Financial Aid Changes on the Horizon

On December 21, 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, another relief package in response to the pandemic. Included in the bill were several provisions related to education, including many changes to financial aid. Click here to see key highlights of this bill.

Fun Facts and Life Hacks!

After having a few clients lose their homes to a fire, we learned that just testing to see if the battery works is not enough. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to ensure that your smoke detectors are working properly and when to replace the detector.

• Change your batteries at least once a year, but preferably twice a year.
• Check the battery once a month by pressing the test button.
  • When testing the battery, tale a moment to also brush or vacuum the alarm to keep dirt and dust out – NEVER use cleaning sprays that can contaminate the sensors).
• To ensure that the detector is working (once you verify that the battery is working), put two or three lighted matches together and then blow out the flame holding the matches to that the smoke goes up toward the unit. You can also use a can of smoke check that can be found online or at a hardware store. Just because the battery works does not mean the smoke detector will detect a fire. This step is very important and should not be skipped!
• Replace your smoke detector after ten years.