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<div type="image" title="In case RBI is in the mood to hike the interest, your home loan EMIs might end up taking more from your pockets. Or, if it leaves the rates unchanged, your EMIs wont budge one bit" msid="114284206" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In case RBI is in the mood to hike the interest, your home loan EMIs might end up taking more from your pockets. Or, if it leaves the rates unchanged, your EMIs wont budge one bit&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> On September 18, 2024, the <keyword id="19951097" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="us-fed" source="keywords">US Fed</keyword> delivered a jumbo-sized surprise to the global economy. Not only did they trim their interest rates by a massive 50 basis points to bring their yields down to 5%, but also hinted at further rate cuts in the upcoming months. This move from the fed and several other central banks globally had pushed expectations high for a similar rate slash closer home, from the <keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="rbi" source="keywords">RBI</keyword> this month. But governor <keyword id="19913110" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shaktikanta-das" source="keywords">Shaktikanta Das</keyword>, in a “picture abhi baaki hai” moment, decided to hold the repo rates here steady, leaving them unchanged at 6.5% for the record 10th straight time. Although, he did tinker with the policy stand, changing it from “rate cuts are absolutely off the table” to a more accommodating “we’re okay with bringing down the rates, if needed”. This, rather neutral, stance from India’s financial custodian sparked hopes for a rate cut in December this year. However, the stubborn <keyword id="22195" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inflation" source="Orion">inflation</keyword> levels in September have again dented such hopes. As consumers, you may be wondering what all the hullabaloo this is about, since it hardly makes a difference to your regular financial routine. Well, the majority of both economic growth and inflation is closely connected to this policy stance from the central bank and it does have a rather indirect effect on both our earnings and spending. But more directly, it would have clear implications for those looking to own a house. Even the slightest modification of interest rates, or the lack of it, influences the <keyword id="19916018" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="emi" source="keywords">EMI</keyword> you pay significantly. So, all aspiring homebuyers, is this the right time to take out a loan and buy a house? Can you expect a rate cut anytime soon, and what will that mean for your home-owning dreams? We lay it out. <h2>What’s the connection?</h2>You see, buying a house is no small feat, at least financially. The task becomes even more herculean if you are scouting for your own roof in cities like Delhi, Noida, Bangalore or Mumbai where, as Circuit from Munnabhai says, “room shuru hote hi khatam ho jata hai”. Naturally, you’ll have to take a <keyword id="6354730" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Home-loan" source="Orion">home loan</keyword> from the bank. Don’t be mistaken, the bank won't give you a loan that covers 100% of the value of the property you want to own. Rather, your loan amount will be equivalent to a certain percentage of the property’s total value. RBI’s guidelines on this are pretty clear: <ul><li>If your loan amount is up to Rs 30 lakh, you can get a loan worth 90% of the property’s value.</li></ul><ul><li>If the loan amount is between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 75 lakh, you are eligible for a loan worth 80% of the property’s value. </li><li>If you are taking a loan of more than Rs 75 lakh, your loan amount will be equivalent to 70% of the property’s value. </li></ul>Now assuming that you have the money, it's all about paying back the principal amount, but not without a little (read hefty) interest added on top. See, when you’re taking a home loan, you are actually signing up for a long-term, even multi-decadal financial commitment, which will unfailingly present itself to your bank accounts and finances every single month, in the form of EMIs, or equated monthly instalments). When you take a home loan, you can choose to pay the interest in two ways (talk about choices!). One is that you decide to keep a fixed rate of interest throughout the tenure of your home loan. So, if you opt for a 25-year fixed-rate home loan at the rate of 8.8% p.a., you’ll have to pay interest at this rate for the next 25 years, till your entire loan is paid off. Yes, you can go backsies and switch to a floating-rate home loan by paying a fee. Floating, as the name suggests, means that your interest rate is not set in stone. But starting October 2019, when it comes to a floating interest rate home loan, your payable interest and EMIs are directly impacted by any changes in <keyword id="20094323" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="repo-rate" source="keywords">repo rate</keyword>, which were left unchanged by RBI this time around. Why are these two so chummy, you might ask. Well, <keyword id="173069" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Home-loan-interest" source="Orion">home loan interest</keyword> rates are a sum of two things: <ol><li>Repo Rate (the rate at which RBI lends money to banks)</li><li>Operational cost + margins</li></ol>Any plus or minus in this equation would send your home loan interests tanking, or skyrocketing. Vivek Iyer, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat explains that any change in the repo rates impacts the cost of funds and thereby the home loan interest rates. “When the interest rates are expected to reduce, the corresponding impact will be in the form of a reduced EMI. Home loan borrowers should always try to borrow at a floating rate when interest rates are expected to reduce and at a fixed rate when the interest rates are expected to increase. This minimizes the outflow in the form of EMIs that the home loan borrowers will experience”, he continues. So, no change in repo rates means no change in your home loan interest payout and no financial relief whatsoever. A rate cut, which most experts are anticipating will start this December, would mean your EMI payments come down, and your wallet might save a little more. But there’s also a chance of an UNO reverse happening. In case RBI is in the mood to hike the interest, your home loan EMIs might end up taking more from your pockets. Consider this. You took a floating interest rate home loan worth Rs 50 lakh in January 2022 at 8% p.a., for a period of 20 years. This brings your total monthly EMI to Rs Rs 41,822. But, as luck would (or won't) have it, RBI raised the interest rate by 250 basis points between May 2022 and February 2023, bringing it to its current status of 6.5%. Some back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that now, your home loan interest payout will also rise by a hefty 2.5%, taking the total to 10.5%. In other words, you’ll have to dish out Rs 49,919 per month as EMI. Now, won't you heave a sigh of relief if the RBI were to bring down the interest rate by say, even 50 basis points, or 0.5%? Agreed, your EMI will come down just marginally, to Rs 48,251. But look at this over a 20-year period, and you’ll see how big the difference is. <h2>Are rates set to change anytime soon?</h2>Generally, RBI hikes the repo rates if it sees inflation spiralling out of control. Then, in a bid to reduce consumer spending, it raises interest rates to make borrowing expensive. But when the apex bank sees sluggish consumption in the economy, inflation in control and wants to boost spending, it slashes down on interest rates, making it more lucrative for people to borrow. As of now, most experts are not anticipating any changes in the interest rates anytime soon. This means home loans are not getting cheaper anytime soon. The CPI data, which came out yesterday, saw inflation rise to 5.49% in September, compared to 3.65% last month. Food and beverage prices jumped to a four-month high of 8.36% in September, as opposed to a 5.3% rise in August. So a rate cut seems a no-go at the moment! Apurva Sheth, Head of Market Perspectives and Research, SAMCO Securities explains that the RBI had probably expected a hardening of inflation and that's why it chose to hold on to the rates in the monetary policy announcement last week. “Now, it seems that RBI will take a cautious stance going ahead and will not be in a hurry into rate cuts like its global peers”, he added. In all this, one thing is clear, in the grand movie of the Indian economy, the RBI has chosen stability over drama. And just like in every good Bollywood film, we're left wondering what twist the sequel will bring. Until then, it might be “The End" for rate cuts, but the show must go on for the Indian economy!

