AFCU Money Matters - Fall 2007 - (Page 14)

home matters Go Green With an AFCU Home Equity Loan Making your home more environmentally friendly is easy with a home equity loan from American First. • Borrow up to 100 percent of your equity.* • Loans up to $250,000 available. • 15-year terms. • Possible tax benefits • Closing costs waived with minimum loan amount Call us at 800/290-1112 Ext. 5092, stop by a branch or visit www.amerfirst.org for more information. *HELOC is available in CA, AZ, UT, IL, ID and NV. The All Equity loan is available in all 50 states, excluding TN,TX, GA. **Consult you tax advisor. $450 closing costs will be waived with an initial advance of $10,000 or more, up to $100,000. Flooring Many environmentally friendly and attractive choices for floors and furnishings are at your disposal. Bamboo floors, which are moisture and stain resistant, are stronger and less expensive than most hardwoods, resembling a wood grain with a blond color that brightens up a room. Cork floors are soft, insulating, inexpensive, durable, easy to clean, and allergy friendly. Carpet lovers should avoid synthetics, which release toxic chemicals over time. Natural fibers such as wool are a better — albeit more costly — choice. Plant-fiber carpets made of sisal, sea grass or jute are affordable, durable and easy to clean. IT’S EASY BEING GREEN New technology and home improvements can help lessen your personal impact on the environment while saving money on energy bills. Check out these home improvement tips and see how easy it is to be green. tain more heat in the winter and more cool air in the summer. Even if you have a newer home, you’ll save in energy costs by adding more insulation. Lighting Do the environment a favor by replacing regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones. They use 75 percent less energy, emit less heat and last 10 times longer. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star, “If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of 800,000 cars.” Install occupancy sensors in your home to turn off lights automatically when no one is in the room. Get the most out of natural daylight by painting your walls a lighter color to reflect more light. Insulation Insulating can reduce heating and cooling costs while making your home healthier and more comfortable. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) recommends insulation and air sealing, combined with a good ventilation system, as the No. 1 way to improve efficiency. Insulation helps reduce heat flow — the natural movement of air from warmer spaces to colder ones — enabling you to re14 FALL 07 Heating and Cooling According to the EERE, heating and cooling demands 56 percent of your home’s energy need. Installing a programmable thermostat is an inexpensive way to improve your current system: you can save about 10 percent a year by turning down the thermostat 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day, while you are asleep or at work. Remember to check your air filter once a month, as well. A dirty filter makes your system work harder and wastes energy by slowing down air flow. http://www.amerfirst.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AFCU Money Matters - Fall 2007

Money Matters - Fall 2007 Contents e-Statements e-Waste Live a Greener Life! Motley Fool: Hybrid Cars Looking More Attractive Jean Chatzky: Reduce, Reuse and Simplify Saving Energy, Saving Money It’s Easy Being Green Five Common Money Mistakes

AFCU Money Matters - Fall 2007

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