Trust Services                                

About our Trust Department

The Trust Department of South Side Bank prides itself in its ability to offer personalized investment and asset management services to its customers and clients in a professional manner at a competitive price.

Drawing on the combined experience and knowledge of our trust professionals, we can serve the specific, personal, and changing needs of our clients.

Our Trust Department offers a full range of fiduciary services, whether that is serving as a trustee, agent, executor, guardian or custodian.  We can assist individuals, families or businesses in planning for or providing a secure financial future.

Our Trust Department offers IRAs and retirement plan services to businesses and employers who wish to establish a retirement savings program for their employees.  These comprehensive services include retirement plan design, administration, and record keeping.   We can also offer self-directed and managed IRA accounts for individuals or retirees receiving a distribution from their employers’ retirement plan. We are the only Trust Department that offers all of these services locally.

South Side Trust & Savings Bank believes that the products and services offered by its Trust Department can be of tremendous value to our customers.  We encourage you to learn more about the benefits and conveniences that our investment and asset management services can provide.

We look forward to the opportunity of visiting with you about your estate planning, trust, and investment planning needs.  We are confident that we can assist you by tailoring a product or service that we offer to respond to your particular set of financial or investment needs.

Investment products 1) are not deposits, 2) are not insured by the FDIC, 3) are not guaranteed by South Side Bank, and 4) may involve investment risk, including potential loss of principal.

Click here to contact us about a free consultation.

Back to the top

Overview of Services offered by our Trust Department

The Trust Department of the South Side Bank provides a variety of investment, asset management and record keeping services for our individual and business customers.

Services to Individuals and Families:

• Administration of Living and Testamentary Trusts
• Estate Administration
• Investment Management

• Investment Agency and Custodial Accounts

• Cash Management
• 1031 Exchange Escrows
• Bill Paying
• Insurance Claim filing
• Individual and Rollover IRA’s
• Income Tax Return Preparation
• Estate Planning Consultation

Services for our Business Customers:

• Employee Benefit Plan Design and Administration
• Investing of Employee Benefit Plan Assets
• Corporate Cash Management
• Custodial and Safekeeping Services

All of the products and services can be tailored to meet the particular needs of each of our clients. 

Using a prudent investment strategy designed for each individual customer, we have provided excellent investment results for our customers over time.

There are many benefits to establishing an account relationship with our Trust Department.  It will be worth your time and peace of mind to visit with us.

Click here to contact us about a free consultation.

Back to the top

Who We Can Benefit

The services our Trust Department offers can benefit a variety of customers. A type of customer we can benefit could include:

• A customer looking for assistance with their investments, financial record keeping, and bill paying,
• Someone who does not have the time, the desire, or the ability to keep track of his or her investments or financial affairs,
• Customers looking for ways to maximize their investment return,
• People who already have investment accounts with a broker or insurance company and are not happy with the performance or servicing of their account,
• Someone who is looking to provide for a spouse or family member after their death or plan their estate to minimize probate expenses or federal estate taxation,
• Individuals with general inquiries about trust services, wills, estate planning, avoiding probate, and retirement planning,
• Businesses or business owners with inquiries about establishing a retirement savings program, investing assets in their retirement plan or cash management services.

Click here to contact us about a free consultation.

Back to the top

INVESTMENT PHILOSOPHY

Our two-part philosophy may be viewed by some financial services providers as conservative.  That is fine with us.  We have been able to demonstrate over time that our conservative approach to investments can provide excellent returns with moderate and acceptable levels of risk.

We think that you will be comfortable with the investment philosophy of our Trust Department. 

Our primary emphasis in the management of any investment relationship is, first and foremost, the preservation of the principal entrusted to us.  Our other emphasis is taking reasoned opportunities to meet the current income and the long-term growth objectives of the client.

We work best with investors that have and are willing to have a long-term investment objective and who understand the value and benefit of investment diversification.  It is not enough to just be in the market; what is important is to be in the right part of the market at the right time and not in the wrong part of the market at the wrong time.

 Back to the top

SSB Trust Reporter

To sign up for Trust reporter to access your accounts online please click here. Print and fill out the Internet Access Form and Agreement and mail to:

South Side Bank
Trust Department
Attn: Brooke Williams
2119 SW Adams
Peoria IL 61602

Trust Officer Bios

Rich was born and raised in Danville, Illinois. He joined the Trust Department of South Side Trust and Savings Bank in December of 1991. He serves the Bank as Senior Vice President and Trust Officer. He is the Manager of the Trust Department. His responsibilities include business development, account administration, trust investments and employee training.

Rich has been employed in trust banking since 1976. He comes to our Trust Department with experience in all phases of trust banking. He has worked for both community and regional bank trust departments.  Mr. Firebaugh has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois and received his Law Degree from the University of Illinois in 1974. In December of 1996, Mr. Firebaugh was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Illinois Corporate Fiduciary Advisory Committee.