Simply Put: Boom or bust — how RBI’s decision to leave rates unchanged affects homebuyers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>President-elect Donald Trump said he would implement tariffs on imported goods.</li><li>Economists said the proposals could boost inflation and raise prices for consumers.</li></ul>One of the first policies President-elect <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/election-results-trump-harris-presidential-election-2024-11">Donald Trump</a> is expected to enact after being sworn into office is imposing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-expensive-goods-price-impact-presidential-election-scenarios-trump-harris-2024-10#imported-goods">taxes on imported goods</a>.Many economists say these tariffs, as well as some of his other proposals, could kick-start another bout of inflation and interest-rate hikes.Trump has said that his proposals would not impact US prices. "I am going to put tariffs on other countries coming into our country, and that has nothing to do with taxes to us. That is a tax on another country," he said in an August speech.Some experts have argued <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tax-plan-tarriffs-benefits-top-earners-study-2024-10">otherwise</a>. Economists and investors project that taxes imposed on imports will be passed on to American consumers in the form of higher prices. In an economic chain reaction, households would then pay higher interest rates on borrowing of all kinds as the Fed moves to tame that newly rekindled inflation.<h2 id="28eee089-e5e3-42d1-bc61-18122840af26">Ramping up tariffs from Trump's first term is expected to eat into Americans' wallets</h2>On the campaign trail, one of Trump's cornerstone proposals was a 60% <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/where-does-trump-vance-stand-on-china-tariffs-inflation-taxes-2024-7">tariff</a> on goods imported from China and a 10% to 20% tariff on imports from other countries.The US Census Bureau reported that broad tariffs would likely affect the prices of automobiles, drugs for human and veterinary use, food and beverages, furniture, and household appliances.Trump could announce these changes as soon as he takes office because they would not require congressional approval, but because implementation could take time, consumers would not see higher prices immediately.An <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.piie.com/sites/default/files/2024-09/wp24-20.pdf">analysis</a> from the nonpartisan Peterson Institute examined Trump's proposed 60% tariff on goods imported from China and estimated that it would boost inflation by 0.4 percentage points in 2025. The estimate does not include Trump's proposal for a 10% to 20% tariff on other imports.Markets are also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/bonds/surging-treasury-yields-after-trump-win-show-borrowers-may-not-get-relief-2024-11">expecting higher inflation</a> under Trump; bond yields surged following Trump's victory. That led to the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rising, meaning homebuyers are on track to see higher interest rates on loans.An <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/tpc-trump-tariffs-would-raise-household-taxes-and-slow-imports">analysis</a> by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center found that Trump's policies would decrease posttax incomes by an average of $1,800 in 2025. A separate <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.americanprogressaction.org/article/trumps-tariff-would-cost-the-typical-american-household-roughly-1500-each-year/">analysis</a> by the left-leaning Center for American Progress said that his tariff plans could cost the typical American household an extra $1,500 a year.Tariffs are typically used to raise government revenue and bolster domestic manufacturing. Trump enacted them in his first term as part of his "America First" policies, including a 25% tariff on Chinese goods that ultimately <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tariff-trade-war-risk-china-exports-great-depression-economy-2024-5">led to a trade war</a> between the two economies. While they did not significantly impact inflation, they did raise taxes for consumers. The Tax Foundation <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/where-does-trump-vance-stand-on-china-tariffs-inflation-taxes-2024-7">estimated</a> that Trump's tariffs during his first term amounted to a nearly $80 billion tax increase on Americans buying Chinese imports.Trump's win is also expected to influence the Federal Reserve's upcoming decisions on interest rates. While it's too soon for the Fed to make any adjustments since Trump has not yet implemented any tariffs, members of the Federal Open Market Committee will likely begin discussing how Trump's future economic policies could affect consumers — including whether the central bank would need to hike interest rates in the future in response to inflationary pressure.The Fed is expected to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-rate-cuts-federal-reserve-election-jerome-powell-inflation-jobs-2024-11">cut interest rates by 25 basis points</a> on Thursday, and Fed chair Jerome Powell will likely offer some insight into the Fed's direction following Trump's victory.However, the future of the Federal Reserve <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-rate-cut-trump-fed-powell-reaction-independence-history-2024-9">is uncertain under Trump</a>. The president-elect has previously suggested that he would like to have a say over interest-rate decisions, something presidents do not currently have. This raises the question of whether the central bank would continue to remain politically independent.Americans will likely learn more about what to expect from Trump as the year comes to a close. While Trump has maintained that his policies will help the economy and leave Americans better off, the Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-presidency-policies-inflation-economy-americans-joseph-stiglitz-letter-2024-6">previously told Business Insider</a> that the "general consensus" among experts is that "the Trump administration would be more inflationary.""The broad assessment of the consequences of that is that the Fed would be forced to raise interest rates, and all that combined would still serve to increase inflation even as unemployment increased and GDP slowed," he said.

