Truss Financial Group Helps Rate-Locked Homeowners Access Equity Without Giving Up Their First Mortgage

Second-lien HELOCs let self-employed borrowers and real estate investors keep their low-rate first mortgages while accessing home equity, even when income does not fit standard documentation.

LAKE FOREST, Calif., Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Truss Financial Group (TFG) is helping homeowners with low-rate first mortgages avoid a hard choice after the Federal Reserve's September rate hike: give up that rate to refinance, or leave record home equity untapped. The firm offers second-lien HELOC programs that let borrowers keep their existing first mortgage in place, including options for self-employed borrowers and real estate investors whose income does not fit standard documentation.

The Fed raised its benchmark rate a quarter point in September, its first increase in three years, and held steady at its October meeting, according to Mortgage Professional America. Mortgage rates rose about three-quarters of a point in the month after the hike and were near 7.33% in late October, making it less appealing for many owners to trade a low-rate mortgage for a new one. Meanwhile, equity keeps building. Mortgage holders carried a record $18 trillion in equity in the second quarter, including $11.7 trillion in tappable equity, ICE reports.

Homeowners are already acting on that. Second liens made up 54% of all equity taken in the first quarter, and 3.9 million homeowners who took out their primary mortgage between 2020 and 2022 have since added a second lien, according to ICE.

"Homeowners who are locked in at a low rate should not have to give it up to use the equity they have built," said Jeff Miller, CEO and Founder of Truss Financial Group. "A second lien can keep that first mortgage in place, and for self-employed borrowers and investors, the right program also means qualifying on how they actually earn, not only on what a tax return shows."

Truss Financial Group's second-lien programs are built around how these borrowers earn. No-tax-return HELOCs are designed for self-employed entrepreneurs, DSCR HELOCs let investors tap rental property equity based on property cash flow rather than personal tax returns, and bank statement options let business owners qualify using deposits instead of tax returns.

For borrowers whose income does not fit conventional guidelines, the question is increasingly how to access equity alongside the mortgage they already have. Homeowners can share their details with Truss to see whether a second-lien HELOC fits their situation. 

About Truss Financial Group
Founded in 2006, Truss Financial Group is a premier mortgage lending institution headquartered in Lake Forest, California. The firm specializes in innovative financing solutions for self-employed individuals, business owners, and real estate investors. Transitioning away from highly commoditized agency lending, Truss leverages deep industry expertise to provide alternative lending products, bridge loans, and specialized equity access solutions designed for complex income profiles. Truss Financial Group is a licensed firm; for regulatory details and state licensing information, visit https://trussfinancialgroup.com/state-licensing.

Contact: Jason Nichols
CMO | Partner
Truss Financial Group
Email: [email protected]  | Call: 888-878-7715

SOURCE Truss Financial Group