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Your home equity could be a powerful tool for helping you meet your financial goals. If you need to pay for an extensive renovation, fund adoption expenses, or supplement your retirement income, there are many ways you could extract equity from your home in order to better your life.

But how exactly do you get the equity out of your home? What are the best methods that are affordable and make sense for your situation? Whether you’re thinking of a cash-out refinance, a home equity loan, or another option, you’ll want to carefully evaluate the costs, risks, and impact on your financial situation.

We have you covered. We’ll go over how to get equity out of your home, the different methods for accessing the equity in your home, and the pros and cons of each.

What Is Home Equity?

Home equity is the amount of total ownership you have in your home over what you owe on your mortgage. It is the amount you would receive if you were to sell the home today.

Equity is best expressed mathematically. To calculate your home equity, subtract your outstanding mortgage amount from your home’s current market value:

Home’s value – your mortgage = equity

For example, if your home is worth $500,000 and your mortgage is $300,000, you would have $200,000 in equity ($500,000 – $300,000 = $200,000).

5 Ways to Take Equity From Your Home

If you’re ready to take the next step and seriously consider taking some equity out of your home, you have five main options, including: a home equity loan, home equity line of credit (HELOC), cash-out refinance, home sale, and equity-sharing arrangement.

Home Equity Loan

If you’re looking at pulling equity out without refinancing, a home equity loan or a HELOC is the move you’re going to want to make. A home equity loan offers a low interest rate because it uses your home’s equity to secure the loan. Because of the way it works, you may have access to a larger sum of money at a lower interest rate than you would if you used another source, such as a credit card.

Home equity loans disburse funds upfront. The loan would have a fixed interest rate and a set repayment plan. You’ll start repaying the loan from your first payment (vs just paying interest for some period of time).

The main negative with a home equity loan is that it uses your home as collateral. If you fail to make payments, the lender could start foreclosure proceedings against you. Another drawback is that if you don’t need all the money you’re borrowing at one time, you are getting it all nonetheless, as a lump sum, and you’ll be paying interest on that full amount.

HELOC

A HELOC is another type of home equity loan secured by your home’s equity, with the main difference being that the amount you borrow is more flexible. With a HELOC, you apply for a loan with a maximum amount. If approved, that maximum amount becomes like a credit limit. You borrow what you need when you need it, and when you repay what you have borrowed, the full credit limit becomes available to you once again.

One advantage of a HELOC is that you only need to make payments on what you’ve borrowed. This minimum payment is determined by your lender when you apply for the loan, but is usually a lower amount during the initial draw period.

Cash-Out Refinance

Another option for accessing your home’s equity is through a cash-out refinance. This is where you replace your existing mortgage with a new, bigger mortgage and take the difference in cash.

It works if interest rates are great and you have a significant amount of equity in your home. (Most lenders will only allow you to borrow up to 80% of your home’s equity, especially if you want a good rate.) As a quick example: If your home is worth $300,000, the lender may be able to loan out $240,000. If your existing mortgage is $200,000 and you get the full $240,000, then approximately $40,000 (less any closing costs) could be refunded to you.

Sale

When you sell your home, all of the equity that you have accumulated — less the costs associated with the sale — can be converted to cash. There is also the possibility for you to enter into a sale-leaseback arrangement. This is where you sell your home and then lease it back from the new owner. Just as with a sale, you gain access to almost all of the equity you’ve accumulated over the years. You also get to stay in your home, provided you find the lease agreement acceptable.

Equity Sharing Arrangement

With an equity sharing arrangement, the homeowner enters into an agreement with a company that provides some money to the homeowner in exchange for a percentage of the home’s appreciation. The company is essentially an investor that bets on the value of your home rising.

There typically isn’t a monthly payment. The investor gets their money back when you buy them out or sell the home.

The main thing to look out for with this option is how much the investor asks in return for the loan. The long-term costs for this option could potentially be significant — usually 10% equity or more.