Get ready for inflation and interest rates to rise again

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points on Thursday.</li><li>It follows a 50-basis-point cut in September, with the pace of inflation continuing to cool.</li></ul>Another <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-rate-cuts-federal-reserve-election-jerome-powell-inflation-jobs-2024-11">interest rate cut</a> is headed Americans' way.On Thursday, the Federal Open Market Committee announced a 25-basis-point interest rate cut, following a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fed-cuts-interest-rates-how-much-september-fomc-powell-inflation-2024-9">50-basis-point cut</a> in September. It follows continued data showing inflation is nearing the Federal Reserve's 2% target — the consumer price index, a commonly-watched measure of inflation, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-september-cpi-consumer-price-index-federal-reserve-interest-rates-2024-10">rose 2.4%</a> over the year in September.This latest interest rate decision also came two days after Donald Trump <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-election-victory-impact-investments-costs-housing-taxes-childcare-2024-11">won the presidential election</a>. Trump is expected to implement high tariffs once his term begins, and members of the FOMC will likely begin discussing the impact of the president-elect's policies on the economy and forthcoming interest rate decisions."A victory for Trump could raise doubts over a December cut, and the Fed may strike a more hawkish note as a result," Matthew Ryan, head of market strategy at financial services firm Ebury, said in a statement last week.Trump's victory also throws into question the future of the Fed itself. Trump has previously said that he would like to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-rate-cut-trump-fed-powell-reaction-independence-history-2024-9">have a say in interest-rate decisions</a>, challenging the politically independent nature of the central bank.Fed chair Jerome Powell will likely offer more insight into the Fed's thinking following Trump's victory. He has expressed confidence in the economy's direction in recent months, saying during remarks in late September that "overall, the economy is in solid shape.""We intend to use our tools to keep it there," he said.However, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/october-jobs-report-unemployment-rate-nonfarm-payroll-growth-federal-reserve-2024-11">recent jobs data</a> will make it difficult for the central bank to give a clear vision of its upcoming decisions. The economy added just 12,000 jobs in October, well below the 106,000 forecast, primarily because Hurricanes Milton and Helene — along with the Boeing strike — put people temporarily out of work, artificially driving down the employment figures.It will take time for Americans to feel the impact of interest rate cuts, given the lag in monetary policy, meaning credit cards, housing, and car loans won't see immediate relief.The 25-basis-point cut was in line with market predictions. Still, some Democratic lawmakers urged the Fed to implement another 50-basis-point cut to give Americans continued financial relief. On November 1, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and John Hickenlooper wrote in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/final_-_warren_hickenlooper_letter_to_fed_renovember2024ratecut.pdf">letter</a> to Powell that housing costs "are still too high," and bigger rate cuts are warranted."If the Fed moves forward with more rate cuts, housing prices and mortgage rates would thus also likely drop, allowing more families to achieve the American dream," they wrote.

