The Bottom Line
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.
Treat Yourself To a Stress-Free Tax Season
Treat Yourself To Your Maximum Refund …And a Chance to Win $25K!
It’s time! The IRS started processing tax returns on 1/27. File today with TurboTax to be first in line for your refund. Mid Oregon Federal Credit Union has teamed with TurboTax to save you up to $15 on TurboTax and a chance to win $25,000. Treat yourself to a stress-free tax season.
- Right for your unique tax situation. Simple filer? Homeowner? Investor? Freelancer or side-gigger? TurboTax has a solution for you.
- File with confidence. TurboTax guarantees 100% accurate calculations and runs thousands of error checks as you go. With TurboTax, you’ll get your biggest possible refund.
- Help if you need it. It’s easy to get support along the way — from answers online anytime, to unlimited advice and a final review of your return from a TurboTax Live CPA. Answers that will help with that stress-free tax season.
- $25,000 Sweepstakes. Try TurboTax Online for free by February 13th to be automatically entered to win the $25K Grand Prize, or one of 12 $1,000 prizes.
Save on TurboTax today! Try it for free and pay only when you’re ready to file.
TurboTax Details
Visit turbotax.intuit.com/lp/yoy/guarantees.jsp for TurboTax product guarantees and other important information. Limited time offer for TurboTax 2019. Discount applies to TurboTax federal products only. Terms, conditions, features, availability, pricing, fees, service and support options subject to change without notice. Intuit, TurboTax and TurboTax Online, among others, are registered trademarks and/or service marks of Intuit Inc. in the United States and other countries.
Sweepstakes Details
TurboTax $25,000 Sweepstakes. NO PURCHASE OR FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, 18 years of age or older at time of entry, who are customers of participating Financial Institutions or employees of participating businesses. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law. Sweepstakes ends 2/13/20. Subject to complete Official Rules and all applicable federal, state and local laws. For Official rules including participating Financial Institutions and businesses, odds of winning, alternate method of entry, and prize descriptions, visit the Official Rules.
PRIZES: 1 Grand Prize: A check for $25,000. Retail value, $25,000. 12 First Prizes: A check for $1,000. Retail value, $1,000 each. Maximum retail value of all prizes is $37,000. The odds of winning a prize depend upon the total number of eligible entries received by the end of the Promotion Period. SPONSOR: Intuit Inc., 7535 Torrey Santa Fe Rd, SDG-1A-04-05B, San Diego, CA, 92129.
Tell-A-Friend, Earn A Reward
Plus, be entered to win a Yeti® Tundra 45 cooler, valued at $299!
We love rewarding our members when they spread the word about our great checking accounts—that’s why we introduced our Tell-A-Friend program. When your friend opens a Mid Oregon checking account, you’ll both get a reward! We’ll buy back their old debit cards and checks for up to $10, and enter them to win a prize! (Prize through February 23, a 50″ Magnavox 1080p HDTV). Tell-A-Friend, earn a reward.
What do you get when you refer someone? A $10 gift card! And there is no limit, so you can keep referring. As long as the person you refer provides us with your name and email address, your award will be automatic.
Ways To Refer
There are three easy ways to refer your friends:
- First, you can obtain a Mid Oregon Tell-A-Friend referral coupon, complete your information on the back and give it to your friend. We will capture your information when they present the coupon as they open their checking account. Tell-a-Friend Referral Coupon- Best Resolution.
- Second, you can email your friend automatically using our online referral page, https://refer.midoregon.com/. Just visit the page, complete your information, and enter your friend’s name, email address, and a brief personal message before you send. When your friend opens their checking account, our new account representative will see you sent them an email, and complete the process.
- And now you can also share through your own email or social media with a sharable link. Visit the same webpage at https://refer.midoregon.com/. Instead of clicking “Email A Friend”, click “Get Shareable Link”. That will produce your personalized URL you can copy and paste into any number of places. When the friend opens their new checking account, you will be credited with the referral.
Win a Yeti 45 Qt. Cooler!
And now through March 20, 2020, you’ll also be entered into a free drawing for a Yeti® Tundra 45 cooler, valued at $299.
This premium cooler is infused with legendary YETI toughness — a durable rotomolded construction and up to two inches of PermaFrost™ Insulation. It’s 25 3/4″ wide, 15 2/8″ high and 16 1/8″ deep. With an empty weight of 23 lbs., plenty of your favorite drinks, and keep them cold for a long, long time.
Just visit refer.midoregon.com to start referring. There’s no limit—you can refer as many friends as you like (and earn as many gift cards as you want). You don’t even need to have a Mid Oregon checking account to Tell-A-Friend and be entered to win. Although why would you miss out on all the savings and convenience by having your checking account anywhere else?
Yeti Drawing Rules: No purchase necessary to enter or win a prize. Must be 18 years of age or older. Entries accepted through March 20, 2020. No cash equivalent, substitution or transfer of prize permitted. One entry per person. Other restrictions apply. See a Mid Oregon associate for details.
What do New Home Buyers Need to Know?
Buying your first home is exciting, a chance to make it all yours. Like any change this can be a little stressful or confusing. What do New Home Buyers Need to Know? The following steps will help reduce your stress, making you prepared for your first loan application.
Know your credit report
Go to annualcreditreport.com and get your credit report from all three of the reporting agencies. You get one free report a year. Your credit score can make a huge difference in how much you qualify to borrow and the interest rate you’ll pay. If you find errors on your report, correct them. Contact the Mortgage Department at Mid Oregon Credit Union if you would like suggestions on improving your credit position.
The difference between a high credit score and a low credit score is the interest rate you will get. For a $250,000 loan the rate difference could be as much as 1.55% higher, increasing the total interest paid by $62,772 over the life of the loan. Higher rates also impact the payment amount of the loan. To look at some scenarios and see the difference, review our loan calculator online.
Know what other documents will be useful
Having documents ready will speed up the process.
• W-2 forms – Past two years.
• Income Tax – Depending on your situation two years tax returns may be required.
• Paystubs – Two most recent. Phone numbers and addresses for your current employer.
• Other Monthly Income – This includes any additional ongoing income you may want included in your income calculations.
• ID – Current state or federal issued identification.
• Financial account statements – Last two months.; do not use print screen, make sure to print the actual statements. Include deposit accounts, 401K, investments and checking accounts.
• Gifts – If any money for your down payment was given to you, identify how much and where it came from. Have a document ready showing that it’s a gift and not a loan.
When you call to make an appointment, ask what papers you should bring. At Mid Oregon Credit Union you can complete your application online at https://mattmitchell.zipforhome.com/
Know what you can afford
The elements that come into play are your income, its stability, how much you have for a down payment, and how much debt you have.
• Your total monthly housing commitment—mortgage principal and interest, property taxes, and homeowner’s insurance—should be no more than 28% of your gross monthly income (income before taxes and other deductions). So, if your gross monthly income is $3,000, the monthly house payment should be $840 or less.
• Your total debt — meaning house payments plus student loans, car loans, and credit cards, etc. — should be no more than 45% of your gross monthly income. That means if your gross monthly income is $3,000, all monthly debt payments should not go over $1,350. Some loan options will allow this ratio to increase to as much as 50%. Going higher than 45% will require deposit accounts with reserves for possible emergencies.
Also consider how much of your monthly cash flow you want to put into house payments, so you don’t end up “house poor.” Find a house payment you can handle and still have money for savings, education, vacations, entertainment, childcare, and other priorities.