the alliant advisor, winter 2011 newsletter

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Keeping your thumb green during the winterMany people see winter as a time to close down their garden and wait until warm weather returnsto start gardening again. However, even i you don’t live in balmy states, such as Florida or Cali-ornia, there is plenty you can do during the cold months to ensure a beautiul garden come spring.Here are some tips.

Compost and mulch. Dig up and discardweeds and diseased plants. Shred all leaves andpull out any dying annuals or a compost pile.Remove old debris around ower beds and,once the ground reezes, use the resh compostas new mulch or your perennials.

Plant certain bulbs outside, such as iris,daodils, day lilies, ranunculus and tulips.

Plant some seeds inside under lights, six to eight weeks beore transplanting them inyour garden in the spring. Good bets includeherbs, tomatoes, snapdragons, chili peppers,petunias and salvia.

Get a jump on next spring by using cold

frames – outdoor boxes covered with glass orplastic sheets. Place cold rames over seedlingsor plants. When you protect perennials and sowseeds, such as leay vegetables, under the coldrames, you give them extra warmth so they willsprout earlier in spring.

Prune trees. When a tree’s branches are bare,you have a clearer view o how to shape itsstructure.

Water one last time before the freeze. Ideally, your yard should get an inch o waterevery 14 to 21 days during the growing season.Give your plants and trees a watering one weekor so beore you expect the ground to reeze.

ofce closings

Veterans Day–

Friday, November 11, 2011Thanksgiving Day–Thursday, November 24, 2011

This newsletter is or members’ personal use only.Reproducing and/or selling the contents o this

newsletter without prior written permission romAlliant Credit Union is prohibited. Copyright Alliant.Articles are prepared as an educational service orAlliant members. They should not be relied on as asubstitute or individual fnancial or legal research.Articles in this newsletter are not intended to be used(and may not be relied on) or penalty avoidance.

P.O. Box 66945, 11545 W. Touhy Avenue

Chicago, IL 60666-0945

www.alliantcreditunion.org

800-328-1935 (24/7)

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ti n l C r i t Un i n i ni t r t i n,U. . G v rn nt ncy

Yoursavingsfederallyinsuredtoatleast$250,000andbackedbythefullfaithandcreditofthe

UnitedState sGovernment

NationalCredit UnionAdministrat ion,aU.S.GovernmentAgency


U ni t t t G v r n n t



U ni t t t G v r n n t


Alliant’s 24/7 Member Contact Center,Website, Sel Service Telephone andATMs are available.

Visit our website, www.alliantcreditunion.org, orproduct and other inormation.

in this issue

New Year’s Resolutions or your home

Six ways to winterize your homeHail, the mighty toothbrush!

Do you know someone in the marketor a new home?

Keeping your thumb green during the winter

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cover storywww.alliantcreditunion.org

Adviso

v

FIRST MORTGAGES

1/1 ARM 2.500% 3.360% 03/1 ARM 2.500% 3.236% 0

5/1 ARM 2.750% 3.211% 0

5/1 ARM (InterestOnly) 3.500% 3.459% 0

7/1 ARM 3.000% 3.255% 0

7/1 ARM (InterestOnly) 3.750% 3.580% 0

10/1 ARM 4.000% 3.816% 0

SECOND/VACATION HOMES

1/1 ARM 2.750% 3.840% 0

3/1 ARM 2.750% 3.677% 0

5/1 ARM 3.000% 3.621% 0

7/1 ARM 3.250% 3.637% 0

10/1 ARM 4.250% 4.164% 0

Rates, terms and conditions subject to change. Loanapproval, APR and downpayment required based oncreditworthiness, amount fnanced and ability torepay. APR=Annual Percentage Rate. First Mortgages

available in all 50 states. Rate is higher on fxed ratemortgages o $417,001 and above and on ARMs andInterest-only fxed rate mortgages o $500,001 andabove. Reer to the Alliant website or additional detailsand requirements. ARM=Adjustable Rate Mortgage.*The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) assumes a 20%downpayment on a loan amount o $250,000 with a30-year term. The results above assume an originationee o $1,445 plus $180 in additional prepaid fnancecharges plus 15 days o prepaid interest.

