Traffic Circle. It was a tiny house, and my Granny ran a little store in the front room of the house. She even had one of those old timey gas pumps with the glass at the top.

The old Savannah Bank & Trust Co. decided to build a new branch at the Traffic Circle in the late 50’s, and my Granny sold the bank a strip of land so it could build the drive thru of the branch. But unbeknownst to my Mom and Dad, she made another deal. While the branch was being built, the temporary office was run out of my Granny’s front-room store. The bank advertised it as the “Smallest Bank in the U.S.A.”

Then I came along, and in the 60’s I would ride my tricycle and later bicycle around that bank branch on weekends while visiting my Granny. One day, I found a $5 bill in the parking lot, and I caught the fever for lost treasure. I didn’t know much about banking, but I knew that’s where they kept the money. From then on, I searched that bank property every time I visited Granny.

Granny passed away in the early 70’s, and Dad sold the little house to the bank so it could expand its drive thru. I made it to UGA in the early 80’s and majored in Banking & Finance. I would go to that career office on Lumpkin and sign up for interviews to get practice. One of the people I interviewed with was a Mr. Jimmy at Savannah Bank.

After graduation, I started with C&S Bank in Savannah and worked as a trainee at its branch near the old Traffic Circle. I eventually joined the Trust Department where I got to know and spend some time with banking legend Mills Bee Lane, Jr.

My career took me to North Carolina then back to Georgia and back to Savannah to a new local bank. Mr. Jimmy was one of the founders of that bank, and for a time my office was in the old Savannah Bank building on Johnson Square. After a good run there, I headed to Florida to make more money to close out my career and retire with the love of my life.

I saw Mr. Jimmy at my uncle’s funeral last fall, and we briefly reminisced about the past. Why is Mr. Jimmy so important in this rambling story? He’s the young banker that ran the branch in my Granny’s front room store on the old Banking Traffic Circle.



Mills B. saved Savannah and he was one of first to wear sneakers to work. Thank you for you anthology of the life of you (A Damn Good Dawg).. 65. Poor old lawyers like me retired broke but I married well.. over married. LOL just joking about being broke..
 
Cut the neighbor’s grass when I was a kid and got paid with a check drawn on Savannah Bank. I got on my bike and went to the Medical Arts branch. The teller wouldn’t cash the check w/o an ID so I showed her my belly button. She got the branch manager and told me to show him my ID. I did and she cashed the check. I never got her name but years later I would drop in and say hello. Really nice lady.
 
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That is my plan. StArt SS at 62 and be done. 9 years
I started at 62 out of fear I might keel over and never get anything out of the bastards. And I really do go buy a nice bottle or two of liquor on the 4th Wednesday of each month. It tastes better when paid for by a doomed agency of a doomed and corrupt government.
 
Cut the neighbor’s grass when I was a kid and got paid with a check drawn on Savannah Bank. I got on my bike and went to the Medical Arts branch. The teller wouldn’t cash the check w/o an ID so I showed her my belly button. She got the branch manager and told me to show him my ID. I did and she cashed the check. I never got her name but years later I would go there on a weekend home from college and say hello. Really nice lady.
Back when common sense was much more common
 
Cut the neighbor’s grass when I was a kid and got paid with a check drawn on Savannah Bank. I got on my bike and went to the Medical Arts branch. The teller wouldn’t cash the check w/o an ID so I showed her my belly button. She got the branch manager and told me to show him my ID. I did and she cashed the check. I never got her name but years later I would go there on a weekend home from college and say hello. Really nice lady.
Maybe we need belly button recognition technology.
 
I started at 62 out of fear I might keel over and never get anything out of the bastards. And I really do go buy a nice bottle or two of liquor on the 4th Wednesday of each month. It tastes better when paid for by a doomed agency of a doomed and corrupt government.
I am sitting in a good spot. If all goes well 100% debt free by 58, kids out of college by then and retirement egg north Of the median annual salary of A mlb Player. Should be good to go
 
I am sitting in a good spot. If all goes well 100% debt free by 58, kids out of college by then and retirement egg north Of the median annual salary of A mlb Player. Should be good to go
That is exactly what you have to do. You have to simplify your financial life. No debts, minimum bills, no Lamborghinis.

80% of people in the country are doing it wrong and will have to work all their lives, taking crap from an a**h*** boss, getting up early, fighting traffic. You have to plan ahead for retirement. The key is eliminating debt as early as possible. Break the credit card habit, get the kids stabilized, simplify your wants and pleasures. Retirement is a great state of being.
 
This past week, I announced that I am retiring after a 35-year career in trust banking. The story of my career is a sort of banking circle of life.

My Daddy grew up in Savannah at the end of West Bay Street at the old Traffic Circle. It was a tiny house, and my Granny ran a little store in the front room of the house. She even had one of those old timey gas pumps with the glass at the top.

The old Savannah Bank & Trust Co. decided to build a new branch at the Traffic Circle in the late 50’s, and my Granny sold the bank a strip of land so it could build the drive thru of the branch. But unbeknownst to my Mom and Dad, she made another deal. While the branch was being built, the temporary office was run out of my Granny’s front-room store. The bank advertised it as the “Smallest Bank in the U.S.A.”

