So, you’ve decided to take out a home equity line of credit, using your home’s value to finance home improvements or achieve another financial goal. But your work doesn’t end there. You still face some decisions that can make a significant difference in the total amount you ultimately pay your lender, such as whether you want a fixed rate HELOC or a variable rate HELOC.

Once you have your goal and budget hammered out, you’re ready to begin! One of the easiest ways to save money is to set up a regular, recurring direct deposit.

U.S. equity markets slid lower last week amid a notable backup in long-term interest rates due to an improving economic outlook and growing expectation for more government debt issuance to fund stimulus and resulting upward pressure on inflation. Coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and vaccine doses administered all continued to trend in an encouraging direction, which has bolstered growth expectations alongside last week’s very strong retail sales numbers.

Step 1: Set a goal, create a plan. Saving money can be hard, especially if finances are already tight. But, like any journey, saving money is easier if you have a goal in mind.

U.S. equity markets closed out last week at new all-time highs as investor sentiment was buoyed by robust corporate earnings results, improving traction on the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, and expectations for continued support from stimulus and an accommodative Federal Reserve. For the week, the S&P 500 gained 1.2%, while the Dow Jones and Nasdaq Composite rose 1.0% and 1.7%, respectively.