As a homeowner, it’s important to understand how to make the most of your property’s value. The best way to start is by wrapping your head around what home equity is and how it’s measured.

Whether you’re planning to make a major purchase, pay for house renovations or cover unexpected expenses like medical bills, a revolving line of credit could present a viable financial solution. Put simply, a revolving line of credit is a loan offered by lending institutions that you repeatedly use and repay. Credit cards, which allow users to make minimum payments or pay down their debt in full, are one of the most common forms of revolving lines of credit.

So, you’ve decided to take out a home equity line of credit, using your home’s value to finance home improvements or achieve another financial goal. But your work doesn’t end there. You still face some decisions that can make a significant difference in the total amount you ultimately pay your lender, such as whether you want a fixed rate HELOC or a variable rate HELOC.

Once you have your goal and budget hammered out, you’re ready to begin! One of the easiest ways to save money is to set up a regular, recurring direct deposit.

U.S. equity markets slid lower last week amid a notable backup in long-term interest rates due to an improving economic outlook and growing expectation for more government debt issuance to fund stimulus and resulting upward pressure on inflation. Coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and vaccine doses administered all continued to trend in an encouraging direction, which has bolstered growth expectations alongside last week’s very strong retail sales numbers.