Pros and Cons of Using Home Equity

After looking at all of your options for accessing the equity in your home, the pros and cons of the methods look like this:

Home Equity Loan
Pros	Cons
Access to large amounts of cash	Home is used as security on the loan
Low interest rates	Home equity lending takes time
Large, upfront sum	Longer loan terms could mean you’ll pay more
Fixed interest rate and repayment schedule	Not very flexible
HELOC
Pros	Cons
Access to large amounts of cash	Home is used as security on the loan
Low interest rates	Home equity lending takes time
Flexible loan amounts	Longer loan term could mean you’ll pay more
Flexible repayment	Adjustable interest rate
Cash-Out Refinance
Pros	Cons
One loan payment for home mortgage plus cash you are borrowing	Must pay closing costs for a new mortgage
Access a large amount of cash	May have a higher monthly payment
Could potentially get better loan terms	Potentially higher rates
Home Sale
Pros	Cons
Access 100% of your home’s equity	No longer own the home
No need to qualify for a new mortgage or home equity loan	Must pay selling costs
No home maintenance costs	May need to find additional housing
Equity Sharing
Pros	Cons
No monthly payment	You won’t realize all the equity gains of your home
Don’t need to pay back until you sell the home or buy the equity back	Equity sharing percentage could be quite large
May not need good credit to qualify	Need sufficient equity to qualify
Shared risk	Complex agreements

How to Get Equity Out of Your Home

If you’ve made up your mind to extract some equity from your home, the process looks something like this:

Determine how much equity you have in your home

To figure out how much equity is in your home, start with a good estimate of your home’s market value. A real estate agent or assessor can provide this for you. Online estimates can get close, but they won’t be as accurate. The more accurate (and unbiased) an estimate you can get, the better you’ll be able to gauge how much equity you have. Use the formula from above (home value – your mortgage = estimated equity).

Decide how to take equity out of your home

Examine the list above to determine which means of accessing the equity in your home feels right for you, whether it be a home equity loan, HELOC, home sale, or other method.

Shop around for a lender

If you elect to extract equity with a cash-out refi, HELOC, or home equity loan, you’ll need to look for a lender that offers competitive rates and terms for what you want. Comparison shopping is a good idea; keep in mind shopping around won’t count against your credit if you do it within a 45-day window.

Qualify for a loan

Once you’ve narrowed down your choice of lenders, submit a full application. Your lender will start reviewing your documents to verify income, employment, identity, and loan details. The lender will also check your credit score and debt level to ensure you qualify for the loan.

Get an appraisal

Your lender will order the appraisal for your loan, which is necessary to determine the exact value of the property and how much equity you have in the home. It’s pretty common to be able to get a desktop appraisal or use an automated valuation model (AVM) to determine the value for a home equity loan or HELOC. (An appraisal will also likely be needed if you sell your home or enter into an equity-sharing arrangement.)

Close on the loan

After an underwriter has reviewed your file, the lender will send loan documents for you to review and sign. If there are any closing costs, you may be directed to bring funds to closing.

Receive funds

Money from the loan will be deposited into an account of your choosing.

Which Method of Getting Equity Out of Your Home Is Best for You?

The best method for taking equity out of your home depends on your goals. Do you need the largest amount of money while maintaining ownership of the home? Perhaps a cash-out refinance is for you. Do you like the idea of having a flexible line of credit that you can use when you need it? A HELOC might suit your needs. Do you want to access 100% of your equity and not be responsible for the costs of homeownership anymore? Then perhaps selling your home is the answer.

If it fits with your life plans, then it will make the best sense financially, even if there’s another method that may offer a lower interest rate.

The Takeaway

When you’re planning to get equity out of your home, the most important thing to take into consideration is how you’re going to use it. Since taking equity out of your home usually means you’ll be paying on the loan longer, you’ll want to carefully consider which method helps you meet your financial goals.

SoFi now offers flexible HELOCs. Our HELOC options allow you to access up to 90% of your home’s value, or $500,000, at competitively low rates. And the application process is quick and convenient.

Unlock your home’s value with a home equity line of credit brokered by SoFi.

FAQ

Is it a good idea to take equity out of your house?

Taking equity out of your home typically means you’ll take longer to repay the loan (though not always — it depends on the terms and rates of your loan). Even if you get a lower interest rate and lower monthly payment, a longer loan term could mean that you’ll pay more for your mortgage because of the added years you’ll have on the mortgage.

