Mortgage help: lower payments, home equity and falling behind

Updated November 8, 2026

Your mortgage is usually your biggest debt, and your home is often your biggest source of cheaper credit. That cuts both ways. Borrowing against your home can replace card interest with a much lower rate, but it turns unsecured debt into debt your home secures.

• You have equity and high-interest debt: compare a cash-out refinance with a home equity loan or HELOC.
• You want a lower payment: see when refinancing pays, with the break-even math.
• You're behind or about to be: read what to do when you can't pay your mortgage. Call your servicer early. Your options shrink the longer you wait.
• You're buying with debts: see how lenders look at your debts.

Mortgage guides

• Cash-out refinance to pay off debt: is it worth it?How a cash-out refinance pays off credit cards and other debts, what it costs, the limits lenders set, and the risks of putting the debt on your home.
• Home equity loan vs. HELOC for paying off debtThe difference between a home equity loan and a home equity line of credit, what each costs, and which fits paying off debt while keeping your current mortgage.
• When refinancing your mortgage pays offHow to tell whether a mortgage refinance saves money, using the break-even point, the new term and the real closing costs.
• Behind on your mortgage? Your options and your rightsWhat to do if you can't make your mortgage payment: forbearance, repayment plans, loan modification, the federal rules that protect you, and how to avoid foreclosure rescue scams.
• Getting a mortgage when you have debtHow lenders weigh your debts when you apply for a mortgage, the debt-to-income limits by loan type, and what to pay off first.

Mortgage calculators

• Cash-Out Refinance CalculatorGetting cash from your home: a bigger new mortgage, or keeping your loan and adding a second.
• Should I Use a HELOC to Pay Off Debt?Your cards and car loans as they are, compared with rolling them into a home equity line.
• Mortgage Refinance CalculatorYour monthly savings and how long it takes to earn back the closing costs.
• Mortgage Payment CalculatorYour monthly payment with taxes, insurance and PMI.
• How Much House Can I Afford?A home price that fits your income and the debts you already pay.
• Extra Payment CalculatorHow much sooner you're mortgage-free, and the interest you save, with extra payments.