It would be an easy decision, if and ONLY if, you also cut up the card and closed the account too, and then worked hard to pay of the HELOC.

The problem most people who get home equity line's of credit is that they pay off all their credit cards.. start paying off the HELOC... and then run their cards back up again!

Now they have twice the debt that they had before.

A little know fact about HELOCs is that if the bank ever ran into trouble, as they frequently do, they CAN and WILL raise your rates and/or call in the note and ask you to pay in full, (whereas the credit cards would only raise your rates).

Does your HELOC have a balance as well? If so.. I'd advice you to first pay off your 3k debt as quickly as possible, and then start working on your HELOC too.

Don't let your HELOC reach maximum.

the heloc line is 25k and no, we have never used it. it has a zero balance currently. we'd been advised to get the line when we didn't need it, since our cr rating was/is superior. it was to be an emergency fallback, in the event of job loss or something like that. our mortgage has a 95k bal, 250k value, with 23 yrs left on the 30.

Do you plan on using the charge card again. If the answer is yes, then I say "No". To much of a debt cycle for me. Stop the madness.

Since you haven't used the HELOC ever.. I wouldn't start now.

If anything... I'd start accelerating the payoff on the credit card so that it is paid and GONE.

Then.. my next order of business would be to build a CASH emergency fund.. when I say CASH... I mean a liquid savings account.

Let THAT be your resource for emergencies.. instead of the HELOC. One you have a savings account large enough to cover 3 to 6 months worth of expenses.. then I'd close the HELOC, and be thankful it wasn't needed.

I'm speaking very general here.. but Lines of Credit (which is revolving credit with no actual "card") typically get people into trouble because they start doing balance transfers and start using new cards with 0% introductory rates.. but they don't pay attention to the fees associated with a balance transfer.. and people start planning poorly and start using it for home repairs and the next thing you know your HELOC or Line of Credit is at max.

Good Luck!