Home Equity Loans

It's Good to Have Options

Get a home equity loan or line of credit, the choice is yours. Home equity loans are a great low-rate option when you want to tackle big home improvements, consolidate debt, or pay for college. And, depending on what you use the funds for, the interest may even be tax deductible!* Plus, FFCCU may cover up to $800 in closing costs!*

Home Equity Loans: What Should You Choose?

Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)

WHAT IS IT?
A line of credit that uses the equity in your home as collateral. Use your line during the draw period, while paying a monthly balance throughout the life of the loan.

INFO TO KNOW:
7-year draw period with a 15-year repayment.
$10,000 initial advance, and as low as $500 for subsequent advances

BONUS!
We'll cover up to $500 in closing costs when you borrow a minimum of $10,000, and up to $800 in closing costs when you borrow $50,000 or more!

APPLY FOR A HELOC

Estimate Your Loan Payment Now

KUDOS!

Berto was awesome. I joined up today as a brand new member, and he helped in every possible way to make the process smooth and complete. Thanks, Berto!

-Karen

Shared branching lets me, as a member of an out-of-town credit union, access FFCCU’s services. I have never had a bad experience working with FFCCU and appreciate that they have helped me make large d...

-Paul P.

Anytime I have to call, I always end up speaking with the most friendly folks. They always help me and I feel like I’m truly being taken care of.

-Alexandra

We want to give a shout out to Margaret from the Emerald Branch, she was excellent in helping us with our accounts. She made it easy to understand and to do. She even came in on her day off to help us...

-John D.

The loan process was quick and easy. One of the FFCCU teammates told me about loan options when I was at the branch – by the time I was home 10 minutes later – they had already checked in.

-John S.

I’ve been with FFCCU for over 25 years and always have great experiences. Lisa Snell was no exception: whether online or meeting in person to close my auto loan, she’s fantastic!

-Julie Z.

Beth and Kathy were excellent to work with. They answered every question I had and every phone call I made. I loved those two.

-Alan S.

I have been a member since 2011. Everyone has always been very helpful and quick to respond. There have also been steady improvements year after year, especially with online banking. I love supporting...

-Eric

Our Financial Service Rep spoke with the travel agency directly to ensure payment for our dream vacation made the deadline. The process reaffirmed that FFCCU is the best credit union for us!

-The Freeborns

Jovan, Bev, Jenny, and the other personnel at the Wellington branch are absolutely Rock Stars. They have always been so helpful, they are the greatest 😊

-Sue S.

Lisa Snell makes every customer feel heard, valued, and appreciated, turning every interaction into a positive experience. Thank you very much Lisa at the Emerald branch location!!

-Gissela S.

Wow!!! You give me the best customer service!!! I’m an 8-year Member and can say my Credit Union performs like nothing else. They take such a personal interest in all my issues, great and small.

-David W.

More Kudos!

Our Rates

As of August 11, 2025

Loan Type	Fixed Rate APR*	Variable Rate APR*
Home Equity Line of Credit Loan Variable Rate, 7 yr. draw period, 15 year repayment		as low as 7.50%**
Home Equity Loan (Fixed Rate)	as low as 6.07%*
*Promotional Annual Percentage Rate (APR) shown is accurate as of 5.1.25 and is available to well-qualified borrowers for a term up to 60 months and a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of 80% or less. Offer is only valid for new, fixed rate home equity loan applications submitted between 5.1.25 – 7.31.25, that are approved and opened within 60 days of the application date. Rate is determined by credit history, the term of the loan, and the Loan to Value (LTV) ratio. Fixed rate home equity loan rate is determined by the Prime Lending Rate as its index plus a margin, credit history and the number of years loan is financed. If you borrow $10,000 - $49,999, FFCCU may cover up to $500 in closing costs. If you borrow $50,000 or more, FFCCU may cover up to $800 in closing costs. Borrowers who incur closing costs, such as appraisal, title search, and flood search, during the application process, but whose loan does not close for any reason, including but not limited to, borrower electing to withdraw application, or if the results from the appraisal, title search, or flood search render the application ineligible for approval, are responsible for all closing fees incurred. Home equity loan repayment terms are 60 to 180 months. For example: A $50,000 home equity loan for a term of 60 months with a 5.99% APR, payment would be $966.41 monthly. Maximum APR for Home HELOC is 18%. Call 216-621-4644 for current rates as they are subject to change at any time and without notice. Applicants must be eligible for membership and become a member if loan is approved. Accounts are insured up to $250,000.00 by American Share Insurance. This institution is not federally insured by member choice. MEMBERS’ ACCOUNTS ARE NOT INSURED OR GUARANTEED BY ANY GOVERNMENT OR GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED AGENCY.

Bill Deighton

Bill has over 40 years of experience in credit unions and previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors for 30 years. Bill is a retired Captain of the Cleveland Fire Department. Along with his credit union experience, he has served for 16 years on the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund Board. He believes that credit unions are powered by providing the best customer service to members. Bill volunteers at St. Ambrose Parish and the Fire Museum renovation. Bill and his wife live in Brunswick and have two grown children.

Anthony Missig

Tony is honored to have been the current Board Director since 1999. He has been a credit union member of Cleveland Fire Fighter since 1988. Tony graduated with a BA degree in Business from Hiram College and an MBA from Baldwin Wallace College. He is currently an Assistant Chief with the Cleveland Fire Department.

