Rates & the Economy Resource Center
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Lock Today or Wait? The Signal Most Buyers Miss
Most buyers treat the lock decision as a guess about whether rates go up or down. It isn't. It's a question about your closing date, the data calendar, and how much a wrong guess would actually cost you — and on a $400,000 loan, that last number is...
The Fed Cut Rates. Your Mortgage Didn’t Get Cheaper
The Federal Reserve cuts its benchmark rate, the headlines run, and the mortgage quote you got last week comes back unchanged. Nothing went wrong. The Fed does not set mortgage rates — and on July 23, 2026 the number that does was sitting at 4.71%....
Your Credit Score Has a Monthly Price Tag. Here’s Yours
Two buyers walk into the same lender on the same morning, ask for the same $400,000 loan on the same house, and walk out with different rates. The only difference is a three-digit number — and on July 23, 2026 it was worth about 23 basis points....
“I Just Dodged a $50k Trap!”: How a Viral Reddit Thread is Warning Homebuyers About a Mortgage Interest Rate Scare
A homebuyer posted their loan estimate to Reddit last week with one line attached: "almost signed this without reading it." Within a day, thousands of commenters were dissecting what nearly went wrong. Loan officers, agents, and buyers who'd been...
How Are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Different?
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Are Like Salt and Pepper Rarely is one mentioned without the other. And in many respects, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac complement one another and cooperate. However, they also have significant variances. Fannie Mae’s...
Freddie Mac’s Impact on Your Mortgage
What Exactly Is Freddie Mac? Freddie Mac, also known as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), is one of two key secondary mortgage market companies. The second entity is Fannie Mae. Fannie and Freddie purchase mortgages from lenders....
How Fannie Mae Impacts Your Mortgage
What Is Fannie Mae? The Federal National Mortgage Association, or Fannie Mae, controls the secondary mortgage market. But what does that mean? Together with its counterpart, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae acquires around 66% of the mortgages originated by...
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Mortgage Rates Today: Daily 30-Year Rate 6.69% Aug 9 2026
30-Year Fixed 6.69% 15-Year Fixed 6.01% 5/1 ARM APR 6.25% Source: Bankrate (780 FICO, single-family, primary residence) Mortgage rates today held the 30-year fixed at 6.69%, unchanged from yesterday's 6.69%. The 15-year fixed sits at 6.01% and the...
The $250 Way to Lower Your Payment Without Refinancing
50 Way to Lower Your Payment Without Refinancing"> You have a 4.1% mortgage from a few years ago and a lump sum you want to put against it. Refinancing means surrendering that rate. Paying extra toward principal shortens the loan but leaves your...
Mortgage Rates Today: Daily 30-Year Rate 6.69% Aug 8 2026
30-Year Fixed 6.69% 15-Year Fixed 6.01% 5/1 ARM APR 6.25% Source: Bankrate (780 FICO, single-family, primary residence) Mortgage rates today climbed to 6.69% on the 30-year fixed, up from 6.65% yesterday. The 15-year fixed sits at 6.01% and the 5/1...
The Write-Offs That Saved You Tax Just Cost You a Mortgage
You ran a good year. Revenue was strong, the business is healthy, and your accountant did exactly what you paid them to do — minimised your taxable income. Now the underwriter is looking at the same return and seeing a borrower who earns $61,000....
Mortgage Rates Today: Daily 30-Year Rate 6.65% Aug 7 2026
30-Year Fixed 6.65% 15-Year Fixed 5.91% 5/1 ARM APR 6.24% Source: Bankrate (780 FICO, single-family, primary residence) Mortgage rates today eased slightly, with the 30-year fixed slipping to 6.65% from 6.67% yesterday, even as the broader trend...
You Paid $4,000 to Lower Your Rate. Was It Worth It?
Your lender offers to drop your rate from 6.55% to 6.30% for $4,000 at closing. The payment falls by $66 a month, which sounds like an easy yes — until you divide one number by the other and find you need to keep the loan for five years before you...
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