Banking & Finance, June 2018

Appen Media Group

Banking Finance

June Special Section

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Sponsored Section • banking & finance

June 2018

Don’t suffer high energy bills any longer

Ask the right questions You should always be able to ask as many questions as you’d like when working with your financial advisor.

So, before your annual review, think carefully about what you’d like to ask. Here are a few suggestions: burns First, ask if your goals are still realistic. For example, are you still on track toward retiring at the age you’ve identified? If not, you may need to adjust your investment strategy.

Also, if you find yourself feeling nervous or uncomfortable over your

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investment results, you might want to ask if your investment mix is still appropriate for your individual risk tolerance.

One more possible question: Ask if changes in your life – such as marriage, remarriage or new children – will affect the way you invest or the goals you’ve set.

Finally, ask if you should respond to external changes, such as higher interest rates or new tax laws.

A financial professional can provide you with valuable expertise – so take advantage of it by asking the right questions. This is Chris Burns, your Edward Jones financial advisor in Cumming, GA at 770-205-1579.

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* Annual Percentage Yield (APY) effective 6/14/2018. CDs offered by Edward Jones are bank-issued and FDIC-insured up to $250,000 (principal and interest accrued but not yet paid) per depositor, per insured depository institution, for each account ownership category. Please visit www.fdic.gov or contact your financial advisor for additional information. Subject to availability and price change. CD values are subject to interest rate risk such that when interest rates rise, the prices of CDs can decrease. If CDs are sold prior to maturity, the investor can lose principal value. FDIC insurance does not cover losses in market value. Early withdrawal may not be permitted. Yields quoted are net of all commissions. CDs require the distribution of interest and do not allow interest to compound. CDs offered through Edward Jones are issued by banks and thrifts nationwide. All CDs sold by Edward Jones are registered with the Depository Trust Corp. (DTC).

Chris Burns Financial Advisor 5285 Lake Point Center Drive Suite A Cumming, GA 30041 770-205-1579

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(BPT) - Do you cringe each month when your utility bills arrive?

The annual energy cost for a typical single family home in the U.S. is more than $2,000, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. If you can think of a thousand things you’d rather spend your hard-earned money on than electricity and natural gas, the solution to saving on energy costs is easier than you think.

While you might assume the numerous electronic gadgets you own drive your high utility bills, the real cost culprits are your furnace and air conditioner. Space heating and cooling account for 42 percent of home energy costs - double what the typical home spends running its electronics and small appliances.

What’s truly unfortunate is much of the money spent on heating and cooling homes is wasted, as heat leaks out of your home in winter and comes in during the summer. The reason? About 90 percent of U.S. homes are under-insulated, according to the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association.

Ending your suffering from high energy bills can be as easy as tackling a few, simple, do-it-yourself insulation projects. Key areas to insulate are your home’s attic, basement, crawl space and garage. Read on for tips on insulating these spaces to improve your home’s energy efficiency and comfort, while putting money back in your pocket.

1. Attic As heat rises and many attics are uninsulated or poorly insulated, the attic is a good place to start for making your home more cozy and cost-effective. Insulating your attic is “a DIY project you can tackle in a weekend, and the savings you’ll get add up every year,” said Tom Silva, general contractor for the popular “This Old House” TV show.

Many contractors and homeowners use loose-fill insulation or fiberglass batts in attics. Although these materials are easy to work with, it is difficult to ensure they do not leave gaps through which heat can escape. And, since they are designed to fit between the joists in the attic floor, they leave the joists uninsulated, which provides many places for heat to transfer from the home into the attic.

An alternative that is also easy to work with, and that provides continuous insulation, is rigid foam panels. Among the rigid foams, expanded polystyrene (EPS) provides the highest insulating power per dollar. EPS panels are simple to cut to size, without creating mess, are recyclable and can be installed throughout your home. One of the EPS brands available at home improvement stores is Insulfoam R-Tech insulation.

2. Basement and crawl space In addition to insulating your attic, it’s important to make sure the bottom part of your home is energy-efficient.

For most of the U.S. other than the hot Gulf Coast region, “it’s cost-effective and wise to install basement wall insulation,” wrote Martin Holladay on his “Musings of an Energy Nerd” blog. As in the attic, rigid foam insulation boards can readily be cut to size and installed on basement walls. While insulation can be applied to the inside or outside of a basement wall, for existing homes it is typically much easier to install it on the inside wall.

This avoids having to move dirt away from the foundation and back-fill once the insulation is in place.

While you’re insulating your basement, be sure to also insulate any crawlspaces, including both the walls and ceiling of these areas.

3. Garage door “Garage doors notoriously are uninsulated,” said David Stassi, field technical support manager at Insulfoam.

“Fortunately, readily available DIY insulation kits allow homeowners to insulate their garage door in less than an hour, for less than $100.” Even a beginning DIYer can do the job, as you simply cut the insulation panels to size with a knife and straightedge, and flex the panels into place between the garage door’s horizontal rails. The panels remain firmly in place without messy glues or awkward tape.

For step-by-step instructions on installing garage door insulation or EPS insulation in basements, crawl spaces and attics, visit the Insulfoam YouTube channel.

With a few simple DIY insulation projects, you can save hundreds of dollars every year. Instead of spending too much on heating and cooling, you’ll have extra money for fun things like eating dinner out or taking a well-deserved vacation.

June 2018

banking & finance • Sponsored Section

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Helping business borrowers succeed (L to R): Antonio Barrios, Area Director for the UGA Small Business Development Center, Terri Denison, Georgia District SBA Director, Diego Velasquez, owner, Tacos and Tequilas Mexican Grill, Ashley Bell, SBDC (behind), Linda McMahon, US SBA Administrator, Blanca and Juan Cuello, Tacos and Tequilas and Carlos Laverde, Atlanta Market President, American Commerce Bank.

No business is “small” when it’s your business, and success in business is always worth celebrating. American Commerce Bank in Johns Creek was pleased to celebrate recently with a long-time customer during a visit from officials of the Small Business Administration.

Linda McMahon, US Administrator for the SBA, visited Atlanta earlier this month to speak on behalf of the US Chamber Small Business series. During her visit, she arranged a meeting with Diego Velasquez, owner of Tacos and Tequilas Mexican Grill and long-time client of American Commerce Bank. McMahon says she makes it a point to meet with business owners during her travels who’ve benefitted from SBA programs.

“Our programs help hardworking entrepreneurs succeed,” said McMahon, “and

it’s a pleasure to meet in their workplaces and hear their impressive stories”.

Velasquez, a 16-year veteran of the restaurant industry, decided in 2010 to open his own establishment. What started as a small location grew quickly, prompting him to eventually open three more locations and create more than 120 jobs in the process. To fund his first restaurant, Velasquez relied on savings and support from family. To fund his expansion dreams, however, he clearly need more help.

Ultimately, he opened his additional restaurants by using the SBA 7A loan program. Carlos Laverde, was pleased to celebrate with Velasquez at the meeting with SBA officials. “I assisted Diego with all three of his SBA loans. It’s been gratifying to watch his business succeed with good lending and financial support”.

American Commerce Bank offers customized lending solutions and SBA loan programs across our North Fulton communities. For more information about American Commerce Bank, stop by their branch at 10690 Medlock Bridge Road or visit www.AmericanCommerceBank.com

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Sponsored Section â&#x20AC;˘ banking & finance

June 2018