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Small business is important to Central Oregon, and to Mid Oregon. Find tips and resources for business, and information about Mid Oregon’s commercial services and business members.
Give—and Receive—Holiday Dough
Sometimes putting food on the table is a daily challenge. This time of year can be especially difficult for some families. Rising food and fuel costs are putting an added strain on many local households. For more than a decade, Mid Oregon Credit Union has partnered with our members and other community members to bring holiday cheer to local families through Holiday Dough. We are asking you to join us and Give—and Receive—Holiday Dough.
How You Can Help
We invite the community to participate in our annual Holiday Dough fundraiser. It supports local charities to provide food, clothing, and shelter to individuals and families in need during the holiday season. From November 14 to December 16, We are collecting donations at each of our seven branches. In addition, you may make donations online at midoregon.com/dough or by calling our Contact Center at 541-382-1795. One hundred percent of the contributions will stay in the communities where collected and will benefit these local nonprofits:
2022 -Nonprofits
- The Giving Plate (Bend) – Coordinating the Monthly Food Box program, Grow & Give Garden, Kid’s Korner food bank, and Backpacks for Bend.
- La Pine Christmas Basket Association Providing Christmas food baskets to low-income families, singles, and seniors in southern Deschutes County area.
- Redmond Jericho Road – Providing hot meals, backpacks of food, emergency and housing assistance to those in need in the Redmond area.
- Jefferson County Food Bank (Madras) – Supplying food to families and individuals.
- Crook County Holiday Partnership (Prineville) – Providing holiday support to seniors, children, veterans, people with disabilities, and families who are less fortunate in Crook County. Funds are used for food, gifts, and related items.
- Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank – The food bank’s Christmas program provides holiday meals to approximately 175 families. The food bank relies on cash donations to help buy items that are not normally donated, such as meat and dairy products.
Making a Difference in the Community is a Mid Oregon Core Value
Giving back to the community is a core value of Mid Oregon. Giving back also aligns with our credit union philosophy of “people helping people.”
“When putting food on the table is a daily struggle, planning a festive holiday meal can be almost impossible,” says Kyle Frick, VP of Marketing for Mid Oregon Credit Union. “We are humbled by the community’s generosity and honored to facilitate this effort that supports those who are less fortunate.”
Since 2011, Mid Oregon members and the community have donated nearly $29,000 to local food banks through Holiday Dough—helping to bring holiday cheer to local families. This year, we have ways to both give-and receive-holiday dough.
How You Can Receive Your Holiday Dough
Plus, this year we’re sharing some “dough” with you! Visit our Holiday Dough Page. Be sure to view and download the winning recipes from our Mid Oregon Team Cookie Contest. We invite you to share them with family and friends this season–let us know your favorites!
Investing for the Future
For years, you’ve diligently invested in your retirement portfolio, accumulating wealth that you hope will sustain you throughout your Golden Years, investing for the future. To help see that your assets are sufficient to help you support your lifestyle standards, there are important steps that you can take:
Perform regular assessments
While you may have performed calculations about your anticipated retirement needs years ago, it’s helpful to re-crunch those numbers regularly, to guard against changes in your expectations as well as financial markets.
Calculate
It is important to calculate your Social Security income, any pension moneys, accumulated savings, and personal investments. Determine whether collectively they can cover your estimated living expenses, which should incorporate swings in the financial markets. If you find that your assets are lacking, it may be helpful to consult a financial professional to help reconfigure your portfolio
Guard against the big “I”
Most people approaching retirement will want to protect their portfolio from market swings and the dreaded I: inflation. That doesn’t mean replacing all of your investments with less risky assets; rather, that means considering a gradual move of some stock investments into bonds and cash while retaining sufficient growth-oriented investments that help manage inflation risk.
Preserving your assets for future generations
Integral to a strong financial plan is a well-constructed estate plan that preserves your assets for your heirs. In this regard, you may benefit from consulting with an attorney who can help you draft trust and various types of insurance tools to help protect your assets from estate taxes. Additionally, revisit your financial plan and goals with a financial professional regularly, addressing any potential problems before they impact your savings.
Investing for the future is a key component to a secure retirement. If you are interested in learning more about our services, please contact Marc Cabanilla, Mid Oregon Wealth Management at 541-322-5745 or m.cabanilla@lpl.com—his door is always open.
Content provided by Marc Cabanilla, Mid Oregon Wealth Management
Online Shopping Season Brings Out Holiday Fraud
As 2022 flies by, believe it or not, the holiday online shopping season is upon us. This is your annual reminder to be on the lookout for all kinds of cyber thieves who are out there waiting to take advantage of all of us just wanting some cheer with our shopping excitement in an otherwise uncertain time. As that time slowly ticks away, or rushes by, depending on your point of view, the hackers continue to improve upon their various cyber scams. Online scams are becoming harder to detect, but it’s important to remain vigilant. Tis the season for holiday fraud.
How to Avoid Online Shopping Scams
Always topping the list of ways cyber criminals take advantage of us is phishing.
Phishing Examples
- Internet advertisements
- Social medial advertisements
- Email messages
- Phone messages
- Text/SMS messages
But don’t fret. There are some ways you can take matters into your own shopping fingertips to mitigate your risk of becoming a holiday fraud victim.
Online Security Tips
- If you are unsure about an email’s or advertisement’s authenticity then you should independently verify it, delete it right away, or just not click on it. This means do some research before taking any action.
- If you must check out something you see on the side of your social media feed, type the company name into the browser manually, rather than clicking links.
- Protect your payment card numbers. If you have an option to use a payment service such as Apple or Google Pay or even PayPal, consider using them. They protect your account numbers from prying eyes. Plus, you don’t even have to take your card out of your wallet.
- Speaking of payment cards, if you are out and about and doing an in-person purchase, use your payment card as a credit, rather than debit. This provides more protection for you in case the number is stolen.
- Check your payment statements more often during this time period than you might otherwise. If you haven’t downloaded your financial institution’s mobile app, consider doing this. It makes it simple to check charges. By and large, mobile apps downloaded from the official app stores are safe to use. Just make sure to verify it is the correct app developed by or specifically for your financial institution. If you can’t be sure, contact customer service for assistance.
- On the subject of downloading apps, stick to those official app stores. Don’t sideload them—meaning to get them from third-party sites.
With Black Friday (November 27), Small Business Saturday (November 28), and Cyber Monday (November 30), as well as the remainder of the holiday shopping period on the horizon, cybersecurity professionals advise extra caution when spreading holiday cheer. Online shopping brings more opportunities for Holiday fraud.
Want to know more? Read additional Mid Oregon blog articles about online security and fraud protection.
Content based on an article by Stickley on Security