Folks will do some crazy things for money! There was an article in The Free Press about human lab rats and the lengths they go in order to make a buck. They’re getting injections, taking pills, oftentimes they can’t leave the building, they’re subject to large amounts of blood being drawn, and this can happen for weeks at a time! But the bottom line is that incentives matter and you might be surprised at what you’d do if there was enough money on the line. Well, making sure that your home is more efficient has never been a bad idea like taking experimental drugs, but now it might be a much better one thanks to increased federal tax credits. We know that making our homes more energy efficient will save us money every month- but how much money could we actually save? And how much money will we be able to get in federal tax credits? Today we discuss how the incentives have gotten sweeter, what the annual credits are for the different upgrades you can make, how to decide if you should make them at all, and then what form you’ll need to fill out to claim the credits.

Additional links:

• Lab rats – If you were interested in that human lab rats article.
• State credits – In additional to the federal incentives, there might be state and local credits and rebates available to you as well.
• Energy.gov – Here’s that chart breaking down the different credits.
• Solar – energysage is a great resource if you’re interested in getting solar.
• Forms – Form 8936 for EVs. Form 5696 for claiming the credits on next year’s taxes.
• Calculator – The online calculator from Rewiring America to help you determine what credits you might be eligible for.

• Credit Card Tool – Looking for the right credit card for you? Then check out our new credit card tool that’ll help you to easily filter through all the cards based on your preferred airline, whether or not they have an annual fee, or simply by the cashback offer! Just toggle the sliders and you’ll know which card to consider.

• Newsletter – Don’t forget to sign up for the best personal finance newsletter in all the land! It’s completely free and something we create to help you along your journey to financial freedom. It drops every Tuesday morning and you can always unsubscribe if you don’t dig it!

During this episode we enjoyed a Bibo by Creature Comforts! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!