Mortgage Loan Rates

As of October 17, 2011

Type Interest APR* PointsRate

garden lie in the dead o winter

the Allian

New Year’s Resolutions or your hoEach year, about 100 million Americans make New Year’s Resolutions to habits, reach a goal or improve their lie in some way, according to CNN.

to overlook is improving your abode. How about giving your home sweettender, loving care in the upcoming year? Consider these six resolutions.

1. Rid your home o clutter. Go throughyour entire home, including the garage,and clear out anything that’s no longero use. You can even earn some money

or your eorts by holding theproverbial garage sale or donating theitems to charity.

2. Do your spring cleaning now. Whenwas the last time you did a real spring

cleaning? One where you cleanedbehind the oven and ridge, or pulledthe books out o the bookcases anddusted them? Keep in mind that a goodspring cleaning oten takes days. How

about rolling up your sleeves and cleanwhen Jack Frost makes you eelhomebound?

3. Deal with roo issues. Winter canwreak havoc on your home’s roo, so

assess its condition beore it’s too late.Replace loose or cracked shingles. Takecare o damaged or clogged gutters.And i you have a chimney, get itthoroughly inspected and cleaned.

4. Go with the fow. Plumbing is very

important to both homeowners and

homebuyers. Is the hot water hotenough? Do the showers have theperect pressure? Does the toilet run

longer than it should? Start payingattention to these nagging “minor”issues and get them resolved.

5. Protect yoursel and your amily. Check, and i need be, change thebatteries in your smoke detectors and

carbon monoxide detectors. It’s a good

practice to test your batmonths and change themBuy fre extinguishers i any. The critical place toyour kitchen, perhaps in

under your kitchen sinklocations or an extinguisclothes dryer and in a w

6. Embrace the 21st Cen

around your home and d

it may be reecting its agdisadvantage. For instan“cottage cheese” ceilinggetting rid o them. It’s but it will improve the l

your home. And these kmakeovers will increase yi you plan to put it on th

Sources: usinspect.com, savings.com, cnn.

Platinum Plus Content Licensing

H a p p y N e w Y e a r

Sources: wintergardeningtips.com, bestgardening.com, msn.com, gardeners.com, The Wall Street Journal, Better Homes and Gardens,

and ower-gardening-made-easy.com

C l e a n

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Jack Frost has a wicked way o intruding into people’s houses to make themeel cold and to drive up their heating costs. The average cost to heat a U.S.home last winter was $986, according to the U.S. Energy Inormation Adminis-tration. The bad news: the price is expected to rise moderately this winter. The

good news: you can reduce the “brrr” actor and save up to 50% o your total

heating costs i you properly winterize your home, according to home repairexperts. Here are six tips to do so.

1) Block those leaks. The average American home has leaks equalto a nine-square-oot hole in the wall, according to the Earthworks

Group o Murrells Inlet, SC. To pinpoint leaks, which aren’t obviousto you, consider walking around your home on a breezy day with a litincense stick. I the smoke goes anywhere but up, you probably havea leak that lets the wind through. Then, address those areas. Get out

your caulk gun. Put up storm windows or afx plastic sheeting overyour windows. Install sweeps to close spaces under the doors. And, i needed, cover electrical outlets with gaskets. Also, go outside and sealleaks with weather-resistant caulk.

2) Make sure the top o your house is in tip-top shape. “The singlemost eective way to save on heating is to have adequate attic insulation,”says Danny Lipord, host o the TV show “Today’s Homeowner.”

“Look or ceiling joists,” he says. “I you see them, you need moreinsulation, at least 12 inches.” Also, replace worn roo shingles and tiles.

3) Gut out the gutters. Remove leas and other muck

rom your gutters. Then, spray water through the downspoutsto clear away letover debris. Make sure the downspouts carry

water away rom your home’s oundation so it won’t cause damage – atleast 10 eet away, according to the Well Home Program o Seattle, WA.

4) Check the urnace. When you fre up your urnace or the frst time o the season, it’s common or it to emit a strong, odd smell. I that smell

persists or a long time, shut o the urnace and call a proessional.Some experts suggest having your urnace cleaned annually (oten a$100 job). Check your urnace flters every month and change themwhen needed.

5) Get your equipment ready.Drain gas rom lawnmowers. Fire upyour snow blower beore you need to use it. Not working well? Then,

give it a tune-up or have it serviced. Drain your garden hose and detachit rom the outside aucet. Make sure the in-house water valve to theoutside aucet is turned o. I you live where it snows, make sure tohave snow shovels and environmentally-riendly ice melt on hand.

