by Geon, Bryan
Downtown Self Storage, 1305 NW Davis St, 503-388-4060, and 1304 NW Johnson St, 503-388-4061, www.downtownselfstorage.com, has two locations in the Pearl District.
Northwest Self Storage, www.nwselfstorage.com, is a network of independent storage companies with more than two dozen locations in the greater Portland area; their website provides links and contact information for dozens of storage facilities in Oregon and Washington.
U-Haul Self-Storage, 800-468-4285, www.uhaul.com, has several storage facilities in the area; U-Haul sometimes offers free storage for one month with a one-way truck rental.
Consumer Complaints—Movers
To file a complaint about an Oregon mover, contact the Motor Carrier Transportation Division (3930 Fairview Industrial Dr NE, Salem, 97302, 503-378-5849, www.oregon.gov/ODOT/MCT). For a bad move within Washington, contact the consumer affairs staff of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission at 888-333-9882, or visit www.wutc.wa.gov/fileacomplaint to use their online complaint form.
If yours was an interstate move, your options for government help are limited. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recommends that you contact the Better Business Bureau in the state in which the moving company is licensed and that you register a complaint with that state’s consumer protection office. You can also file a complaint directly with the FMCSA by telephone or online (888-DOT-SAFT [888-368-7238], nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov). Don’t expect much from the agency, however; the complaint hotline is essentially just a database and you will only hear from the FMCSA if it looks at your complaint and determines that enforcement action is warranted.
If satisfaction still eludes you, start a letter-writing campaign: to the state attorney general, to your congressperson, to the newspaper, to online review sites—the sky’s the limit. (You won’t necessarily get results, but you might feel better.) If the dispute is worth it, and the moving company actually has assets or insurance and hasn’t vanished into the ether, you can always hire a lawyer and seek redress through the courts.
Tax Deductions
If your move is work-related, and your employer is not reimbursing your moving costs, some or all of your moving expenses may be tax-deductible. Though eligibility and specific requirements vary—depending, for example, on whether you have a job or are self-employed—you can generally deduct the cost of moving yourself, your family, and your belongings, even if you don’t itemize deductions. To qualify for the deduction, your move must be employment-related; your new job must be at least 50 miles farther away from your former residence than your old job location; and you must work in the new location for at least 39 weeks of the first 12 months after your arrival.
In general, you can deduct:
The cost of moving household goods from your old residence to your new one
The cost of storing household goods in your new city for up to 30 consecutive days
The cost of shipping your car
The cost of moving your household pets
The cost of your family’s trip to your new residence (including transportation and lodging, but not meals)
Keep your receipts for these expenses.
If you take the deduction and then fail to meet the length-of-employment requirements, you will have to pay back the IRS (unless the failure is because your employer transferred you again or laid you off through no fault of your own). IRS publication 521 (available from the IRS website at www.irs.gov or by phone at 800-829-3676) provides full details of the moving expenses deduction. It’s a good idea to consult a tax expert if you are unsure whether, or to what extent, your move qualifies for the deduction.
Children
Moving can be hard on children. Kids that move to a new city are suddenly isolated from their friends and have to start over in an unfamiliar school and community. According to an American Medical Association study, children who move often are more likely to suffer from such problems as depression, aggression, and low self-esteem. Often their academic performance suffers as well. Besides avoiding unnecessary moves, there are a few things you can do to help your children cope with these stressful upheavals:
Talk about the move with your kids. Be honest but positive. Listen to their concerns. Involve them in the process as fully as possible.
Make sure the children have their favorite possessions with them on the trip; don’t pack “blankey” or “bear” in the moving truck.
Plan some fun activities on the other end. Your children may feel lonely in their new surroundings, and some ready-made activities can help them feel more comfortable.
Keep in touch with family and loved ones as much as possible. Photos, phone calls, and e-mail are important ways to maintain links to the important people you have left behind.
If your children are of school age, take the time to involve yourself in their new school and in their academic life. Don’t let them get lost in the shuffle.
For younger children, there are dozens of good books designed to help explain, or at least help ease the transition of, moving. These books include Max’s Moving Adventure: A Coloring Book for Kids on the Move by Danelle Till, illustrated by Joe Spooner; Alexander, Who’s Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move by Judith Viorst; Goodbye/Hello by Barbara Hazen; The Leaving Morning by Angela Johnson; Little Monster’s Moving Day by Mercer Mayer; Who Will Be My Friends? (Easy I Can Read Series) by Syd Hoff; I’m Not Moving, Mama by Nancy White Carlstrom, illustrated by Thor Wickstrom; and The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day by Jan and Stan Berenstain.
For older children, try The Moving Book: A Kids’ Survival Guide by Gabriel Davis; Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger; The Kid in the Red Jacket by Barbara Park; Hold Fast to Dreams by Andrea Davis Pinkney; Flip Flop Girl by Katherine Paterson; and My Fabulous New Life by Sheila Greenwald.