How do you pull equity out of your home?

To pull equity out of your home, you’ll need to get in contact with a lender that offers financial tools that can grant you access to your equity. These may include home equity loans, HELOCs, or cash-out refinances. You may also consider selling your home or getting into an agreement with an equity-sharing company.

What is the best way to release equity from a house?

The best way to pull equity from your house is the one that helps you meet your financial goals. If you need to remodel your home and you know exactly how much it is going to cost, a home equity loan may work best. But if you want simplified finances, a single payment from a cash-out refi could be the answer.

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Photo credit: iStock/Korrawin

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Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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Anyone who’s ever had a credit card knows they have an interest rate, which represents the cost consumers pay for borrowing money. What you may not know is that interest rates come in two forms: fixed and variable interest rates.

Fixed interest rates stay the same over time and are generally tied to your creditworthiness. Variable interest rates, on the other hand, may change over time and are connected to economic indexes. Read on to learn how to determine if the interest rate of a credit card is fixed or variable, as well as why it’s important to know.

What Is Credit Card APR?

A credit card’s annual percentage rate, or APR, represents the cost a consumer pays to borrow money from credit card issuers, represented as a yearly cost.

When a cardholder doesn’t pay off their credit card balance in full each month, they’ll owe credit card interest charges on the remaining balance, with the rate based on their APR.

Credit card APRs vary among credit card issuers, individual cardholders, and credit card categories. Currently, the average credit card interest rate stands at 22.8% APR.

Recommended: Pros and Cons of Charge Cards?

Types of Credit Card APRs

Your credit card payment is impacted by what type of APR your credit card has. Let’s have a look at how a fixed rate credit card and a variable rate credit card may affect your credit experience.

Fixed Interest Rate

Fixed rate credit cards have an interest rate that generally doesn’t vary over the course of your credit card contract. Rather than being tied to economic indexes, fixed interest rates are generally determined based on payment history and creditworthiness, as well as any ongoing promotions.

However, just because the term “fixed” is used, doesn’t mean a fixed interest rate can never change. While a fixed rate credit card’s interest rate won’t change based on factors like the prime index, increasing credit card APR can occur if payments are late or missed or if your credit score dips. If that occurs, the credit card company must notify the cardholder at least 45 days before the adjusted rate takes effect.

While fixed rate credit cards offer the benefit of predictability, one downside is that their rates are, on average, higher than variable credit card rates.

Recommended: Does Applying For a Credit Card Hurt Your Credit Score

Variable Interest Rate

A variable rate credit card offers interest rates that can shift over time. There’s a reason for that, as variable card rates are tied to major benchmark interest rates, like the U.S. prime rate.

Since major benchmark rates change, so will variable interest rates. That’s why banks and other major financial institutions often shift rates for things like credit cards, home mortgages, auto loans, and student loans. When major interest indexes change, the rates for loans change with them.

What does that mean for a cardholder? For starters, there’s more risk with variable interest rates. Rates can go up, and credit card payments increase when interest rates rise. Conversely, variable rates may go down, which works in favor of the credit cardholder, who will then pay less in interest.

Credit card consumers should check their credit card contracts for the specific conditions that can trigger a variable rate change. Credit card issuers don’t have to notify you of interest rate changes with variable rate cards, so it’s up to the consumer to keep a sharp eye out for changing interest rates.

When Do Variable APRs Change?

As mentioned, the interest rate on a variable rate credit card changes with the index interest rate, such as the prime rate. If the prime rate goes up, so will your credit card’s APR. Similarly, if the prime rate goes down, your APR will drop.

How often your interest rate changes will depend on which index rate your lender uses as a benchmark as well as the terms of your contract. As such, the number of rate changes you may experience can vary widely, often multiple times a year.

Details on how a card’s APR may fluctuate over time will appear in a cardholder’s agreement, which you can generally find on the card issuer’s website. If you’re unable to locate it, you can request a copy from your card issuer.

Differences Between Fixed and Variable Credit Card Rates

Both fixed and variable credit card rates have pros and cons. Here’s a look at the major differences with a credit card with a variable or fixed interest rate.

