If you own your home and pay a mortgage, you probably already know that there are certain income tax advantages for deductions such as interest payments made each month. And if you use a credit card, you know that there are no such perks available, even though credit card borrowing usually means paying much higher rates of interest, fees, and penalties.
For some circumstances, especially when attractive interest rates are offered, the credit card can be a superior choice. If you happen to be one of the rare consumers who can manage credit card debt by paying it off every month and not incurring fees, dont forget to factor the credit card loan option into your decision. But overall, using home equity loans to borrow money makes more sense than racking up credit card debt, and although there are a few special exceptions, most financial counselors will encourage homeowners to tap equity for loans, rather than using the plastic in their purses and wallets.
There are essentially two different ways to borrow with equity, and those are the home equity loan, and the home equity line of credit, or HELOC. A HELOC works much like a credit card, except that you can usually...