Pets
Moving live animals across the country is stressful for everyone involved, whether animal or human. The Pet-Moving Handbook by Carrie Straub, available from First Books (www.firstbooks.com), provides practical answers for all your pet-moving questions and covers domestic and international moves via car, airplane, ferry, etc.
In general, driving your pets thousands of miles comes with its own set of challenges, including dealing with extreme weather (which could prevent you from leaving your pet in the car while you eat, for example) and finding pet-friendly overnight accommodation. If your pets go by air, you’ll have to navigate the maze of regulations, services, and prices that each airline has devised for animal transport; some airlines will not transport pets at all, others allow them only in the cabin as carry-on luggage, and still others will only transport animals when outdoor temperatures are moderate. A few airlines have special climate-controlled pet care facilities at their hub airports, and will place pets in a climate-controlled cargo bay on the plane. At a minimum, you’ll need to get a health certificate from your veterinarian.
Given the complications of moving animals over long distances, you might want to leave the task to professionals. The International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (903-769-2267, www.ipata.org) maintains a list of pet shipping companies. These companies, such as WorldCare Pet Transport (631-751-2297, www.worldcarepet.com), will make all the arrangements with airports, airlines, and the licensing authorities at your destination—and, of course, they will (or should) move your pet in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act and USDA specifications.
Online Relocation Resources
The following websites feature moving tips and links to movers, real estate leads, and other relocation resources:
American Moving & Storage Association, www.moving.org, offers referrals to interstate movers, local movers, storage companies, and packing and moving consultants.
Sperling’s Best Places, www.bestplaces.net, compares quality-of-life and cost-of-living data for US cities.
First Books, www.firstbooks.com, offers relocation resources and information on moving to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis–St
. Paul, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., as well as China and London, England. First Books also publishes the Newcomer’s Handbook for Moving to and Living in the USA; The Moving Book: A Kids’ Survival Guide; Max’s Moving Adventure: A Coloring Book for Kids on the Move; and the Pet-Moving Handbook.
Move, www.move.com, provides realty and rental listings, moving tips, and more.
The Riley Guide, www.rileyguide.com/relocate.html, is an online moving and relocation clearinghouse with links to dozens of useful relocation-related sites.
To learn more about your rights and responsibilities with respect to interstate moving, check out the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) publication “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move,” which is downloadable off the www.protectyourmove.gov website. The State of Oregon has created an online list of moving tips (“Consumer Guide to Moving”), available at oregon.gov/ODOT/MCT/movers.shtml. The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission has compiled various fact sheets and consumer guides for moving at www.wutc.wa.gov/consumers/Pages/moverpublications.aspx.
The United States Postal Service offers an online change of address form and general relocation information at moversguide.usps.com.
Worldwide ERC—The Workforce Mobility Association, online at www.worldwideerc.org; if your employer is a member of this professional organization, you may have access to special services. Non-members can use the online database of real estate agents and related services.
Money Matters
Once you find a home for yourself and your stuff, you’ll want to find a home for your money (assuming you have any left at that point). Most financial institutions offer a variety of account options; fees (or their absence) often depend on the size of your balance. For major deposits, shop around for interest rates and perks, but for routine banking you’ll be more interested in ATM fees and locations, online or mobile banking options, and direct deposit services (an increasingly common alternative to getting a paper paycheck). Small local banks or credit unions may have lower fees than their colossal national competitors, while offering you a more navigable bureaucracy if you need help. If you do most of your banking at lunchtime or on the way to work, make sure the bank you’re interested in has convenient branches or ATMs. While virtually all banks and credit unions now offer some online banking services, some offerings are more robust than others; for example, some (but not all) banks now offer remote check depositing. If you currently have an account at a national bank with a Portland presence, check with a local branch; you may be able to keep your old account.
Once you decide on your new bank, it’s usually a simple process to open a checking or savings account; generally you’ll need photo identification, proof of address (if you haven’t yet obtained an Oregon or Washington driver’s license), your social security number, and money. Check with your prospective bank to find out what documents (and how much money) you’ll need to bring with you.
Before you close your old bank accounts, keep in mind that many landlords and rental agencies will not accept a tenant who does not have a checking account, and some merchants will not accept the temporary checks most banks issue when you open an account, so it’s probably wise to keep your old account current for at least a short time after you move.
Bank Accounts and Services
National, regional, and local banks all offer online and telephone banking, mortgages, and ATM, debit, and credit cards you can use practically anywhere in the world. Locally based banks, however, often specialize in (or at least advertise) personal service or special perks for customers; national banks generally offer the most comprehensive ATM networks and the widest array of services. In addition to the banks and credit unions listed below, many other banks (some with only one or two branches in the area) can be found online or in the Yellow Pages.
National Banks
These five large national banks have an extensive presence in the Portland area:
Bank of America, 800-432-1000, www.bankofamerica.com, has dozens of branches and ATMs throughout the city and the surrounding suburbs.
Chase, 877-68CHASE, www.chase.com, a newcomer to the region, became instantly pervasive following its 2008 acquisition of Washington Mutual; some banking centers are located inside Fred Meyer supermarkets.