Fixed Interest Rate	Variable Interest Rates
The interest rate usually remains the same	Variable rates change on an ongoing basis
Fixed rates are calculated with payment histories in mind	Rates are based on a benchmark index, like the U.S. primate rate
The card provider is required to let you know when the rate does change (usually for late or missed payments)	The credit card issuer is not required to let you know when rates shift

How Credit Card Interest Rates Are Determined

Credit card interest rates are generally determined based on your creditworthiness — meaning, your payment history and credit score — as well as prevailing interest rates and the card issuer and card type.

For instance, a basic card may have a lower rate than a premium rewards card. Additionally, credit cards can have different types of APRs, such as an APR that applies for credit card charges and another rate for cash advances or balance transfers.

Another factor that can impact credit card rates is promotional offers. Sometimes, credit card issuers may offer low or no interest periods. After that period ends, the card’s standard APR will kick in, and the card’s rate will go up.

Once determined, how and why a credit card’s interest rate changes over time depends on whether the interest rate is fixed or variable. A fixed rate will generally stay the same, though it may increase if payments are late or missed, or if the cardholder’s credit score takes a dive. Meanwhile, variable rates fluctuate depending on current index rates.

Recommended: Tips for Using a Credit Card Responsibly

Reducing Interest Charges on Credit Cards

Perhaps the easiest way to reduce interest charges on credit cards is to pay your statement balance in full each billing cycle. By doing so, you’ll avoid incurring interest charges entirely.

Of course, this isn’t always feasible. If you may end up carrying a balance and want to decrease how much a credit card costs, there are ways to do so. For one, you can call your credit card issuer and request a lower rate. Of course, for this to be successful, you’ll likely have needed to stay on top of payments and have a history of responsible credit card usage.

Perhaps the surest way to secure a better interest rate on your credit card is to build your credit score. In general, lower interest rates are awarded to those who have higher credit scores and follow the credit card rules, so to speak.

You can build your credit score by making your payments on time, every time, and by keeping your credit utilization ratio (how much of your available credit limit you’re using) well below 30%. You might also avoid applying for new credit accounts, which results in hard inquiries and temporarily lowers your score.

And if you simply feel in over your head with credit card debt and a skyrocketing APR, you may choose between credit card refinancing or consolidation as potential solutions.

Recommended: When Are Credit Card Payments Due

Fixed vs Variable Interest Rate Cards: Which Is Right for You?

In a word, choosing between a fixed rate or variable rate credit card comes down to whether you prefer stability or risk versus reward.

A fixed rate credit card offers a known quantity — a rate that stays the same over time, as long as you pay your credit card bill on time. On the other hand, a variable rate credit card offers an element of risk and reward. If the rate goes up, the cardholder usually spends more money using the card. If card rates go down, however, the cost of using the card usually goes down, too, as interest rates are lower.

Of course, cardholders can largely negate the impact of credit card interest rates by paying their bills in full every month. Of, for those who don’t quite feel ready to tackle the responsibility, there’s always the option of becoming an authorized user on a credit card of a parent or another responsible adult.

The Takeaway

As you can see, it’s important for a number of reasons to know whether a credit card is fixed or variable. Fixed interest rates offer more predictability (though there’s no guarantee they’ll never change), but rates also tend to be higher compared to variable rates. With variable rates, your interest rate will fluctuate over time based on market indexes.

As you shop around for credit cards, interest rate is critical to pay attention to. It can have an impact on your ability to pay your credit card bill and use credit responsibly.

Whether you're looking to build credit, apply for a new credit card, or save money with the cards you have, it's important to understand the options that are best for you. Learn more about credit cards by exploring this credit card guide.

FAQ

Do all credit cards have fixed interest rates?

No, actually most credit cards come with variable interest rates tied to major interest rate indexes. That connection to interest rate changes enables card companies to keep rates competitive on a regular basis.

How do I get notified of an interest rate increase?

By law, credit card companies must notify cardholders in writing at least 45 days ahead of an interest rate change taking effect. Card companies are not allowed to change interest rates during the first year an account is open.

Can I control whether I have a fixed or variable interest rate?