In addition to his responsibilities with the Bank, Rich has been a teacher and speaker for the American Institute of Banking and Illinois Bankers Association. He is a past chairperson of the Illinois Bankers Association Trust and Investment Conference. He appears annually as a guest speaker at the IBA’s Trust and Investment Management School. Rich has written several articles on trust banking for the "Illinois Bankers" magazine and other local periodicals.

He is very involved with sports officiating. He referees basketball. The Illinois High School Association has recognized his achievements by selecting him to referee the Basketball State Championships on four occasions.

Rich is married, and has two children. In his spare time he enjoys fishing and golfing.

A Sterling, Illinois native, Ms. Sippel joined South Side Trust & Savings Bank in June 2005 and serves the bank as an Assistant Vice President and Trust Officer. Her responsibilities with our trust department extend to the administration of the following types of account relationships; administration of estates, guardianships, personal trusts, agencies accounts, and land trusts.

Debbie has worked in banking since 1976 and comes to our trust department with 30 years of experience in all phases of banking, including retail, commercial, and customer service positions.

Ms. Sippel is a graduate of Illinois Bankers Association Trust and Investment School, Cannon Personal Trust School and the Cannon Personal Trust Graduate School. She served as Chairman of the Illinois Bankers Association Trust and Investment Management School.

Ms. Sippel is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Central Illinois and Women In Leadership of Central Illinois. She is on the Board of Directors of Lutheran Hillside Village and on the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Peoria Downtown. A member of The Rotary Club of Peoria, she is on the orientation committee, Sterling Merit committee, the vocational services committee and is a tutor for third graders at Tyng Elementary School.

Debbie has three daughters. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, finding antiques, volunteering at her church and visiting new and old acquaintances.

Michele was born and raised in Northern Illinois.  She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BS in Business Administration and worked in the IT industry.  She joined the banking profession in 1992, upon her return to the US from Geneva, Switzerland, working at banks in Indiana, Washington State and Peoria, Il. 

Michele joined South Side Bank in February 2003, after relocating back to Peoria from Seattle, WA. She brings to the Trust Department experience in branch administration, retail banking, commercial lending and business development.  Her Trust Department responsibilities  include trust investments, account administration, and establishing new trust and investment relationships. 

She is married with two children.  She is active in community service, serving as a City of Peoria Planning Commissioner, member of the Rotary Club of Peoria-North, Past Chair of the Better Business Bureau of Central Illinois, is on the Strengthening Families Allocation Panel for the Heart of Illinois United Way, is a member of the Central Illinois Chapter of the American Red Cross Clara Barton Society, and serves on the Full Service Community Schools Advisory Council. 

Valarie J Sinks

Assistant Vice President & Employee Benefits Trust Officer

South Side Trust & Savings Bank

 Valerie was raised in Germantown Hills, Illinois.  She rejoined South Side Bank's Trust Department March 31, 2010 as an Employee Benefits Trust Officer.  She had previously been with South Side Bank's Trust Department from July 2001 to October 2006.  She is responsible for the Department's Employee Benefit Division and Individual Retirement Accounts.  She is also involved in the administration of various Qualified Defined Contribution Profit Sharing, 401k, Pension Plan and Individual Retirement Accounts.

Valerie has worked in Employee Benefits since 1984 and has 22 years of banking experience.  She also has 7 years of experience with two local accounting firms.  She came to South Side Bank with over 19 years of administration and record keeping experience. 

Valerie has an Associates Degree in Accounting from Illinois Central College, East Peoria IL.  She obtained a Qualified 401(k) Administrator (OKA) designation from ASPPPA, and is a graduate of the Cannon Personal Trust School. 

Valerie has previously volunteered for various charities, including her children's school as PTO secretary and volunteered with the WCHS Boosters Club, United Way, Gus Macker, March of Dimes, and the American Cancer Society.  She currently serves as the Treasurer of Women in Leadership of Central Illinois.  She enjoys spending time and traveling with her family and friends.

Rhonda Litwiller

Trust Operations Officer

South Side Trust & Savings Bank

A Central Illinois native, Rhonda was raised in the Washburn, Illinois area.  She joined South Side Bank’s Trust Department as a Trust Operations Specialist in August 2000.  Rhonda currently serves as Trust Operations Officer.  Her responsibilities include the administration of revocable and irrevocable trusts, agency and custodial accounts.  Rhonda is also responsible for the supervision of all operational functions and overseeing the research and resolution of operational issues.

 Rhonda has over 15 years of banking and accounting experience.  She is a graduate of Cannon Securities Operations School and has completed numerous college courses. She previously worked in Operations of a Brokerage firm and General Office Management.

 Rhonda is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Central Illinois. She is also a volunteer at the Center for Prevention of Abuse.  

She is married with five children. In her spare time she enjoys golfing, reading and spending time with her family.

Contact Us

Back to the top