Home Equity Loans

It's Good to Have Options

Your house could help you rock on with rates as low as 5.99% APR* on fixed rate home equity loans. Whether you need to take an unexpected midnight train to Georgia or need to spruce up your wonder walls, a home equity loan could make it possible.

Need a home equity line of credit? We have that too. 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!*

KUDOS!

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.

Jashira was very nice and courteous! She resolved my issue immediately and asked if she could assist me further. I appreciated the great service and the desire to do more in addressing my concerns!

-Cynthia O.

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

FFCCU made wrapping up my new car loan as easy as anyone could ever hope! What more can you ask for?! Thanks, Firefighters Community Credit Union, always!

-Dawn B.

I work with banks and credit unions on a daily basis, and FFCCU goes above and beyond to help its members. Thank you all for making the process easy to understand and treating me like a person.

-Jennifer

Love working with FFCCU – personal, motorcycle, and R.V. loans – they’ve got you covered, and it’s easy. We’ll be doing a lot more business in the future and recommend others do the same.

-Jason C.

The FFCCU team went above and beyond to help my 16-year-old get onto her mobile app. They were very helpful and kind. Definitely #peoplehelpingpeople and #CUDifference!

-Donna P.

I cannot say enough good things about the individuals I have worked with – especially when my card number was stolen. The service I have had is why I have moved all my accounts to FFCCU. KUDOS!

-David H.

Emily answered my text quickly (on a Saturday morning!) and helped me promptly with my request. I love the text feature at FFCCU!!

Amanda J.

I had the pleasure of working with Tiffany Zifcak as I was selling one of my cars being financed by FFCCU. There were several tricky circumstances, and Tiffany was awesome. She stayed on top of all th...

-John G.

I called about a car loan for my daughter, who is a student, and Sumintra helped determine the best option. I have been a member for 25+ years, and always get great answers and help with our financial...

Sandy

A big thank you to Karen B…. you went over and above my expectations to resolve my issue. Thank you for listening to my situation and being an advocate to further protect my accounts!

-Michele K.

More Kudos!

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

Our Rates

As of May 1, 2024

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 8.50%*
Home Equity Loan (Fixed Rate)	as low as 5.99%*
*Annual Percentage Rate (APR) shown is accurate as of 5.1.24 and is available to well-qualified borrowers for a term up to 60 months, in first lien position, 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 5.1.24 - 6.30.24, that are approved and opened within 60 days of the application date. Rate is determined by credit history, the term of the loan, the Loan to Value (LTV) ratio, and lien position. 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. For home equity loans, repayment terms are 60 to 180 months at varying rates. For example: For a $20,000 home equity loan for a term of 60 months with a 5.99% APR, payment would be $386.56 monthly. Call or text 216.621.4644 or live chat at ffcommunity.com to get current rates as they are subject to change at any time and without notice. Applicants must be eligible for membership.

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.

Barbara McCullough

Barb is a current Board Director of FFCCU and a fully vested member. She has an MBA in Finance and has spent 25 years teaching to all walks of life. Barb is a volunteer with the Foundation for Geauga Parks, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Lorain County Spirit of America, and Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio. Barb is a lifelong resident of the Cleveland area. She and her husband have one daughter.

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.