How To Green Your Bank Account

Its tax time again. For some, April 15 is synonymous with "tax day." That is because April 15 is usually the last day to file taxes (this year the deadline has been extended to Monday, April 18 so as not to conflict with a holiday local to Washington D.C. known as Emancipation Day). Though the exact date may change, one thing that is for certain is that “tax day” always falls on the calendar during Earth Month.

 So, while taxes and personal accounting are on your mind, Patch breaks down the need-to-know resources and tips for "greening" your finances:

• Look for green financial resources: For starters, "green car loans, energy efficiency mortgages, alternative energy venture capital, eco-savings deposits, and 'green' credit cards...represent merely a handful of innovative, 'green' financial products," according to a report from the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative. This report also states that a financial institution which takes on green initiatives to reduce the business’ environmental impact sees two types of benefits as a result: reputational and financial.
• Paperless statements: Though you should be shredding and recycling your old credit card and banking statements, further reduce your paper consumption by opting for electronic statements. The other upside to clearing out and getting rid of a bulky filing cabinet? Electronic documents are available on-line, making them accessible anywhere you can log-on to your account.
•  E-file: Managing your finances often comes with a paper trail. By e-filing, whether it be your tax documents or a small business grant, avoid the trail while saving a tree. Another bonus-- zero risk of any document getting lost in the mail.
•  Recycled checks: Let’s face it-- sometimes a paper check is absolutely necessary. Ask your bank if they offer a 100% post-consumer recycled checkbook. This means that the paper used to print your checks is giving a new purpose to discarded paper. If the checks are printed with soy-based ink, a non-toxic ink from a renewable natural resource, even better! 
• Green tax breaks: Donating money to your green non-profit of choice will not only give to, say, fair-trade farmers in Bolivia or a think tank of clean energy engineers, but it can also be a tax-deduction. Win-win.   

Do be warned that not all that's green is, well, green. Some banks use the term interchangably as they would gold or platinum in describing a checking account, in which case the term denotes a type of account status and not necessarily an account linked to environmental impact reduction.