mortgage rates

After Ben Bernanke pulled a trick from the 1960s Fed handbook to twist down long-term interest rates, experts are mixed on how it will affect the U.S. economy. Wall Street reacted negatively to the news. The Dow fell 284 points.

With the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage down to 4.09%, -- another record low -- it's a great time to refinance. But before you go running off to your lender to catch the best rates since 1951, avoid making these major mistakes that can cost you dearly.

With the historically low interest rates, many homeowners with 30-year mortgages have been leaving their loans for younger models. According to a new report from Freddie Mac, more homeowners are refinancing into 15- and 20-year mortgages than ever before.

For nearly two years, economists and real estate experts have been on the lookout for the bottom of the housing market. That time is here, says Russell Price, a senior economist with Ameriprise Financial, a financial services company.

You love your dad, but you don't have to buy everything he taught you about money. DailyFinance celebrates Father's Day by debunking six financial myths he might have held held true. He still deserves the socks and the cologne. Just don't necessarily trust him with your portfolio.

It's a can't-win situation: The very process of shopping around for a low interest rate on a mortgage can adversely impact your credit score and cost you the cheaper loan you're seeking. That's because each time a lender pulls your credit report, it shaves a few points off your score.

Mortgage rates have hit lows for the year and could soon near the decades-low levels of last year. Those rates are providing an incentive for buyers, along with falling home prices. They're tempting for refinancers, too. Still, analysts say the combination isn't likely to lift the depressed...

Today's sluggish housing market has little margin for error: Make an ill-conceived or poorly researched home purchase now, and you'll almost certainly pay the price later. To avoid that, make sure you have the right answers to these three questions before you buy your next home.

The real estate market has endured a few years of painful price drops, and home values may have a bit further to fall. But independent experts say the bottom is very close. With prices in many areas at 2002 levels, and mortgage rates at 5%, this may be the moment for you to buy a home.

The latest reports on home sales and prices offer a complicated and conflicted picture. But when the data are taken together, one thing is clear: Weighing risk and reward, it's worth waiting a few months to see which way the real estate winds are really blowing.