Key Bank, 800-539-2968, www.key.com, has more than two dozen branches in the Portland area.
US Bank, 800-872-2657, www.usbank.com; once based in Portland, this bank’s corporate headquarters have moved to Minneapolis, but it still has one of the most extensive ATM and branch networks in Oregon.
Wells Fargo, 800-869-3557, www.wellsfargo.com; although it generated considerable ill will by closing branches across the region in the late 1990s, Wells Fargo has since re-established an extensive network of branches and ATMs in the Portland area.
Local and Regional Banks
Albina Community Bank, 503-287-7537, 800-814-6088, www.albinabank.com, is a full-service community development bank with five branches; it invests its assets in lower- and middle-income communities in North and Northeast Portland.
Bank of Oswego, 503-635-1699, www.bankofoswego.com, concentrates on offering personal service banking to the Lake Oswego area, with a branch in Sherwood.
Bank of the West, 800-488-2265, www.bankofthewest.com, which operates in 20 Western and Midwestern states (plus Guam and Saipan), has branches throughout the metropolitan area; it is part of the French financial conglomerate BNP Paribas.
Banner Bank, 800-272-9933, www.bannerbank.com, based in Walla Walla, Washington, has eight full-service branches in the Portland area.
Clackamas County Bank, 503-668-5501, www.clackamascountybank.com, opened in 1911, serves Gresham, Boring, Sandy, and the communities of the Mount Hood foothills.
Columbia Bank, 877-272-3678, www.columbiabank.com, based in Tacoma, has more than two dozen branches in the Portland area, and also has a strong presence on the Oregon Coast and in the inland Northwest.
Pacific Continental Bank, 877-231-2265, www.therightbank.com, operates branches in western Oregon and Washington, including Portland, Beaverton, Tualatin, and Vancouver.
Umpqua Bank, 866-486-7782, www.umpquabank.com, headquartered in southern Oregon, has dozens of branches in Portland and each of the major suburbs.
Washington Federal, 800-324-9375, www.washingtonfederal.com, based in Seattle, has locations throughout Oregon and Washington, with eight branches in the Portland area.
West Coast Bank, 800-895-3345, www.wcb.com, has more than two dozen branches in the area, primarily in the suburbs.
Credit Unions
Credit unions are an alternative to consumer banking. These nonprofit, cooperative institutions offer most of the same basic services banks do, but often with lower fees, higher interest rates, and more personalized service. Membership is generally limited to employees of certain companies or government agencies or to residents of a certain area. To find a credit union in Oregon or Washington that you are eligible to join, visit www.asmarterchoice.org. Virtually any resident of the Portland metropolitan area is eligible to join at least one of the following four credit unions:
Columbia Credit Union, 360-891-4000, 503-285-4521, 800-699-4009, www.columbiacu.org, has 12 branches in Clark County; anyone who lives or works in Washington State, or in Jantzen Beach/Hayden Island, Oregon (the northern fringe of North Portland), is eligible to join.
OnPoint Community Credit Union, 503-228-7077, 800-527-3932, www.onpointcu.com, has 19 branches in the Portland area; membership is open to anyone who lives or works in Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington, or Yamhill counties in Oregon or Clark or Skamania counties in Washington.
Rivermark Community Credit Union, 503-626-6600, 800-452-8502, www.rivermarkcu.org, with four branches in the metro area, is open to residents (or family members of residents) of most counties in north-central Oregon, including Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, and Yamhill.
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Unitus Community Credit Union, 503-227-5571, 800-452-0900, www.unitusccu.com, has eight branches; you are eligible for membership if you live or work in any of 15 Oregon counties (including Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties), or anywhere in Washington.
Credit Cards
Despite its potential fiscal hazards, plastic is an increasingly common way to pay for goods and services—so much so that many Portland merchants will accept credit cards, but not personal checks. If you don’t already have a credit card, you can compare credit card offerings—including interest rates, fees, special offers, and affinity features—at sites such as CardHub.com (www.cardhub.com) or Bankrate.com (www.bankrate.com/credit-cards.aspx).
VISA (www.usa.visa.com) and MasterCard (www.mastercard.us) cards are accepted by almost all merchants who take credit cards. American Express (www.americanexpress.com) and Discover (www.discovercard.com) cards are also widely accepted, though not universal.
Most department stores and other major retail chains issue charge cards, sometimes with lines of credit. Usually these accounts are issued automatically and instantly if you already have a VISA or MasterCard account, often in combination with a discount on purchases made on the day you apply. Store accounts may have lower fees (or no fees) and lower interest rates than major credit cards, and perks may include advance notice of sales, access to special services, and cardholder discounts. However, the instant discount may not be worth the hit to your credit rating that new accounts trigger, or the nuisance of keeping track of new cards.
You can also buy prepaid charge cards. These work like debit cards, so you can give them to a teenager or use them for Internet shopping and know that you can’t lose any more money than the amount already encoded on the card.