The Federal Reserve gives Americans another interest rate cut

<keyword id="19895995" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="HDFC-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="HDFC Bank" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="HDFC Bank">HDFC Bank</keyword> on Saturday posted a marginal 5 per cent increase in its standalone profit at Rs 16,821 crore in the second quarter ended September 2024. The country's biggest private sector lender had earned a <keyword id="19942166" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="net-profit" source="keywords">net profit</keyword> of Rs 15,976 crore in the same quarter a year ago. Total income increased to Rs 85,500 crore during the quarter under review against Rs 78,406 crore in the same period last year, HDFC Bank said in a regulatory filing. The bank reported <keyword id="20202322" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="interest-income" source="keywords">interest income</keyword> of Rs 74,017 crore during the quarter compared to Rs 67,698 crore in the same period a year ago. Net Interest Income (NII) improved to Rs 30,110 crore, from Rs 27,390 crore in the second quarter of previous year, registering a 10 per cent growth. As regards asset quality, the bank witnessed slight deterioration with gross <keyword id="19927319" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Non-Performing-Assets" source="keywords">Non-Performing Assets</keyword> (NPAs) rising to 1.36 per cent of the gross loans by the end of September 2024 from 1.34 per cent a year ago. Similarly, net NPAs or bad loans rose to 0.41 per cent from 0.35 per cent at the end of the second quarter of the previous fiscal. On a consolidated basis, the bank logged a growth of 6 per cent in net profit to Rs 17,826 crore as against Rs Rs 16,811 crore in Q2FY24. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/best-credit-cards-for-online-shopping-in-india/articleshow/114354358.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/best-credit-cards-for-online-shopping-in-india/articleshow/114354358.cms" target="_blank">Best credit cards for online shopping this festive season</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/best-smartphones-under-25000-in-india-in-october-2024/slidelist/114339207.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/best-smartphones-under-25000-in-india-in-october-2024/slidelist/114339207.cms" target="_blank">Best smartphones under ₹25,000 in India in October 2024</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/waaree-energies-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/114350114.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/waaree-energies-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/114350114.cms" target="_blank">Waaree Energies IPO – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a>

HDFC Bank Q2 profit soars 5% to ₹16,821 crore

Top 8 banks offering low interest rates on home loans; check full list here

New Delhi: As the earnings season for the second quarter of FY25 unfolds, <keyword id="19959986" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-sector-banks" source="keywords">public sector banks</keyword> (PSBs) are expected to see a slight dip in profits compared to the previous quarter, according to a report by <keyword id="19896146" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Motilal-Oswal" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Motilal Oswal" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Motilal Oswal">Motilal Oswal</keyword>. The report estimates that PSBs' Profit After Tax (PAT) will decline by 0.6 per cent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ), while showing a stronger year-on-year (YoY) growth of 17.2 per cent. "We estimate PSBs to report moderate <keyword id="19899597" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="earnings-growth" source="keywords">earnings growth</keyword> of 17.2 pc YoY/ a decline of 0.6 pc QoQ in 2QFY25," the report stated. The slower pace of growth can be attributed to flat net interest margins (NIMs) and a slight increase in loan loss provisions (LLP). The <keyword id="20171160" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Net-Interest-Income" source="keywords">Net Interest Income</keyword> (NII) for PSBs is expected to grow by around 6 per cent YoY, although interest margins are likely to remain under pressure. Despite these near-term challenges, the report suggests that public sector banks are on track to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15 per cent between FY24 and FY26, pointing to sustained long-term growth. In the private sector banking space, the report forecasts mixed results for the same quarter. For private banks under the coverage, Pre-Provision Operating Profit (PPoP) is expected to grow by 12 per cent YoY and 1 per cent QoQ. However, PAT growth is predicted to be more modest, increasing by 5 per cent YoY and 0.6 per cent QoQ. "For our private bank coverage universe, we estimate a PPoP growth of 12 pc YoY/1 pc QoQ and a PAT growth of 5 pc YoY/0.6 pc QoQ in 2QFY25," the report added. Looking ahead, private sector banks are expected to experience steady profitability growth, with earnings projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.4 per cent over FY24-FY26. Overall, while both public and private sector banks may face moderate growth in the second quarter due to margin pressures and higher provisions, their long-term earnings prospects remain positive. (ANI)

Profit of public sector banks expected to decline by 0.6 percent QoQ : Motilala Oswal

