About & methodology

Helocator is an independent publisher of free home equity calculators. We are not a lender, broker, or financial advisor — our tools exist to help you understand the math behind a HELOC, home equity loan or cash-out refinance before you talk to one.

How our calculators work

Every result on this site comes from standard, publicly documented lending formulas — not a proprietary model or live lender quotes. We show the formula on each calculator page so you can verify the math yourself. The core formulas are:

Borrowing power (CLTV): available = home value × max CLTV% − mortgage balance
Loan payment (amortization): payment = P × r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)^−n)
Refinance break-even: months = closing costs ÷ monthly savings

About interest rates

Our calculators do not pull live rates. You enter a rate, and we show what the payment would be at that rate. Any rate ranges mentioned in our content are general educational context for the current market, not quotes. Your actual rate depends on your credit score, combined loan-to-value, the lender and the day you apply.

Editorial standards

We aim to explain home equity products plainly and accurately, and we state the assumptions and limitations of each estimate. Calculators are simplifications: they assume a constant rate where a product is actually variable, ignore taxes and fees unless noted, and cannot account for a lender’s underwriting. Nothing here is personalized financial, tax or legal advice. For a decision this large, confirm the numbers with a licensed lender or advisor.

Privacy

Everything runs in your browser. We do not ask for your name, contact details or financial account information, and the numbers you type are never uploaded or sold. You can use every calculator without an account.

How we make money

Helocator is free to use. Some outbound “compare rates” links may be partner or affiliate links, meaning we could earn a commission if you apply or open an account through them — at no extra cost to you. This never changes the calculator results, which are based purely on the formulas above.

Last reviewed June 2026.