Homeowners today are sitting on significant equity — an average of $300,000, according to the property data firm Cotality. But many homeowners aren’t sure how to access that money wisely. A second mortgage is a way to borrow against the equity you’ve built in your home, even as you continue to pay down your primary mortgage. While your first mortgage is the loan you used to p...

American homeowners are sitting on record levels of home equity, but traditional methods for tapping into it aren’t always appealing.1 Cash-out refinances, HELOCs, and home equity loans come with monthly payments, credit requirements, and the prospect of losing a low mortgage rate. If you’re looking for ways to access your equity without those trade-offs, you might wonder whe...

Key takeaways: Moderation, uncertainty and consumer behavior are defining the outlook for interest rates – and their impact on American homeowners – for the balance of 2026. To understand why, let’s first look at two key indicators: the federal funds rate and the 10-year Treasury yield. Everyone is always talking about the “Fed” and the changes it makes – or doesn’t…

<...