There is a general belief that when a mortgage loan is secured, it means two or three decades in servitude to the lender. But this is a grossly exaggerated idea. The truth is that lending options develop as the mortgage is being repaid. Getting a home equity loan for bad credit management purposes is a perfect example.The mechanics are simple. As the mortgage sum owed decreases, that equity value of the property increases. And, as the market value of the property increases, so too does the equity. This equity can be used as security when trying to meet the criteria for loan approval for smaller sums when the applicant has a poor credit history.The advantage of home equity loans is that it makes even large loans possible to get, with sums ranging between $25,000 and $100,000 commonly approved by lenders. But these loans are repaid with interest, so knowing how to save on that cost can mean thousands in savings every year. There are 3 key ways to keep costs at a minimum.Check Your Credit ReportThe first step is to get a copy of your credit report and examine the specifics of it. When looking for home equity loans for bad credit management, it seems only logical that the applicants knows the accurate state of their credit status.The principal purpose is to recognize where a loan strategy should focus on in order to meet the criteria for loan approval. For example, should a strategy concentrate on paying off debts individually, or in getting one large consolidation loan?Getting a credit report is not hard. Simply apply to one of the three credit agencies – Experian, Equifax or TransUnion – and pay a fee, and within just a few days the report is delivered. The information is invaluable when preparing to apply for a home equity loan, so the fee is well worth the cost.Improve Your Credit ScoreOnce the details of your report are known, and the areas to concentrate any strategy on is identified, it is possible to begin to turn the tables and improve the credit score before applying for a home equity loan for bad credit. If the score can be improved, then means significant savings every month.There is only one way to improve the score, and that is in repaying existing loans. This can be done either by taking out a consolidation loan with which to repay all of the existing debt, and then repay the new loan at more competitive interest rate. With each of the individual loans repaid, the score is increased thus making the criteria for loan approval easier.A second way to improve your credit score before applying for a home equity loan is to take out a series of smaller personal loans. These can be used to repay individual debts one at a time. Payday loans are the most common funding option, requiring the new loan to be repaid in 30 days.Consider the Loan TermA third way to improve the affordability of a home equity loan for bad credit is to extend the term of the loan to the maximum. This has pros and cons, but the immediate effect is to see the monthly repayment sum lowered considerably.A typical repayment on a $50,000 over 10 years might be $750. However, the same amount over 20 years could be lowered to just $350, and meeting the income criteria for loan approval simpler.The compromise is that the amount of interest is far greater thanks to the increased number of payment installments. But, in terms of making a home equity loan affordable, it is a highly effective option.