Sarah Sharkey is a personal finance writer who enjoys diving into the details to help readers make savvy financial decisions. She lives in Florida with her husband and dogs. When she’s not writing, ...

Your home equity — the amount of your house that you own outright — can be a valuable resource. You can use your equity to renovate some rooms, pay off credit cards, cover college tuition, start your ...

Kiah Treece is a former attorney, small business owner and personal finance coach with extensive experience in real estate and financing. Her focus is on demystifying debt to help consumers and ...

Matt Richardson is the senior managing editor for the Managing Your Money section for CBSNews.com. He writes and edits content about personal finance ranging from savings to investing to insurance.

Reina Marszalek is a staff senior personal finance editor at Buy Side. Staff Personal Finance Editor, Buy Side Valerie Morris is a staff editor at Buy Side and a personal finance expert. Home equity ...

Building home equity can not only be a reliable way to create wealth but can also help you maintain the home while you’re living in it. Building home equity generally involves increasing your property ...

Vice President of Growth & Engagement at CBS News and Stations Jennifer Earl is the Vice President of Growth & Engagement at CBS News and Stations. Jennifer has previously written for outlets ...

With home prices near all-time highs, many homeowners have built up large amounts of equity. According to an analysis from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), homeowners "build a net worth ...

When you own a home, understanding your home equity is crucial, as it contributes to your net worth and borrowing ability. Simply put, home equity is the value of your home minus your mortgage debt.