Last week, the major averages closed near sessions lows, with the S&P 500 having five straight losing days for the first time since February. News that the U.S. is considering an investigation into Chinese subsidies adding to the nervous tone for the week and inflationary pressures and the Federal Reserve’s plan to pull back on bond purchases later pushed the anxiety higher.

Before committing to your current mortgage lender for a home equity line of credit, consider exploring other options to ensure you’re finding the best HELOC lenders.

Once again, bad news was received as good news for equity markets last week as major U.S. indices continued their push higher despite an August employment report that fell well short of expectations.

A low loan-to-value ratio (LTV) means you’ve built equity in your home, and often is an indication that you have a good chance of qualifying for the best home equity loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC) rates.

U.S. stocks spent most of the week flat as investors waited for Federal Reserve Chairman Powell’s Jackson Hole speech on the economy. That limited activity changed on Friday when Powell said the central bank could start tapering its purchases of bonds by the end of the year.