Paths
- Personal loan refinance (fixed APR).
- Home equity (HELOC/second mortgage)—lowest rates, highest collateral risk.
- Auto refinance (mind negative equity).
- Student loan refinance (beware loss of government protections).
Steps
- Check credit + DTI; fix quick wins (utilization, errors).
- Pre-qualify and compare APR + fees + term + total cost.
- Avoid extending terms so far that you pay more interest overall.
- Don't refinance unsecured → secured lightly.
- Finalize and set autopay; don't run up old cards again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does refinance hurt credit?
Small short-term impact; can help long term.
Is a lower monthly payment always better?
Not if it means much more total interest.
Check Your Savings
Use our Refi Savings Estimator to see if it's worth it.