Newsletter

We offer Conventional, FHA and VA home loans. One unique loan option we have is the Smart Start Loan for first-time homebuyers with no money down! Your loans are serviced in-house, and your payments are made directly to us*. When you get a mortgage with Mainstreet, your loan will stay with Mainstreet.

Getting started is easy! You can apply online on our website or contact us to set up an appointment at (913) 599-1010. Once you begin the mortgage process with Mainstreet, you will have access to your statements, pay your loan and other useful benefits on our My Mortgage website. Mortgages can be a time-consuming process, but our loan officers will walk you through every step of the way! Trust us with your mortgage needs and email us at MortgageOriginations@mainstreetcu.org.  

*May exclude Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or Veteran Affairs (VA) loans

Our Business Services Department is always ready to help! No matter the size of your business, we offer business credit cards, a variety of loans, and business checking/savings accounts. Our business checking accounts are unmatched! With us, you can receive higher cash handling limits and fewer fees.

Our Business Services team gives hands-on service, offering you financial consultation and giving recommendations for resources that will enhance your business. You can open a Mainstreet business account online under the Business tab, and the process can be done in a matter of days. If it's the time to open a business account that fits all your financial needs, you can fill out an application online, visit a branch or contact us at 913-513-1010 to get started.

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It's important that you properly estimate your tax withholding. If an insufficient amount of taxes is withheld, you may end up owing a substantial sum, including penalties and interest, when you file your tax return. Choosing the correct withholding amount for your salary or wages is a matter of completing Form W-4 worksheets, providing an updated Form W-4 when your circumstances change, and perhaps becoming familiar with IRS Publication 505, which deals with withholding and estimated tax.

Two factors determine the amount of income tax your employer withholds from your regular pay: The amount you earn, and the information regarding filing status and withholding allowances that you provide your employer on Form W-4. If you accurately complete all Form W-4 worksheets and you do not have significant nonwage income (e.g., interest and dividends), it is likely that your employer will withhold an amount close to the tax you owe on your return. In the following cases, however, accurate completion of the Form W-4 worksheets alone will not guarantee that you will have the correct amount of tax withheld:

• When you are married and both spouses work
• When you are working more than one job
• When you have nonwage income, such as interest, dividends, alimony, unemployment compensation, or self-employment income
• When you will owe other taxes on your return, such as self-employment tax or household employment tax
• When your withholding is based on obsolete W-4 information for a substantial part of the year (e.g., you've gotten married, gotten divorced, gained a dependent, experienced income fluctuations)

To ensure that you have the correct amount of tax withheld, obtain a copy of IRS Publication 505. It should help you compare the total tax to be withheld for the year to the tax you anticipate owing on your return. It can also help you determine any additional amount you may need to withhold from each paycheck to avoid owing taxes when you file your return. Alternatively, it may help you identify if you are having too much tax withheld.

Contact Mike Thornhill our CFS* Financial Advisor through email mike.thornhill@cusonet.com or call (913) 261- 0327 to prepare for your upcoming tax planning needs.

Mike Thornhill
Financial Advisor, CUSO Financial Services, L.P.
Mike.thornhill@cusonet.com

*Non-deposit investment products and services are offered through CUSO Financial Services, L.P. (“CFS”), a registered broker-dealer (Member FINRA/SiPC) and SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Products offered through CFS: are not NCUA/NCUSIF or otherwise federally insured, are not guarantees or obligations of the credit union, and may involve investment risk including possible loss of principal. Investment Representatives are registered through CFS. Representatives are contracted with CFS to make non-deposit investment products and services available to credit union members.

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The IRS warns taxpayers, businesses, and tax professionals to be alert for a continuing surge of fake emails, text messages, websites, and social media attempts to steal personal information. These attacks tend to increase during tax season and remain a major cause of identity theft throughout the year.

Impersonator phone calls/vishing

Individuals should be wary of unexpected phone calls asking for personal financial information. The IRS has seen an increase in voice-related phishing, or 'vishing,' particularly from scams related to federal tax liens. For those receiving phone calls out of the blue, security experts recommend asking questions of the caller but not providing any personal information. If in doubt, hang up immediately.

During 2020, almost 400 vishing scams were reported, a 14% increase from the prior year. Of those vishing scams, 25% were scammers who tried to use fake tax lien information. The number of tax-lien related scams increased from 58 in 2019 to 104 in 2020, an increase of 79%. The IRS urges taxpayers to refrain from engaging potential scammers on the phone or online.

While the numbers may be on the decline, the IRS urges taxpayers to remain vigilant and to remember the following things about the IRS:

• The IRS generally first contacts people by mail - not by phone - about unpaid taxes.
• The IRS may attempt to reach individuals by telephone but will not insist on payment using an iTunes card, gift card, prepaid debit card, money order or wire transfer.
• The IRS will never request personal or financial information by e-mail, text, or social media.

Recipients of these calls should hang up before giving out any information. If anyone receives an unexpected call from the IRS that they believe to be a scam, they can report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

Source from the IRS website.

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Mainstreet Credit Union is the proud sponsor of the Olathe Public Schools Foundation Educator Excellence Award and we could not be prouder of the winners! The award recognizes teachers who excel in meeting the educational needs of students, communicating well with parents, and working with staff within the Olathe Public School system. To win the award, essays were submitted by former and current students, students' parents, and fellow teachers. 

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Skip A Payment and Donate to Children's Miracle Network

Take a month off this year. Mainstreet Credit Union’s Skip-A-Pay program gives you an opportunity to support local children and their families. From November 1, 2021, through January 31, 2022, you can skip one month’s loan payment* and give a voluntary donation to support the Children’s Miracle Network. All donations from Skip-A-Pay are sent to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to provide hope and healing to nearly 15,000 kids right here in the Greater Kansas City area. Details and restrictions can be found at https://www.mainstreetcu.org/skip-a-pay. 

* Only one monthly loan payment per loan may be skipped through January 31, 2022. This will extend your contract for one month and interest will continue to accrue. This offer excludes real estate secured loans. Skipped payments may affect future GAP claim benefits. Your loan must be current and your accounts in good standing. Other restrictions may apply.

 

 

 

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Thanks to our partnership with ARTSKC, members can experience showings by local artists when they visit our Twin Creeks branch.

The Now Showing program is designed to foster partnerships between individual artists and businesses by providing opportunities for metro-area artists to display their work in public spaces. The partnership benefits the artist who is exposed to a potential new audience, as well as Mainstreet members who are exposed to new elements of creativity and inspiration.

Sara Engman-Slaughter, pictured above, is our new Now Showing artist. Sara Engman-Slaughter is an artist, illustrator, and freelance graphic/web designer working in Kansas City, MO. We invite you to stop by and see her exhibit, running through the end of February at our Twin Creeks Branch, 8451 N. Madison Avenue, Kansas City, MO. Check out more of Sara’s work at her website https://saraslaughter.myportfolio.com/contact.

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Annual Meeting for Members

Tuesday, April 26^th

Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center
8788 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park

The time of the meeting will be announced in the next newsletter.

Please Note: In accordance with CDC guidelines, we may be requiring masks to be worn during the meeting, regardless of vaccination status.

November 2021

Number of Members 70,641

Assets $635 million