Yes, you can opt for a fixed or variable rate credit card, but know that most credit cards come with variable rates. It’s tougher to find a fixed rate card, but banks and credit unions, which are more likely to offer both, are a good place to start your search.

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Photo credit: iStock/AlekseiAntropov

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

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You can check a credit card balance in a variety of ways, including online, in an app, over the phone, or on your statement. This can be a smart financial move. It’s easy to swipe a credit card and lose track of exactly how much you’re spending. That’s why it’s critical to check your credit card balance on a regular basis.

By checking your credit card balance, you’ll know how much you owe so you can make payments or adjust your spending accordingly. Here, you’ll learn more about how to check a balance on a credit card and why your credit card balance matters.

What Is a Credit Card Balance?

There are two different types of balances consumers will come across when it comes to their credit cards: current balances and statement balances.

The statement balance is the total balance owed at the end of the billing cycle. If someone wants to avoid paying interest, they need to pay off their statement balance in full each month. The current balance, on the other hand, is the total amount owed plus any fees, charges, credits, and payments that have been added to the account since the billing cycle ended. Given how credit cards work, it’s not necessary to pay the entire current balance to avoid interest charges.

In addition to their current balance and statement balance, each month the cardholder will also be told what their ://www.sofi.com/learn/content/credit-card-minimum-payment/”>credit card minimum payment is. This is the lowest amount of their balance that they can pay in order to remain in good standing with their credit card issuer. They’ll need to pay interest on the remaining unpaid balance.

Recommended: Charge Cards Advantages and Disadvantages

Why Is It Important to Know Your Balance?

A credit card balance represents the total amount owed to the credit card issuer. If the cardholder wants to avoid paying interest on their remaining balance, they’ll need to pay off their credit card balance in full each month. So, for budgeting purposes, it’s helpful to know what that balance is.

A credit card balance also can indicate how high or low someone’s credit utilization ratio is. This ratio compares how much credit someone is using to how much credit they have available based on their credit card limits.

It’s generally advised to keep your credit utilization ratio under 30% — but the lower, the better. Paying off a credit card balance in full each month can also help keep credit utilization low.

Additionally, checking your credit card balance each month can allow you to spot any unusual or potentially fraudulent charges on your credit card. If anything is amiss, you could then quickly contact your issuer and dispute the credit card charge.

This could result in a credit card chargeback, allowing you to get the money back.

Reviewing a credit card statement can also help consumers identify where to cut back their spending so they can save more or afford to pay down more credit card debt.

How to Check a Credit Card Balance

Even if you’re confident you can pay off your balance in full each month, it’s smart to stay on top of your credit card balance for the reasons mentioned above. Read on to learn how to check the balance on your credit card.

Log In to the Mobile App or Go Online

Thanks to mobile banking and credit card apps, it only takes a few seconds to check a credit card balance from a smartphone. Mobile apps can make it very easy to check a credit card balance on the go. It’s also possible for consumers to check their credit card balances by logging onto their online accounts from a computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Contact the Card Issuer

It’s also possible to call the credit card issuer directly to confirm what your current credit card balance is. The phone number to call is printed on the credit card and also listed on the credit card issuer’s website. Keep in mind your issuer may provide different numbers to call depending on your reason for calling.

Send a Text to Your Bank

Don’t love making phone calls? Some banks and credit card issuers also allow account holders to text them to check their account balance, which is a speedy and convenient way to get an update.

Check Your Statements

Each month, an account holder usually receives a paper credit card statement through the mail or over email. The Account Summary section of the statement will outline what the statement balance on the credit card as well as the following details, which are given what a credit card is:

•   Payments and credits

•   New purchases

•   Balance transfers

•   Cash advances

•   Past due amount

•   Fees charged

•   Interest charged

Recommended: When Are Credit Card Payments Due

The Takeaway

Regularly checking your credit card balance is smart for a number of reasons. In addition to helping you stay on top of your spending and how much you owe, it can also help you to monitor your credit utilization and check charges for any fraudulent activity. Checking your credit card balance is easy to do online, on an app, with a phone call, via text, or on your credit card statement.

Whether you're looking to build credit, apply for a new credit card, or save money with the cards you have, it's important to understand the options that are best for you. Learn more about credit cards by exploring this credit card guide.

