Mortgage and money guides

Plain-English guides to refinancing, home equity and mortgage insurance, each paired with a free calculator to run your own numbers.

Refinance break-even: when does refinancing pay off?A lower rate only pays off once the savings have covered what the refinance cost. Here is how to find that point, and the traps that move it.Read the guide →HELOC vs. cash-out refinance: which is better?Both turn home equity into cash. The deciding question is usually what happens to the mortgage you already have.Read the guide →How to remove PMI: when it ends and how to drop it soonerPrivate mortgage insurance is not permanent. Federal law sets when it has to end, and you can often ask for it to come off earlier.Read the guide →Are mortgage discount points worth it?Points trade cash today for a lower rate for as long as you keep the loan. Whether that pays depends mostly on how long that is.Read the guide →Rent vs. buy: how to compare the real costsComparing rent with a mortgage payment leaves out most of what matters. The useful comparison is what each path costs you and what each leaves you with.Read the guide →Reverse mortgage eligibility: who qualifies for a HECM?Most reverse mortgages are HECMs, insured by the FHA. The rules on who qualifies are federal, and so are the obligations that come with the loan.Read the guide →