Home Equity Line of Credit – Do Rising Interest Rates Spell Trouble?
A home equity line of credit is one of the most useful tools that a homeowner can have in his or her financial arsenal. A line of credit is a financial tool that is always there, allowing a homeowner to borrow money when needed for such emergencies as job loss or illness. It also comes in handy for financing any one of a number of things, with home improvement probably topping the list of most common uses. Unlike a traditional home equity loan, which has a repayment schedule consisting of a fixed amount of money to be paid on a set schedule, the line of credit is quite flexible. Once approved, the borrower decides when, or if, to borrow the money and how much to borrow. The payment schedule is more flexible, too, working more like a credit card bill than a mortgage payment.
The downside of a line of credit when compared to a home equity loan is the adjustable interest rate. With a line of credit, the rate can vary over time and it can rise and fall with the vicissitudes of the financial market. If a borrower happens to have a large balance on his or her account and market interest...