Almost daily, you hear news reports about the increasing numbers of homes in foreclosure. What you don’t hear reported is how increasing energy costs are so often the cause of this devastating problem.
Are you losing your home because you can’t afford to pay your energy bills and your mortgage? If you aren’t facing foreclosure can you afford temperature settings that keep you feeling comfortable inside your home?
During the recent U.S. housing boom, builders completed homes quickly. Interest rates were low and investors eager to cash in on high …

If you love decorating and you love a challenge then you’ll love the challenge of decorating on a budget. There’s nothing quite like fighting your impulses to buy everything you see just so that you keep to your budget, and trying to get everything you need to decorate your house without breaking your budget. It is a losing battle I can tell you that much.
Sometimes the desire to buy the amazing things you see in the home improvement stores can be almost overwhelming. There isn’t too much that you can …

This is part of our Financial Literacy Month Question and Answer series
Question: Cindy, I just received a letter from my bank that they’ve frozen my home equity line of credit. I have great credit and always make my payments on time. What’s going on? ~ Sally and Jim
Answer: Dear Sally and Jim, I think many people are going to be hearing this same line from their bankers because of the sub-prime mess.
When you apply for a home equity line of credit (HELOC), the bank will look at the value of …

This is part of our Financial Literacy Month Question and Answer series
Question: Do you have any good tips for saving money on my phone bill? How about my cell?
Answer: Sure, here are a few:

You may have several telephone service providers in your area. Spend a few minutes with each of them to find out who offers the best price for the services you need.

Call you own service provider and find out if they’ve lowered the rates. Mine had cut the rates in half without notifying me!
Check with your …

This is part of our Financial Literacy Month Question and Answer series
Question: With summer coming up, I just dread my electric bills. Isn’t there any way to keep them low? ~ Thomas
Answer: Thomas, what a hot topic!
The key to achieving maximum energy savings in your home is to create a whole-house energy efficiency plan. View your home as an energy system with interdependent parts. For example, your heating system is not just a furnace-it’s a heat-delivery system that starts at the furnace and delivers heat throughout your home using a …