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="19979912" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mortgage-rates" source="keywords">Mortgage rates</keyword> are falling but remain high compared to the rates of the past few years.</li><li>Assumable mortgages can help <keyword id="19907145" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="homebuyers" source="keywords">homebuyers</keyword> get lower rates and reduce their monthly payments.</li></ul>Over the past few years, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/mortgages/average-mortgage-interest-rate">US mortgage rates</a> have fluctuated wildly, leaving both homebuyers and sellers scrambling. In 2021, rates fell to as low as 2.1% as the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-fed-rate-cut-could-impact-mortgage-rates-homebuyers-2024-9">Federal Reserve</a> acted to keep the economy ticking during the COVID-19 pandemic. But then inflation spiked. To cool inflation, the Fed implemented a series of rate hikes, pushing mortgage rates to a peak of 7.79% in October 2023, according to data tracked by the <keyword id="19904332" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Federal-Reserve" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Federal Reserve" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Federal Reserve">Federal Reserve</keyword> Bank of St. Louis. But over the last few years, some homebuyers have used a workaround to get lower rates anyway: a lesser-known loan option called an <keyword id="23243178" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="assumable-mortgage" source="keywords">assumable mortgage</keyword>. Assumable mortgages let qualifying buyers take over a seller's existing loan, including its interest rate, principal balance, and other terms. This can lead to significantly lower <keyword id="19950650" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="interest-rates" source="keywords">interest rates</keyword>, making monthly mortgage payments more affordable and saving thousands over the life of the loan. It's important to note that not all loans are eligible for assumption, but ones backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are. 2024, however, has brought some relief from high rates. In January, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fed-cut-lower-mortgage-rates-should-you-refinance-2024-9">rates</a> hit about 6.7% and have been slowly decreasing since. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 6.2% as of mid-September, its lowest level since February 2023. The Federal Open Market Committee, which oversees US monetary policy, is expected to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-rate-cuts-decision-this-week-federal-reserve-powell-inflation-2024-9">cut interest rates</a> at its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/banking/when-is-the-next-fed-meeting">meeting</a> this week. This could lead to further declines in mortgage rates in the coming months. Still, the 2%-ish rates of 2021 aren't likely to return as the Fed remains wary of inflation. So while additional rate declines may ease monthly mortgage payments for some, they won't necessarily make homebuying significantly more affordable for most Americans. For that reason, assumable mortgages still might be the best option for some people to get the lowest rates. Here are the stories of three homebuying couples who secured mortgage rates below 3% since March 2023 using assumable mortgages. They described how they redirected the funds they would have spent on higher monthly mortgage payments into healthcare, renovations, or retirement. <h2>One couple got a 2.6% rate and became the youngest homeowners in their families</h2>In 2022, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/first-time-buyers-got-lowest-best-interest-rate-assumable-mortgage-2024-3">Grace Lucchese</a> had just graduated from college. Her partner, Mickey Ricard, had finished his military service two years prior. The Gen Z couple had moved into an apartment in Lucchese's hometown of Sudbury, Massachusetts — a town about 40 minutes outside Boston — and found themselves spending much of their incomes on rent. "We were paying ridiculous <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rental-market-housing-affordability-real-estate-apartments-2024-1">prices for rent</a>, and our money was going nowhere," Lucchese told Business Insider. "We also have a dog with special needs, so we wanted to find a home with a backyard." <div type="image" title="Grace Lucchese, Mickey Ricard, and their dog at home." height="1701" width="2268" msid="113465770" hostid="261"></div>For the first-time homebuyers, finding an affordable, well-maintained home in their area was challenging. "During our homebuying search, we looked all around Boston," Lucchese said. "We could not find a home that was move-in ready and under $650,000. We put offers on probably seven different homes and got into bidding wars on two." After months of searching and nearly giving up, Lucchese and Ricard finally found their perfect home: a 1,600-square-foot, two-story Colonial built in 1885 with three bedrooms and one bathroom. The home also came with an assumable mortgage. "Our home was originally listed for $429,000," Lucchese said. "When we were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/real-estate-investing-how-to-negotiate-best-price-down-2023-4">negotiating with the seller</a> and trying to talk him down on the price, they brought up the assumable loan — I had no clue what that type of mortgage was." After learning about assumable mortgages and realizing they could take over the homeowner's 2.6% rate, they jumped at the opportunity. <div type="image" title="Grace Lucchese and Mickey Ricard's Massachusetts home." height="3024" width="4032" msid="113465773" hostid="261"></div>In