Financial and Lifestyle Resources for Vermont

If you’re buying a house, you want to get the best deal possible, which means you want the lowest interest rates—the lower your interest rates are, the less you’ll pay over the life of the loan. Buying a house can take a while, though, and in the time it takes you to find the house and go through the buying process, interest rates could rise or fall significantly.

If you’re a parent, you may find that as the school year gets closer, figuring out a game plan to pay for college gets more overwhelming by the day. For most, funding education from a savings alone is not an option.

Private mortgage insurance (PMI), mortgage insurance (MI), private MI—these are all different names for one insurance product, which I’ll refer to as PMI for the purposes of this article. PMI is required when you take out a home loan with a down payment that is less than 20% of the purchase price or appraisal value, whichever is lower.

Homeowners have what seems like a never-ending list of need-to-do and want-to-do home improvement projects. From regular maintenance and repairs to protect your home’s value, to bathroom updates or additions to potentially increase value. The reality is that all renovations and repairs cost money and there is some serious time and planning involved if you want the project done right.

When you pay off debt, you open up options for yourself. You improve your cash flow, so you can stop living from paycheck to paycheck; you free up money so that you can buy the things you need and want to live a more productive and engaged life; and you put yourself in a position to save more money for a more comfortable retirement.

If you’re not sure if you can afford to improve the energy efficiency of your home, you’re in good company. Lots of people wonder not only about how to pay for home improvements but also about what upgrades make the most sense. The good news is that you can get help about both concerns. At Efficiency Vermont, it’s my job to give objective advice about lowering energy use within any budget. One of the ways that many people are able to make their dream of an efficient home a reality is with a low-interest energy loan.

If you’re buying a home, it's time to get organized! A home is one of the most expensive purchases you are likely to make in a lifetime and the homebuying process can be complicated. This is the time to decide what kind of home you want and what you need to do in order to buy it. So, take a moment to consider (and write down) the steps you’ll need to take in the months to come.

As a result of the new tax legislation, enacted in December of 2017, homeowners will not receive tax deductions on home equity loan interest. Since the 1980’s homeowners have enjoyed a deduction for home equity interest on amounts up to $100,000. The legislation eliminated tax deductions for interest on new and existing home equity loans from 2018 through 2025. It did not eliminate deductions for interest on primary home mortgage loans.