I'm Nicole Lapin, the only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand.

It's time for some money we have.

Alright let's think back to the weird days during the pandemic when we were having our

drinks delivered and wondering if we would ever go back to the movies.

So much has changed since then.

Now we're going to two movies in a single day and having lots and lots of drinks out

with friends.

For many people, the financial landscape has changed as well.

During the pandemic as a result of strong government support and limited opportunities to actually

spend money, more and more people were able to squirrel more and more money away.

But as the world opened back up, we went on a little bit of a culture wide revenge spending

spree with people across the world spending big on vacations and dining out that coupled

with supply chain issues and a tight job market, helped spur inflation higher and higher

until suddenly those fatty savings accounts were looking pretty thin.

A study by the Brookings Institute found that for many families, especially those in

more precarious financial situations, those savings accounts are gone and they're going

to need to stop spending as much or take on more debt.

But it's not all bad news, housing prices have stayed high and yes sure that's crappy news

if you're looking to buy right now.

But if you're already a homeowner, it means you have one very valuable asset.

This rise in prices and the value of homes has led to more and more people looking at a

special vehicle for credit that allows them to access the value stored in their homes,

...