Home equity loans

From medical expenses to home improvements, here's a look at some of the most frequently cited reasons homeowners are borrowing against their home equity.

Maintenance and renovations aren't keeping up with the nation's aging housing stock, creating an influx of obsolete properties that's adding further strain to an already tight inventory of homes for sale.

The post-recession boom in auto loans and credit cards for borrowers with marred credit histories has been winding down in recent months.

Mike Cagney, who built SoFi into America's biggest student loan refinancer before quitting amid allegations of sexual harassment at the fintech firm, is preparing for his second act: a startup offering home-equity loans.

Late-payment rates at banks declined in nine out of the 11 consumer loan categories tracked by the American Bankers Association, including credit cards, auto loans and personal loans.

From purchase mortgage potential to challenges for loan officer productivity, reverse mortgages offer traditional lenders a mix of risks and rewards.

The New York bank has begun marketing Marcus loans as a way to pay for home improvements, while also raising the maximum loan size to $40,000.

They aren't creating new products, but some lenders are advising cash-strapped customers in high-tax states to tap home equity or other credit lines to prepay property taxes before the new tax law kicks in.

Any decline in home equity balances could be offset by higher demand for other types of consumer loans. The worry is that only borrowers with blemished credit will take out home equity loans, increasing banks’ risk.

The long-running slide in mortgage payments 60 or more days past due will continue next year, and perhaps even longer as borrowers benefit from favorable economic conditions.

Homeowners are still paying very high insurance premiums for the life of their Federal Housing Administration loans to subsidize the operations of the HECM program.

A Kiryas Joel, N.Y., man was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $1.2 million to federal authorities for his role in a mortgage-fraud operation in which prosecutors had charged 15 people in all.

Assurant and its American Title subsidiary are adapting hybrid title and appraisal products used in the home equity market to the first-lien mortgage market on a test basis.

Recent research into customer preferences regarding home equity lending reveals that banks need to better engage with their customers to understand their needs and expectations, and then guide them to optimized HELOC product offerings that precisely meet their needs.

The Federal Housing Administration was battered by losses this year from reverse mortgages, casting doubt on whether the agency will adopt an Obama-era proposal to reduce mortgage insurance premiums.

Capital One Financial will stop originating mortgage and home-equity loans after competition made it difficult for the businesses to be profitable.

Home equity lines could double over the next six years. Some banks are actively pursuing the consumer credit opportunity, whereas many still feel stung by the housing crisis, unimpressed by home equity’s comeback so far or fearful of nonbank competition and fraud.

One of the biggest challenges surrounding the ballot initiatives is voter turnout, which is often just 10 percent of registered voters in elections the year after a presidential contest.

At 1.56%, the delinquency rate on consumer loans remains well below historic averages, the American Bankers Association said Thursday.