Ben Laurendeau

Ben Laurendeau has been employed in the credit union industry since 1987 in a variety of positions. Ben has held the position of President/CEO with Firefighters Community Credit Union since January of 2005. Ben holds an Associate Degree in Accounting from Terra Community College, A Bachelor Degree in Accounting from Tiffin University and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Baldwin Wallace University. Ben serves as a Director on the Ohio Credit Union League Services Corporation Board and serves on the Ohio Credit Union League Audit Committee.

Gary D. Arbeznik

Gary is a lifelong resident of Greater Cleveland and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2018. Many of his family members have served in the Cleveland Fire department and are long-time members of FFCCU. Gary holds a BA from Columbia College and a JD g from Cleveland State University. He has worked for both Cuyahoga County and the US Attorney’s office in Cleveland during his legal career. Now retired, Gary and his wife live in Lakewood.

Alyssa Garcia Evanoff

Alyssa Garcia Evanoff joined Firefighters Community Credit Union as the Chief Marketing Officer in February 2019. Alyssa has nearly two decades of experience in brand management and strategic marketing with a variety of organizations across the Greater Cleveland area. During her career, she has developed successful marketing and creative campaigns that have repositioned brand image and increased brand loyalty through emerging digital trends, content marketing and user experience strategy. Alyssa is a graduate of Miami University and sits on the board of the Cleveland chapter of the American Advertising Federation.

Jessica Bittner

Jessica Bittner joined FFCCU as a teller in 2009. In 2012 she was promoted to branch manager, and has managed multiple branches throughout the credit union. Jessica holds a Bachelors in Human Resource Management & Business Management, with a minor in accounting from Baldwin Wallace University. She was promoted to COO in 2021.

Kathleen Riggs

Kathleen Riggs joined FFCCU as Chief Retail Officer in 2013. Kathy has been in the financial services industry for over 25 years, holding a variety of positions. Kathleen received her bachelors degree in psychology from Kent State University and is a certified trainer of CUNA’s Creating Member Loyalty program.

Paul Humphrey

Paul Humphrey was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. He joined FFCCU in 2017 as the Chief Lending Officer. Paul is a graduate of Kent State University. He holds the designation of Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor (CCUFC) from CUNA. Paul has managed lending programs in both small and large credit unions and brings that unique perspective to serve the members of FFCCU.

John Carrick

John Carrick is the Chief Financial Officer of Firefighters Community Credit Union in Cleveland, Ohio. John was hired by Greater Cleveland Firefighters Credit Union (former name of Firefighters Community Credit Union) as an Accounting Assistant in February 1993, was promoted to acting CFO in 1995, and was awarded the position of CFO in 1996. John has assisted in the acquisition of multiple mergers for Firefighters Community Credit Union and has managed two different Merging Credit Unions during the merger process. John is a former member of the Audit Committee of the Cleveland Chapter of the Ohio Credit Union League. John holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Cleveland State University.

Dennis Corrigan

Dennis has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2017. He is invested in forming bonds between the Credit Union and the community and helping members improve their economic situations. He has a strong desire to have a voice in the decision-making process of an institution that he was raised with and believes in. Dennis has been a part of the Cleveland Fire Department for 25 years and is currently a Captain. Dennis and his wife live in the Cleveland area with their three children.

Damian Borkowski

Damian has served on the Board of Directors for over 10 years. He has been the Citywide Service Manager for the City of Cleveland since 1983 and manages the demolition of houses and buildings. He holds degrees in Law and Engineering and is a member of the Ohio Bar. Damian lives with his wife in the Cleveland area. He has been a credit union member for 30 years.

Rich Bowman

Rich serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors and has been a board member since 2009. He has been a Cleveland Firefighter since 1989 and is presently a Battalion Chief serving the city’s lower west side. Rich is a founding member and Treasurer of the Firefighters Memorial Ride. Since their inception in 2004, they have donated over $250,000 to the families of fallen Fire, Police, and EMS workers. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Finance from Cleveland State University.

James E. Polk

James is the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and has served on the Board since 1982. He has also held the position of Secretary. Jim is a retired Cleveland Firefighter after 30 years of service. He is the past treasurer of Fire Fighters Local 93 and served on the Union Executive Board for 18 years. Jim is also a former Worker’s Compensation Representative for Local 93 and the NOFF.

Bryan Gallagher

Bryan has served on the FFCCU Board of Directors since 2006 and looks forward to continuing to help the credit union move forward and provide quality services to members. Born and raised in Cleveland, Bryan and his wife live in Lakewood and have three grown children. He holds a degree in Communications from Cleveland State University and spent 40-years as a cameraman for the MLB and NBA. After 33 years, he retired as a Captain from the Cleveland Fire Department. He is a former Sergeant at Arms for Local 93 IAFF and was Secretary for the Firefighters Memorial.

Robert Schwind

Bob is a lifelong Cleveland resident and has been a member of FFCCU since 1993. He has served on the FFCCU board since 2019. Bob is a graduate of Cleveland State University and has served as a Cleveland firefighter for the past 28 years, becoming a lieutenant in 2002. He and his wife live in Cleveland and have two grown daughters.

James Andrews, Jr.

Jim has been a credit union member for over 40 years and has served on the Board of Directors since 2012. He has been a Cleveland Firefighter for 29 years, currently stationed at Engine Company 13. James has served on the Cleveland Firefighters Relief Fund board and was a former Union Steward and Committee Member for Firefighters Local 93. He and his wife have three children.