The process for taking out a home equity home loan on your house is fairly easy. You need to figure out how much your home is worth, how much money you need, and then find the loan terms that fit you best.

Author and personal finance columnist Greg Karp on paying down a mortgage early and using a home equity loan to "pay off" credit card debt.

Questions to ask when you're shopping for a home equity loan.

If you have a single, discrete expense, a regular home-equity loan is the right move. If you’re looking at a series of payments over a period of time, a HELOC is the better choice.

A home equity loan is basically a second loan (after your mortgage) that you take out on your house.

A benefit of a home equity loans and HELOCs is that your credit score and credit history don’t really have any effect on getting approved for the loan, or on the rates that you pay.

Here’s the thing: At some point, you’re going to need a big chunk of change. And you’re going to need it kinda…now. Maybe it’s for something you’ve expected (such as a long-planned-for home renovation), or maybe it’s for something that snuck up on you (braces for little Katie). The result is ...

If you need cash you may be asking yourself "what's a home equity loan?" Basically, a home equity loan lets you borrow money from the bank using your home as collateral.