Refinancing means getting a new loan to replace your old one. This is usually done to get a lower interest rate. You might want to do this if interest rates have gone down since you got your last loan. There are other reasons to refinance, like paying off a big payment or changing from a loan that has a changing interest rate to one that stays the same. Refinancing can also help you get money out of your home to use for things like fixing it up, paying for school, or combining all your other debts into one payment. Another way to get money from your home is called a “home equity” loan. This means taking out a separate loan instead of refinancing if your old loan has a really low interest rate compared to current rates or if you would be charged extra for paying off your loan early. The benefits of refinancing or getting a home equity loan include paying less in interest, getting money for home improvements and other expenses, combining debt into one payment, and making smaller monthly payments.