4. Use equity as a down payment on an investment property or a rental.

5. Use it to consolidate high interest debt and possibly save yourself hundreds of dollars a month to put toward something else.

6. Use it to finance your education and increase your earning power.

7. If you live in an area zoned for this, you could finish a basement or area of house to rent out. You could create a separate living space or apartment on your property.

Just be careful to not do anything risky with equity in your home. If you can get a low enough rate, it may be worth taking that money and investing it somewhere else.

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If you do find that there are charges on your credit card that you don't remember making, then you might be a victim of credit card fraud. Luckily, there are a lot of options to people who think that their credit card might be stolen. The first thing you should do if you think that your card or card number has been stolen is to call up your credit card company and immediately cancel card. This will keep person who has stolen your card from using it anymore. While you'll still have to deal with what has already been done with your card, you will at least have limited damage.

To keep yourself from being a victim of credit card fraud, however, most important thing to do is just to use common sense. If something seems shady, then it probably is, and you shouldn't risk your credit card number if you are unsure of situation.