It pays off to truly understand the value of being a homeowner, especially when money's tight. Rather than resorting to taking out personal loans or racking up credit card debt, you can consider ...

Equity can be used to describe the value of assets minus the debt associated with them. Equity is commonly used in several different circumstances – home equity, shareholder equity and brand equity.

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 ...

Equity is the portion of your home you own outright, and you might need to know how to calculate it if you want to borrow money, sell your house or refinance the mortgage. The equation is simple: ...

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.

To calculate your home's equity, subtract the balance on all debts secured by your home – including your primary mortgage and any secondary loans – from your property's current appraised value. The ...

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 ...