6) Protect the pipes. Insulate any pipes that aren’t insulated, especiallythose that ow through unheated spaces, such as crawlspaces orgarages. Use pre-molded oam rubber sleeves or fberglass insulation.

Sources: msn.com, cbsnews.com and about.com

Six ways to winterize your home

3

$100 Mortgage Program Reward C

Offer expires December 3COMPLETE AND RETURN THIS CERTIFICATE TO:

Alliant Credit UnionAttn: Marketing Department

P.O. Box 66945

Chicago, IL 60666-0945

Member Information

Individual applying for a mortgage, please complete this section and mail to Alliant.

__________________________________________________________________________Member Account Number

____________________________ ______________ ___________________________

First Name Middle Name Last Name

__________________________________________________________________________Street Address (include unit #)

____________________________ ______________ ___________________________City State Zip Code

____________________________ ____________________________________________Phone Number Email

Once your Alliant mortgage loan is approved and clos

reward1 will be deposited into your Alliant savings ac

1YoumustbeorbecomeamemberoAlliantCreditUniontoqualiy.YoumloanbyDecember31,2012,to beeligibleto receivethe$100reward,whicintoyourAlliantsavingsaccount.Nosubstitutionswillbemadeorthe$10responsibleoranytaxliability.Onlyone$100 rewardperqualiyingmortgCertifcatemustbereturnedwithin30daysateryourloanclosingdatetoAMarketingDept.,P.O.Box66945,Chicago,IL 60666-0945,inordertoreceivreceivetheCertifcateandveriytheloanamountandclosingdate,wewyourAlliantsavingsaccount.OernotvalidonexistingAlliantmortgageloandunded mortgageloansand mortgageloanrefnances romother lend

Not in the market for a mortgage?

Pass along this Certifcate to someone who is.

Do you know someone in the market or a new hoPass along this great $100 OFFER!

I you or someone you know is in the market or a newor looking to refnance a current residence, consider Algreat fxed, adjustable and interest-only mortgages.

With our online application, it’s ast and easy to apply mortgage. Once the Alliant mortgage is approved and cwe’ll reward the borrower with a $100 savings deposit

Here’s how it works…

1. Check out our below-market rates at www.alliantcr

(I the person you are reerring is not an Alliant memcan easily join online, too.)

2. Apply online or call our Mortgage Hotline at 800-ext. 8620 (Mon-Fri, 6am-7pm CT; Sat, 8am-12pm C

3. Mail in the Certifcate below. Then, we’ll reward thewith a $100 deposit1 to his/her Alliant savings accou

1YoumustbeorbecomeamemberoAlliantCreditUniontoqualiy.YoumustapplyoryourmDecember31,2012,tobe eligibletoreceivethe$100rewardwhichwillbedepositeddirectlyinsavingsaccount.Nosubstitutionswillbemadeorthe$100reward.Recipientsareresponsiblliability.Onlyone$100rewardperqualiyingmortgagewillbeawarded.OriginalCertifcatemuwithin30daysateryourloanclosingdatetoAlliantCreditUnion,ATTN:MarketingDept.,P.O.BChicago,IL60666-0945,inordertoreceivethe$100 reward.OncewereceivetheCertifcateanamountand closingdate,wewilldepositthe $100rewardinyourAlliant savingsaccount.OonexistingAlliantmortgageloans.Oervalidonapprovedandundedmortgageloansandmrefnancesromother lenders.

Help yoursel or someone you know sav

money with an Alliant mortgage

Hail, the mighty

toothbrush!You should replace your tooth-

brush every three to our months

(or earlier i the bristles become

rayed), according to the American

Dental Association. But, don’t be in

a hurry to throw away your worn

out toothbrush. You can boil it in

water or three minutes and give it

new lie as a home improvement

tool. Use it to:

1. Scour with an abrasive cleaner

between bathroom tiles, around

aucets and drains, as well as

grates, grills and vents

2. Clean jewelry, silverware

and between the teeth o a

chainsaw

3. Clean fsh and to scrape o mud

and other yuck rom the soles o

your shoes

4. Degrease parts o your bicycle

5. Sweep crumbs o your

computer keyboard

6. Scrub small stains o your

upholstery and carpets

Source: almanac.com

the alliant advisor, winter 2011 newsletter

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