Then I came along, and in the 60’s I would ride my tricycle and later bicycle around that bank branch on weekends while visiting my Granny. One day, I found a $5 bill in the parking lot, and I caught the fever for lost treasure. I didn’t know much about banking, but I knew that’s where they kept the money. From then on, I searched that bank property every time I visited Granny.

Granny passed away in the early 70’s, and Dad sold the little house to the bank so it could expand its drive thru. I made it to UGA in the early 80’s and majored in Banking & Finance. I would go to that career office on Lumpkin and sign up for interviews to get practice. One of the people I interviewed with was a Mr. Jimmy at Savannah Bank.

After graduation, I started with C&S Bank in Savannah and worked as a trainee at its branch near the old Traffic Circle. I eventually joined the Trust Department where I got to know and spend some time with banking legend Mills Bee Lane, Jr.

My career took me to North Carolina then back to Georgia and back to Savannah to a new local bank. Mr. Jimmy was one of the founders of that bank, and for a time my office was in the old Savannah Bank building on Johnson Square. After a good run there, I headed to Florida to make more money to close out my career and retire with the love of my life.

I saw Mr. Jimmy at my uncle’s funeral last fall, and we briefly reminisced about the past. Why is Mr. Jimmy so important in this rambling story? He’s the young banker that ran the branch in my Granny’s front room store on the old Banking Traffic Circle.

awesome story.....lived in Savannah for about a year when I was about 10 years old. Liked it, but we didn’t stay long.

I know you mentioned before that your wife is from Eastman. Just curious if you know this fellow since you were in the banking industry. He is also from Eastman. Last I heard, he is still there (bank):

https://www.savannahnow.com/article/20080827/NEWS/308279863
 
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I currently am the property manager of the building on Johnson Square. It’s now South State Bank. Interesting story!



This past week, I announced that I am retiring after a 35-year career in trust banking. The story of my career is a sort of banking circle of life.

My Daddy grew up in Savannah at the end of West Bay Street at the old Traffic Circle. It was a tiny house, and my Granny ran a little store in the front room of the house. She even had one of those old timey gas pumps with the glass at the top.

The old Savannah Bank & Trust Co. decided to build a new branch at the Traffic Circle in the late 50’s, and my Granny sold the bank a strip of land so it could build the drive thru of the branch. But unbeknownst to my Mom and Dad, she made another deal. While the branch was being built, the temporary office was run out of my Granny’s front-room store. The bank advertised it as the “Smallest Bank in the U.S.A.”

Then I came along, and in the 60’s I would ride my tricycle and later bicycle around that bank branch on weekends while visiting my Granny. One day, I found a $5 bill in the parking lot, and I caught the fever for lost treasure. I didn’t know much about banking, but I knew that’s where they kept the money. From then on, I searched that bank property every time I visited Granny.

Granny passed away in the early 70’s, and Dad sold the little house to the bank so it could expand its drive thru. I made it to UGA in the early 80’s and majored in Banking & Finance. I would go to that career office on Lumpkin and sign up for interviews to get practice. One of the people I interviewed with was a Mr. Jimmy at Savannah Bank.

After graduation, I started with C&S Bank in Savannah and worked as a trainee at its branch near the old Traffic Circle. I eventually joined the Trust Department where I got to know and spend some time with banking legend Mills Bee Lane, Jr.

My career took me to North Carolina then back to Georgia and back to Savannah to a new local bank. Mr. Jimmy was one of the founders of that bank, and for a time my office was in the old Savannah Bank building on Johnson Square. After a good run there, I headed to Florida to make more money to close out my career and retire with the love of my life.

I saw Mr. Jimmy at my uncle’s funeral last fall, and we briefly reminisced about the past. Why is Mr. Jimmy so important in this rambling story? He’s the young banker that ran the branch in my Granny’s front room store on the old Banking Traffic Circle.
 
awesome story.....lived in Savannah for about a year when I was about 10 years old. Liked it, but we didn’t stay long.

I know you mentioned before that your wife is from Eastman. Just curious if you know this fellow since you were in the banking industry. He is also from Eastman. Last I heard, he is still there:

https://www.savannahnow.com/article/20080827/NEWS/308279863
My wife’s mother was from Eastman, and we don’t know that feller.
 
Good plan!

Retirement is great! Hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I retired April 7 this yr at 62. I ran the numbers and estimating I could make a 5% return on my portfolio, it made more sense to hold off to 66 to take social security. Ran the numbers both ways and will leave more to my family by delaying.. I was shocked at what the numbers showed. I really believed it would be better to sign up right out of the gate. But nope. Of course, I plan to live past 90,,, I have some longevity in my dna plus I'm in good health and stay in pretty good shape.

I'm sure you will run the numbers and do the right thing for you. But for anyone considering it, make sure to run the numbers both ways.
 
Retirement is great! Hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I retired April 7 this yr at 62. I ran the numbers and estimating I could make a 5% return on my portfolio, it made more sense to hold off to 66 to take social security. Ran the numbers both ways and will leave more to my family by delaying.. I was shocked at what the numbers showed. I really believed it would be better to sign up right out of the gate. But nope. Of course, I plan to live past 90,,, I have some longevity in my dna plus I'm in good health and stay in pretty good shape.

I'm sure you will run the numbers and do the right thing for you. But for anyone considering it, make sure to run the numbers both ways.
IF you don't have health threats and can financially hold off on drawing SSA till age 70 do so. It's well worth the inconvenience.
 
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