How to "Save Hard, Spend Smart"

PORTLAND, OR--(Marketwire - May 4, 2009) - Throughout the country, Americans are feeling the impact of the global recession, and are working to change their spending habits as a result. But the transition to saving more and spending differently isn't an easy one.

"Save Hard Spend Smart" creates a place for people to come together to tackle these challenges by showcasing real-life examples of people changing their financial futures. The program, launched by Umpqua Bank, is designed to promote educated saving and spending habits in a new online community that encourages people to share financial tips, information and questions in an open forum. "Save Hard Spend Smart" will follow three savings heroes as they set saving goals, create budgets and document their spending habits on www.savehardspendsmart.com. The community is also invited to participate on the site through:

--  Online discussions and blogs
--  Daily spending/saving tips
--  Savings calculator
--  "Pass the cash," a perks program 
    for reaching savings goals
    

Who are the Savings Heroes?

The Save Hard Spend Smart savings heroes include:

-- Personal Hero: Bridget and John Malone have been remodeling their Portland, Ore. home for the past year and are saving to finish the final room, the kitchen. Already through the demolition process, the Malones are anxious to get a plan in place and put their kitchen back together. The Malones anticipate it will take at least $20,000 to make their dream kitchen a reality.

-- Mortgage Hero: Shannon Clune hopes to capitalize on the housing market by purchasing his first home and will be documenting the down payment savings process as he works towards his goal of $8,000.

-- Small Business Hero: Lauren Skogland, owner of Portland, Ore. restaurant Milo's City Cafe, is looking for financial advice as he develops a savings cushion. Currently, Skogland does not have a formal savings plan in place, but aims to save at least $14,400 in backup funds within the next year.

"The past five years have seen too many purchases made regardless of whether you could afford it or not," said Clune. "Across the country, we're all facing similar challenges, recognizing that we need to make educated spending decisions and trying to figure out how best to do it. I love the idea of a place where we can work towards our goals together and am happy to be sharing my experiences with the ups and downs of saving for my first home."

For more information on each savings hero and the Save Hard, Spend Smart campaign, visit www.savehardspendsmart.com.

About Save Hard Spend Smart

"Save Hard, Spend Smart" is a program created by Umpqua Bank, a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: UMPQ). It is designed to promote educated saving and spending habits in a variety of ways, including online at www.savehardspendsmart.com and through events in the community. The campaign will follow three savings heroes as they set saving goals, create budgets and document their spending habits.

About Umpqua Bank

Umpqua Bank, headquartered in Roseburg, Ore., is a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: UMPQ) and has 150 locations between Napa, Calif. and Bellevue, Wash., along the Oregon and Northern California Coast and in both Central California and Central Oregon. Umpqua Bank has been recognized for its innovative customer experience and banking strategy by national publications including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, BusinessWeek, Fast Company and CNBC. The company has been recognized for the past three years in a row on FORTUNE magazine's list of the country's "100 Best Companies To Work For." Umpqua Holdings also owns retail brokerage subsidiary Strand, Atkinson, Williams & York Inc., which has locations in Umpqua Bank stores and in dedicated offices throughout Oregon. Umpqua Bank's Private Client Services Division provides tailored financial services and products to individual customers. Umpqua Holdings Corporation is headquartered in Portland, Ore. For more information, visit http://www.umpquabank.com/.