51.   Even home equity loans are not pristine.

52.   Experts also say that if a home equity loan is used to consolidate debts and to eliminate expensive credit card bills, a change in spending behavior is essential.

53.   Equicredit makes home equity loans to customers with tarnished credit records.

54.   First Alliance, a nationwide home equity lender facing a host of consumer and regulatory lawsuits accusing it of deceptive sales practices, filed for bankruptcy protection on Thursday.

55.   Financial planners say home equity credit can become a problem if the borrower uses the money for consumable items such as food, clothing and entertainment.

56.   FirstPlus said it would adopt a new accounting method to record earnings on its sales of bonds backed by home equity loans.

57.   Financial advisers say people who are having financial problems should use a home equity loan or line of credit only as a last resort.

58.   For a home equity borrower, the biggest risk from a loan default is the possible loss of the home, not to mention a bad credit rating.

59.   For consumers like Paul Froehler and Victoria Pena-Froehler in Chicago, the home equity line of credit makes more sense than paying credit card debt.

60.   For consumers, the decline would quickly be translated into lower rates for automobiles, mortgages, and home equity loans.