TallTexan, I transferred the balance from a 20% CC to a 6% CC for a charge of $75. I plan to pay the balance in 2 months.
Today I was in the bank for other business, so sat down with them and got the information about a HELOC, which I've never been interested in. I've always preferred to save the cash in my emergency fund at very little interest, and then pay for whatever the high-ticket item was after I had the cash in hand. TBH, that is still my preference emotionally, but I realize I am tying up money that would be likely making more gains for me in the Vanguard account.
My bank can do a $75,000 HELOC with a fee of $50 per year at 3.14% interest, good for 10 years. No cost to open up the account. Supposedly those would be the only costs, but I have not sat down and perused the fine print. I'm just going by what the bank manager told me verbally.
So I don't know...intellectually I understand the rationale, but emotionally, as I said, I just don't like to buy anything unless I can pay for it outright--whether it be four new pairs of jeans, or a car, or a house.
My favorite suggestion is finding CCs with 0% introductory offers, using them to pay for whatever it is--screened porch renovation maybe-- and then closing the CC after a few months after the balance is paid and while I've been stoking the Vanguard funds the whole time. But I'm pondering all this for the moment.