FAQ

Can you transfer a balance to a new credit card?

It’s possible to transfer a balance from one credit card to a new one by using a balance transfer credit card. Typically, balance transfer cards come with a low or 0% introductory APR, which makes it possible to pay down debt without spending too much on interest for a temporary period of time. Keep in mind that balance transfer fees will typically apply.

What is a credit card balance refund?

When someone pays off their credit card balance before getting a refund for a purchase they made, that results in a negative credit card balance. To get that money back, you can either request a refund or wait for the funds to get applied to your future credit card balance.

What happens if I overpay my credit card balance?

If someone overpays their credit card balance for whatever reason, they can either have that balance applied to a future purchase or they can request a credit card balance refund.

What does a negative balance on a credit card mean?

Having a negative credit card balance means that someone has a credit card balance that is below $0. For example, if someone pays off their credit card balance and then requests a $250 refund from a merchant, they would end up with a negative balance of $250. The credit card issuer would then owe that money to the account holder.

What happens if you cancel a credit card with a negative balance?

If someone chooses to close a credit card that has a negative balance, they need to request a refund before they close their account. Some credit card issuers will issue this refund automatically, but it’s best to confirm the refund is happening before closing an account.

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Photo credit: iStock/milan2099

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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One way traders seek to profit from short-term movements in security prices is by using technical analysis.

While some stock analysis tools examine company fundamentals, technical stock indicators identify patterns in price and volume data to give investors and traders insights about how a stock might move in the future.

For that reason, although technical indicators can assist with trend identification, it’s best to combine different indicators when conducting stock analysis.

How Do Stock Technical Indicators Work?

Technical analysis uses various sets of data and indicators, such as price and volume, to identify patterns and trends. This type of stock market analysis is different from fundamental analysis, which looks at company financials, industry trends, and macroeconomics.

Rather, technical analysis solely analyzes a stock’s performance. Stock technical indicators are often rendered as a pattern that can overlay a stock’s price chart to predict the market trend, and whether the stock would be considered “overbought” or “oversold.”

Two Main Types of Technical Indicators

Stock technical indicators generally come in two flavors: overlay indicators and oscillators.

Overlay Indicators

An overlay indicator typically overlays one trend onto another on a stock chart, often using different colors to distinguish between the lines.

Oscillator Indicators

An oscillator typically uses metrics such as a stock’s price or trading volume to determine momentum, or rate of change, over time. It uses this info to generate a signal, or trend line, whose fluctuations between two values in a range can indicate if a stock may be overbought or oversold.

If the trend line moves above the higher value of the range, it can indicate a stock is overbought, while dipping below the lower value can indicate it’s oversold. The movements of the trend line thus can help traders determine support and resistance in certain price trends, so they can decide whether to sell or buy (support being the price at which a downturn generally bounces back up, and resistance being the point at which rising prices generally start to fall).

Oscillator indicators can be leading or lagging:

•   A leading indicator tracks current market movements to anticipate where the trend is headed next.

•   A lagging indicator is based on recent history and seeks patterns that will indicate potential price movements.

The moving average is a common oscillator; it’s considered a lagging indicator as it measures specific intervals in the past.

Naturally, every stock indicator has its pros and cons. Various trading indicators can be used by investors to analyze supply and demand forces on stock price, to help shed light on market psychology, or to manage risk.

But while stock indicators and trading tools can help with buy and sell points, false signals can also occur.

Reasons to Use Stock Market Indicators

Knowing some of the most popular trading tools might benefit your investing strategy by providing you with easier-to-spot buy and sell signals. You don’t have to know every single technical indicator, and there are many ways to analyze stocks, but using multiple stock indicators may help you improve trading results.

You can also use these stock indicators to help you manage risk when you are actively trading.

Price trend indicators are some of the most important technical trading tools since identifying a security price’s trend is often a first step to forming a trading strategy. Long positions are often initiated during uptrends, while short sale opportunities can occur when prices are in a downtrend.

Volume trend indicators are also helpful to gauge the power or conviction of an asset’s price move. Some believe that the higher the stock volume on a bullish breakout or bearish breakdown, the more confident the move is. Higher volume could signal a lengthier trend continuation.