January, they made a $13,000 down payment and bought the home for $422,500. With homeowners' insurance included, their monthly payments are around $2,100 — about half of what they would likely pay if they had gotten a traditional mortgage earlier this year. Their mortgage term is 26 years. The couple, now the youngest homeowners in both of their families, are using their monthly savings to renovate their home and help cover their dog's veterinary expenses. "Now that our assumable mortgage is saving us about $2,000 each month, it makes the stress a little less because we have the option of having more money available," Lucchese said. <h2>Retirees who got a 2.75% rate say their lives are easier</h2>In June, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/homebuyer-got-low-mortgage-interest-rate-assumable-mortgage-save-retirement-2024-7">Brian Sankey</a>, a retired military police officer, purchased a $400,000 home in Elizabethtown, Kentucky — a small town south of Fort Knox — with an assumable Veterans Affairs, or VA, mortgage. The loan has a 2.75% interest rate and 26 years remaining on its 30-year fixed-rate term. Sankey said it was "a win-win" situation for him and the seller. "The benefit of a loan assumption for the seller was that it allowed them to sell their home at a higher price," Sankey told BI. "For my wife and me, it allowed us to get a lower interest rate." <div type="image" title="Brian Sankey on the beach." height="1200" width="1600" msid="113465776" hostid="261"></div>Sankey said he learned about the assumption feature of Veterans Affairs mortgages years ago but had forgotten about it over time. It wasn't until he came across the four-bedroom, four-bathroom home in Elizabethtown that his memory was jolted. The home's proximity to an Army base led Sankey to suspect that the sellers might be connected to the military and have taken out a VA loan, making an assumable mortgage possible. He was right. However, getting the seller on board wasn't as easy as Sankey had hoped. "They weren't inclined to do it at first because they felt the assumption process would take too long, and they were looking for a quick sale," he said. "But after about 30 days, they realized that cash buyers wouldn't be throwing money at them and agreed to proceed with the assumption." According to Sankey, the assumption process took just about six weeks from the time he and his wife first viewed the home to closing the loan. "I'm happy I remembered it because it made our home purchase more affordable," he said. "Despite the current market conditions and higher interest rates, my wife and I were able to purchase a larger home with lower monthly payments." A smaller mortgage is allowing Sankey and his wife to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-much-do-i-need-to-retire">retire more comfortably</a>. "I can now use the money I would have spent on high-interest payments to cover living expenses," Sankey said. "We should also have more discretionary income." <h2>A couple is able to pay down medical debts after buying a house in Oregon</h2>In 2022, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/couple-got-low-mortgage-when-everyone-getting-high-interest-rate-2024-3">Amy Yzaguirre</a> was diagnosed with cancer. At the time, she and her son were living in Idaho while her husband looked for a job in Oregon. They had planned to reunite in Oregon after he found one and their Idaho home sold. However, following her diagnosis, the couple decided it was best to be together before the Idaho home was sold. Faced with the financial burden of paying the Idaho mortgage and Oregon rent at the same time, they moved into an RV on her parents' property in Tigard, a suburb about 20 minutes outside Portland. "It was pretty rough, but we made it work," Yzaguirre told BI. They lived rent-free in the RV for months while waiting for their Idaho home to sell and Yzaguirre to recover. Then, they began searching for a home to buy in Tigard. <div type="image" title="Amy Yzaguirre and her husband pose in front of the RV they purchased." height="542" width="720" msid="113465772" hostid="261"></div>It wasn't the experience they had hoped for. "It's funny how an area can be a nice, family-friendly, affordable place to live and then suddenly become overpopulated and much more expensive," she said. They eventually toured a townhome in nearby Sherwood listed for $416,000. The seller's flyer noted that a buyer could take over their 2.5% mortgage rate. "I did the math," Yzaguirre said. "The seller was locked in at 2.5%, so if we qualified to assume the loan, our mortgage would be a little over $2,100 a month versus the over $3,000 we would be paying with a traditional mortgage at current market rates. It would save us over $40,000 in the long run." <div type="image" title="Amy Yzaguirre, her husband, and son." height="3024" width="4032" msid="113465778" hostid="261"></div>In March 2023, the couple purchased the townhome for $418,900. They made a down payment of $48,000 and assumed a 30-year fixed-rate FHA loan with an interest rate of 2.5%. They have 28 years left on their mortgage. The money they are saving each month is helping them pay down Yzaguirre's bills. "Even though I was fortunate to have good insurance during chemotherapy and have excellent insurance through my current job, I still had quite a few medical bills to pay off," she said. "With the extra money we have saved on our mortgage payment, I've been able to pay them down." The family also used some of their extra funds to pay off other debts and purchase a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck with cash, covering the full amount upfront Correction: September 19, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misspelled Mickey Ricard’s last name.

