Economy

Mortgage rates hit a 7-month high, as buyers retreat

Mortgage rates have increased for five consecutive weeks, sidelining potential buyers in the middle of the spring homebuying season. Processing Content The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit 6.46% this week, an eight-basis-point jump from last week’s 6.38% and the highest mark since early September, according to the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. The 30-year rate […]

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Fed Govs. express concern about Iran war-driven inflation

Key insight: Fed Gov. Lisa Cook, Gov. Michael Barr and Vice Chair Philip Jefferson said in separate appearances Thursday that uncertainty over tariffs and geopolitical tensions is shifting the balance of risks toward combating a rise in inflation. Expert quote: “The ongoing trade policy uncertainty and geopolitical tensions … pose upside risk to my inflation

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Mortgage rates now at highest point since September

The 10-year Treasury yield continued its wild movements based on alternating headlines on the Iran conflict, but as a result mortgage rates ended the week 16 basis points higher, Freddie Mac found. Processing Content The 30-year fixed rate mortgage reached 6.38% for March 26, up from an average of 6.22% one week earlier, the Freddie

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Forget rate drops — here’s where mortgage volume will come from

With mortgage rates expected to hover near current levels for much of 2026, lenders shouldn’t count on rate drops to drive originations growth — and a panel of leading economists at Intercontinental Exchange’s ICE Experience conference in Las Vegas this week made clear where volume will actually come from. Processing Content “We’re essentially back in

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Inflation drives mortgage rates to 2026 high point

Yields on the 10-year Treasury, after a brief dip at the start of the week, returned to the upper 4.2% range, even briefly breaking 4.3%, in reaction to inflationary pressures from the Iran conflict. Processing Content In turn, this led mortgage rates to increase by 11 basis points for the second consecutive week, the Freddie

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Iran war pushes mortgage rates near yearly high

Iran war pushes mortgage rates near yearly high

Mortgage rates zoomed up 11 basis points this week as the Iran war wreaked havoc on oil prices, putting both the bond and equity markets in turmoil. Processing Content The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.11% on March 12, the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey reported. This compared with last week’s 6% and a year

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Economy loses 92,000 jobs in February

Key insight: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, signaling a cooling labor market. Supporting data: Health care jobs fell by 28,000, while the overall unemployment rate held steady at 4.4%. Forward look: The declining job totals could signal to the Federal Reserve that rate cuts are necessary

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Oil price shock pushes mortgage rates back above 6%

Mortgage lenders left their desks Friday with the 30-year fixed finally below 6%. When they returned Monday morning, the market was in turmoil, with the benchmark 10-year Treasury at one point up 11 basis points from the previous close. Processing Content As a result, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage moved up 2 basis points this

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Mortgage rates dip under 6% for first time since ’22

Mortgage rates for the 30-year fixed loan finally broke below the 6% mark this past week, Freddie Mac reported, as the spread with the 10-year Treasury got below 200 basis points. Processing Content However, the 15-year fixed rate mortgage rose by a relatively large 9 basis points from the week of Feb. 19. “For the

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Consumer debt accelerates in December, fueled by mortgages

Consumer debt accelerated in December, driven by substantial growth in first mortgage and home equity lines of credit balances, a new industry report showed. Processing Content Total consumer debt in the United States reached $18.2 trillion by the end of last year, with $12.8 trillion attributed to first mortgages, according to Equifax’s fourth quarter consumer

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