💡 Quick Tip: All investments come with some degree of risk — and some are riskier than others. Before investing online, decide on your investment goals and how much risk you want to take.

7 Stock Indicators for Technical Analysis

It’s important to remember that these trading tools were developed based on the belief that mathematically derived patterns may be valuable as predictors of stock movements. Past performance, however, is not a guarantee of future results. So while it can be useful to employ stock technical indicators, they are best used in combination before deciding on a potential trade.

Also, many of these trading tools are lagging indicators, which can lead to an inaccurate reflection of current and future market conditions.

Following are seven of the most common technical stock indicators, along with their advantages and disadvantages.

1. Moving Averages (MA)

A moving average (MA) is the average value of a security over a specific time. The MA can be:

•   Simple Moving Average (SMA)

•   Exponential Moving Average (EMA)

•   Weighted Moving Average (WMA).

A moving average smooths stock price volatility, and is taken as an indicator of the direction a price may be headed. If the price is above the moving average, it’s considered an uptrend versus when the price moves below the MA, which can signal a downtrend.

Moving averages are typically used in combination with each other, or other stock indicators, to identify trends.

Pros

•   Using moving averages can filter out the noise that comes from price fluctuations and focus on the overall trend.

•   Moving average crossovers are commonly used to pinpoint trend changes.

•   You can customize moving average periods: common time frames include 20-day, 30-day, 50-day, 100-day, 200-day.

Cons

•   A simple moving average may not help some traders as much as an exponential moving average (EMA), which puts more weight on recent price changes.

•   Market turbulence can make the MA less informative.

•   Moving averages can be simple, exponential, or weighted, which might be confusing to new traders.

2. Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD)

The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) helps investors gauge whether a security’s movement is bullish or bearish, and helps gauge the momentum of the trend. The MACD uses two different exponential moving averages (EMAs) to do so.

A 26-period EMA is subtracted from a short-term 12-period EMA to generate the MACD line. Then a signal line, based on a nine-day EMA, is plotted on top of the MACD to help reveal buy and sell entry points.

If the MACD line crosses above the signal line, that can signal a buy opportunity. If it crosses below the signal line, that could signal a price decline and an opportunity to sell or take a short position.

Pros

•   The MACD, used in combination with the relative strength index (below) can help identify overbought or oversold conditions.

•   It can be used to indicate a trend and also momentum.

•   Can help spot reversals.

Cons

•   The MACD might provide false reversal signals.

•   It responds mainly to the speed of price movements; less accurate in gauging the direction of a trend.

3. Relative Strength Index (RSI)

The relative strength index or RSI is an oscillator tool that looks at price fluctuations in a given period and calculates average price losses and gains. It ranges from 0 to 100. Generally, above 70 is considered overbought and under 30 is thought to be oversold.

Traders often use the RSI in conjunction with the MACD to confirm a price trend. The RSI can sometimes identify a divergence, when the indicator moves in opposition to the price; this can show the price trend is weakening.

Pros

•   An RSI can help investors spot buy or sell signals.

•   It may also help detect bull market or bear market trends.

•   It can be combined with moving average indicators to spot breakout trends or reversals.

Cons

•   The RSI can move without exhibiting a clear trend.

•   The RSI can remain at an overbought or oversold level for a long time, making this tool less useful.

•   It does not give clues as to volume trends.

Recommended: 5 Bullish Indicators for a Stock

4. Stochastic Oscillator

Traders will often use the stochastic oscillator, which is a momentum indicator, to determine whether a given security is overbought or oversold. The stochastic oscillator allows traders to compare a specific closing price of a security to a range of its prices over a certain time frame.

By using a stochastic chart, traders can gauge the momentum of a security’s price with the aim of anticipating trends and reversals. A stochastic oscillator uses a range of 0 to 100 to determine if an asset is overbought (when the measurements are above 80) or oversold (when the measurement is below 20).

Pros

•   Clearer entry/exit signals: The oscillator has a basic design and generates visual signals when it reaches the outer bounds of a price range. This can help a trader determine when it may be time to buy or to sell stocks.