3 couples who recently got mortgage interest rates under 3% share how they did it

<ul class="summary-list"><li>It's all but guaranteed that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this week.</li><li>It comes after years of aggressive inflation-fighting from the central bank.</li></ul>The time has finally come: Americans are about to find out <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-rate-cuts-wall-street-how-much-jackson-hole-fed-2024-8">how big of an interest-rate cut</a> they'll be getting this week.On Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee will announce its next move on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jobs-unemployment-interest-rates-economy-recession-soft-landing-2024-8">interest rates</a>, and it's all but certain the nation's central bank will cut for the first time in four years. The big question is how much.According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">CME FedWatch</a>, which estimates interest rate changes based on market predictions, the size of the rate cut is a coin toss. As of Friday afternoon, there's a 51% chance the Federal Reserve will cut rates by 25 basis points and a 49% chance it'll be an extra-large 50-basis-point cut. The probabilities suggest a near-zero chance that the Fed will hold rates steady."The time has come for policy to adjust," Fed Chair Jerome Powell said during his address at a gathering of central bankers in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-rate-cuts-are-coming-federal-reserve-jackson-hole-powell-2024-8">Jackson Hole, Wyoming,</a> last month. "The direction of travel is clear, and the timing and pace of rate cuts will depend on incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks."The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-august-consumer-price-index-federal-reserve-rate-cuts-2024-9">consumer price index</a> inflation data that came out last Wednesday was the last large piece of data before the Fed meeting. With August's core CPI coming in unexpectedly hotter than expected, it was looking likely a 50-basis-point cut wouldn't happen. That's because a larger rate cut makes borrowing cheaper, which tends to drive up spending and fuel price increases.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unemployment-rate-job-growth-interest-rate-cuts-federal-reserve-recession-2024-9">job market</a> also supports a rate cut this month — the unemployment rate ticked down in August but stayed above its recent lows, and hiring gains have cooled. Lower rates ease pressure on companies' bottom lines, freeing up budgets for hiring.Many economists hope that the long-sought soft landing of getting inflation under control while avoiding a devastating recession could be near. "This rate cut is great news for middle-class families, not only does it underscore the Fed is convinced that inflation is coming under control, it signals the economy has recovered to a faster, sustainable growth trajectory and is ready for further investments in job creation," Michael Madowitz, the former director of macroeconomic policy at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, said.<h2 id="d213ed81-690b-4194-9569-8ae1349857cf">It'll take time for the cuts to set in</h2>Alena McTier, a Gen Zer, had been looking to replace the car she purchased in 2017 this summer, but she was up against sticker shock. She can't wait for the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/banking/when-is-the-next-fed-meeting">Fed to announce rate cuts</a>. She told Business Insider she's been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/car-prices-falling-forecast-outlook-new-used-electric-vehicle-market-2024-6">holding on to her car</a> "until a solid decision is made" from the Federal Reserve on interest rates."When they are cut, I am going to actively explore the different rates that are available," McTier, who is looking to buy a used vehicle, told Business Insider in August.It could take a while for McTier to see those lower rates. While some parts of the economy will be immediately impacted, there will still be a lag for relief in some sectors."Given the fact that monetary policy does take time to work its way through the system, it'll be the same to some degree with the rate reductions," Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst for Bankrate, told Business Insider. He added that prime lending rates will likely be adjusted soon after the decision: "Banks adjust their prime lending rates, the rates reserved for their best customers, and those tend to then be reflected in credit card rates immediately," Hamrick said.Credit card interest rates have been at historic highs — a February <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/credit-card-interest-rate-margins-at-all-time-high/">report</a> from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that the average annual percentage rate on credit cards has almost doubled over the past decade to 22.8% in 2023. However, the lag means that those hoping to pay off credit cards won't be materially impacted by this month's rate cut — it'll take time for the relief to set in.Rate cuts will also eventually make it cheaper for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recession-outlook-small-business-owner-economy-interest-rate-cuts-2024-9">small businesses</a> to take out loans. When it comes to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-fed-rate-cut-could-impact-mortgage-rates-homebuyers-2024-9">buying a new house</a> or car, the rate cuts could make things slightly cheaper, but they likely won't have a significant impact on costs in the short term. That's because rate cuts' effects on the housing market are complicated. A rate cut could <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/buying-home-not-easier-interest-rate-cuts-prices-rent-crisis-2024-8">cause a rush of buyers to enter the market</a> in the short term, driving up prices and competition.Still, some Americans are shaping their finances in anticipation of a rate cut. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/h/data/studies-and-data-analysis#rate-cut-actions">NerdWallet</a> found in a July survey that a majority of Americans reported planning to take financial action once interest rates drop, like buying a home or taking out a loan. Almost a quarter of US adults in the survey said they plan to buy a car, while 15% said this about a home."Regardless of what the Fed decides, if you have credit card debt, your credit card debt is going to remain expensive even if interest rates begin to go down a little bit," Sara Rathner, credit cards expert at NerdWallet, said.How are you shaping your finances in anticipation of an interest-rate cut? Are you planning to make any big purchases or investments? Share your story with these reporters at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:asheffey@businessinsider.com">asheffey@businessinsider.com</a> and <a target="_blank" href="mailto:mhoff@businessinsider.com">mhoff@businessinsider.com</a>.

Welcome to interest-rate cut week: Here's how the Fed's next move will impact everything from home prices to new cars loans

