Refinancing your mortgage can help you get a lower monthly payment. You also have the opportunity to change up your loan type and term. A cash-out refinance is another mortgage refinancing option that lets you convert home equity into cash. That lump sum could pay for a home renovation or to retire high-interest credit card or student loan debt.

U.S. inflation slowed to 2.5 percent in the year through August, but beneath the surface the details suggested that the costs of key categories, like housing, were stubborn.