Before you take out a second mortgage or a home equity loan to consolidate your debt. Consider these points before you refinance or take out a home equity loan to pay off debt:

1. Are the credit cards you are refinancing low interest? If they are, you might want to consider waiting and paying off the credit card debt separately. Mortgage debt is stretched out over many more years than some credit card payments would be. You could end up paying more over time for your credit card debt than if you moved it to your mortgage loan. If your credit cards interest rate is reasonable or low, consider keeping the debt on your credit card until it is payed off.

2. If you refinance your credit card debt into your mortgage loan, it can become tax deductible - If you refinance high interest debt into your mortgage loan, the savings to you could come in the form of tax deductions. Calculate the numbers considering your tax savings and see if that tips the scales for you and makes it worth refinancing.

3. Are you going into debt to finance a home improvement that adds value to your home? If you are, this is usually considered a justifiable reason to take out a home equity loan or a second mortgage.

4. Can you resist the temptation to max out your credit cards again? If you can't resist, then definitely don't refinance your debt into your mortgage. This will just enable you to get into much more debt and possibly end you up not only maxed out in credit card debt, but maxed out in your home's equity as well.

Do You Need a 2nd Mortgage or Home Equity Loan? See Our List of Recommended Lenders - We have posted a list of reputable mortgage companies online who offer refinance and home equity loans.

Bad Credit? See Our List of Recommended Bad Credit Mortgage Companies Online - If you have credit problems, take a look at our frequently updated list of mortgage companies online who services borrowers with bad credit, past bankruptcies and more.

Source: www.a1articles.com