•   Frequent signals: For more active traders who trade on intraday charts such as the 5-, 10-, or 15-minute time frames, the stochastic oscillator generates signals more often as price action oscillates in smaller ranges.

•   Easy to understand: The oscillator’s fluctuating lines are fairly clear for investors who know how to use them.

Cons

•   Possible false signals: Depending on the time settings chosen, traders may misperceive a sharp oscillation as a buy or sell signal, especially if it goes against the trend. This is more common during periods of market volatility.

•   Doesn’t measure the trend or direction: It calculates the strength or weakness of price action in a market, not the overall trend or direction.

💡 Quick Tip: When you’re actively investing in stocks, it’s important to ask what types of fees you might have to pay. For example, brokers may charge a flat fee for trading stocks, or require some commission for every trade. Taking the time to manage investment costs can be beneficial over the long term.

5. On-Balance Volume (OBV)

OBV is a little different from the other indicators mentioned. It primarily uses volume flow to gauge future price action on a security or market. When there’s a new OBV peak, it generally indicates that buyers are strong, sellers are weak, and the price of the security may increase.

Similarly, a new OBV low is taken to mean that sellers are strong and buyers are weak, and the price is trending down.

The numerical value of the OBV isn’t important — it’s the direction that matters. In that respect it can be used as a trend confirmation tool. It can also signal divergences, when the price and the volume move in opposite directions.

Pros

•   Volume-based indicator gauges market sentiment to predict a bullish or bearish outcome.

•   OBV can be used to confirm price action and identify divergences.

Cons

•   It can be hard to find definitive buy and sell price levels.

•   False signals can happen when divergences and confirmations fail.

•   Volume surges can distort the indicator for short-term traders.

Recommended: How to Find Portfolio Beta

6. Accumulation / Distribution Line (ADL)

The accumulation/distribution line (ADL) looks at the trading range for a certain stock, and uses price and volume data to gauge whether shares are being accumulated or distributed. Like OBV it also looks for divergences, so that if a price trend isn’t supported by volume flow it could indicate the trend is about to reverse.

Although this sounds similar to OBV, they are calculated differently, and the ADL gives more attention to price and volume data within a specified range.

Pros

•   Traders can use the ADL to spot divergences in price compared with volume that can confirm price trends or signal reversals.

•   The ADL can be used as an indicator of the flow of cash in the market.

Cons

•   It doesn’t capture trading gaps or factor in their impact.

•   Smaller changes in volume are hard to detect.

7. Standard Deviation

Standard deviation measures the extent to which a data point deviates from an expected value, i.e. the mean return. When used as a technical indicator, standard deviation is a common stock volatility measure; it refers to how far a stock’s performance varies from its average.

Investors often measure an investment’s volatility by the standard deviation of returns compared with a broader market index or past returns.

Pros

•   Standard deviation mathematically captures the volatility of a stock’s movements, i.e. how far the price moves from the mean.

•   It provides technicians with an estimate for expected price movements.

•   It can be used to measure expected risk and return.

Cons

•   It does not provide precise buy and sell signals.

•   It must be used in conjunction with other indicators.

The Takeaway

Technical analysis tools use past price and volume data to help traders identify price trends and make buy and sell decisions. It’s important to know that technical analysis does not use fundamentals to assess the underlying companies, their industries, or any macroeconomic trends that might drive their success or failure. Rather, technical analysis solely analyzes the movement and volume inherent in a stock’s performance.

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FAQ

What is the most popular technical indicator for stocks?

Traders typically combine technical indicators, so it’s difficult to point to one as being a top choice. That said, many traders use the moving average indicators in combination with others to gauge price trends.

What is the most accurate indicator of the stock market?

There is no single indicator that can anticipate overall stock market performance. In fact, it’s an important factor to keep in mind when using technical indicators: For every successful price prediction or winning trade, there are countless others that don’t pan out. There are no crystal balls.

Which indicator gives buy and sell signals?

Different traders favor different indicators when looking for signals about how to place a trade. That said, the stochastic oscillator is relatively clear-cut in that it can help traders identify buy and sell opportunities based on price closes and trends within a certain range.

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Photo credit: iStock/staticnak1983

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