Credit Union Blog

Smoke detector maker First Alert is offering these home safety tips:      Practice a fire escape plan. According to a recent study conducted by First Alert, only 43 percent of Americans report having a home escape plan in place. However, only a quarter (26 percent) have ever practiced it. After planning an emergency escape route, practice it at least twice a year.

When it comes to increasing the value of your home, you should not spend home improvement dollars willy-nilly; some upgrades and renovations are considered more valuable than others.  Rather than putting your hard-earned cash down the garbage disposal in unnecessary expenses, consider the following checklist of home improvement items that are worth every penny.

Just like restaurants, some lenders are better than others -- better customer service, better appetizers, better prices. At America's Credit Union, we pride ourselves on our friendly and experienced loan experts and on the solid value you'll find in all of our loans, home equity included. 

If you have equity in your home and need extra cash for home repairs, education costs or to consolidate high-interest debt, then a home equity loan might be a good option for you. Before signing the dotted line, however, you should be sure you are receiving agreeable loan terms from a trustworthy mortgage lender; a home equity loan is a significant debt, often set up to be paid back over a lengthy repayment term. With this type of loan, securing fair and current home equity loan rates is essential to safeguarding your healthy financial future. 

Life has a lot of big moments, and unfortunately, they all cost equally big money -- your child's wedding, college tuition, or the need for a new car to replace the one that just wore out yesterday. Even the most fiscally responsible family needs help footing the big bills that life has a way of generating. That's why, at America's Credit Union, we're willing to work with you to find the best rates on home equity loans to get you through. 

Generation Z can expect to spend $226,000 on inflation-adjusted rent in their lifetime -- about $24,000 more than millennials and $77,000 more than baby boomers, according to a new analysis  from rental search platform HotPads.

When it comes to getting the most out of their homes, many homeowners are not aware of all the possible ways to leverage ownership to benefit their finances. Home equity loans can help you do just that. In this article, we answer your questions like, "What is home equity?" and more! Read on to learn how homeownership can help your finances. 

The process of taking out a home equity loan often feels overwhelming with several different factors to consider and choices to make. One of the most important parts of the process is finding a good deal on your interest rate. To help you find the best deal and loan terms to fit into your budget, we put together the following five lender-approved tips for getting the best home equity loan rates. 

The short answer to the question, "Can you use a home equity loan for anything?" is yes. Just because you can, however, does not mean you should. Getting a home equity loan is a big decision. Although you can use the proceeds for anything (pinball machines, fancy cars or a lifetime supply of candy), you should avoid these pitfalls to ensure your home equity loan provides you with adequate financial benefit. 

According to the United States Census Bureau, the homeownership rate for Americans at the close of 2017 was at 64.2%. With over half of the country owning their own homes, understanding how to make the most out of homeownership is more important than ever. Homeowners can do more with their homes than simply live inside of them.