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Wall Street's biggest banks face a less profitable lending environment as interest rates fall.</li><li>Bank bosses shrugged off those concerns this week and pointed to several benefits of lower rates.</li></ul>Lending threatens to become far less lucrative for Wall Street's biggest banks as interest rates fall. But executives don't seem to be worried — and even spy some benefits from cheaper borrowing.The Federal Reserve <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fed-cuts-interest-rates-how-much-september-fomc-powell-inflation-2024-9">cut its benchmark rate</a> by 50 basis points to between 4.75% and 5% in late September. The central bank had hiked that rate from nearly zero to as high as 5.25% between March 2022 and July 2023 in response to soaring inflation.The Fed is widely expected to keep lowering rates to stimulate economic growth and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-crash-recession-warning-signs-job-market-indicators-unemployment-2024-10">stave off a recession</a> — while being careful not to rekindle inflation or overheat the job market.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/banking/bank-of-america-review">Bank of America</a> CFO Alistair Borthwick said on an earnings call this week that even if rates drop below 3%, lenders have historically done well in that environment. He emphasized that banks have many levers to pull that can fuel strong performance."We control our client experience," he said, according to an Alphasense transcript. "We control the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/warren-buffett-advised-american-express-ceo-protect-brand-name-2020-5">level of service</a>. We control the relationship orientation, we control the pricing. We control our expense. So, there are an awful lot of things that we control through any cycle."Banks also offer a wide range of services, some of which do better when rates fall, even as others fare worse.Citigroup CEO <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/citi-jane-fraser-regulators-occ-frb-consent-orders-asset-cap-2024-10">Jane Fraser</a> told analysts this week that fee-based revenues at her bank rose by double digits last quarter despite rates declining, "reflecting the growing diversity of our earnings mix."Lower payment rates fueled interest-earning balances last quarter, and the bank grew its retail mortgage portfolio and overall loan book, Fraser said.<h2 id="f6b149ca-d5eb-4cbd-81c8-b0e1a7d0bec3">Consumer revival</h2>Falling rates promise to reduce interest payments on mortgages, car loans, credit cards, and other debts. But that could leave consumers with more disposable income, which could benefit banks.Citigroup CFO Mark Mason said on the bank's earnings call that inflation cooling and rates dropping <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/big-short-michael-burry-jpmorgan-consumer-inflation-rates-banking-crisis-2023-4">helps consumers</a> and the overall economy, which can reduce loan delinquencies and net credit losses for banks as more people can repay their debts. He said the lender is already seeing more stability with delinquencies improving.Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf said on his bank's earnings call that waning inflation and sliding rates should be especially helpful to lower-income people. However, he reported weaker demand for commercial loans because of economic uncertainty and customers holding off on borrowing until rates fall.Wells Fargo has reduced rates on some deposits and raised them on others, striking a balance between protecting its profits and losing customers.Morgan Stanley CFO Sharon Leshaya told analysts this week that her bank's net interest income would likely decrease year-over-year this quarter. Similar to Citi's Fraser, she highlighted loan growth last quarter, saying "this is just the beginning." She also reported a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/real-estate-mortgage-rates-outlook-prediction-top-cities-homebuyers-owners-2024-10">steady increase in mortgages</a>, and forecasted declining rates would fuel a jump in refinancing activity.On JPMorgan's latest earnings call, CFO Jeremy Barnum reported a "pick up in mortgage applications and a tiny bit of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mortgage-rates-30-year-refinance-applications-real-estate-housing-market-2024-8">pick up in refi</a>," as well as "some hints of more activity" in the banking giant's multifamily lending business.Barnum said the lender was yet to see a material acceleration in loan growth or a surge in investment banking deals. But he said the Fed's jumbo rate cut might have sparked more activity in debt capital markets recently.<h2 id="d11f3f95-7494-42dd-8d0f-a7a52424322a">Stock surge</h2><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-3q-results-dealmaking-trading-resurgence-david-solomon-2024-10">Goldman Sachs</a> was the exception to the rule this quarter, with little discussion from executives on its earnings call about how falling interest rates are affecting the bank. CEO David Solomon said the Fed's first rate cut has raised hopes of avoiding a US recession, which could translate into more economic activity. He added that Goldman's clients were "highly focused on the trajectory of rates" around the world, among other issues.Bank stocks have fared well since the Fed cut, with Citi and BoA both up just over 8% in the past month, Goldman rising 9%, Wells Fargo jumping 17% and Morgan Stanley soaring almost 20%.

Bank bosses aren't worried about lower interest rates — and even see some upside

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Fed rate cuts will make it slightly cheaper to refinance commercial mortgages.</li><li>Yet, it'll still be tough to convince banks to keep lending to offices facing weak demand.</li></ul>Offices have been the weak spot in the commercial real estate market since the pandemic gave rise to widespread remote work and caused companies to reassess how much space they need. With $1.5 trillion in commercial real estate debt set to mature by the end of next year, questions have arisen about office owners can do to get loans either refinanced or extended in the face of widespread vacancies. The Federal Reserve's likely interest rate cut, expected at the end of its meeting on September 18, could give office owners some relief with lower interest rates when they refinance. But that doesn't mean they're in the clear, according to commercial real estate experts.Given Fed easing, office owners may be more likely to get loans extended, according to CRE Finance Council executive director Lisa Pendergast."When you extend a loan, what you're doing is giving that borrower time to, one, stabilize their property, and perhaps also, knowing that the Fed at some point was going to move and ease rates, that when they start doing that, it will make the refinance that much more palatable," Pendergast said. Pendergast added, though, that the key for office owners to actually get their loans extended is to prove they will be able to stabilize assets in coming years. That likely won't be easy, considering office vacancy rates rose to 18.1% nationally in July, according to data from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.commercialedge.com/blog/national-office-report/">CommercialEdge</a>."The values of the assets are going to increase as [vacancy] rates decline, assuming all else equal," Pendergast told Business Insider. "But if the cash flow in that property can improve over time, it's going to end up being very much a dividing line" between "the haves and have nots," she added.Owners of offices that can show improvement in occupancy and rental rates—likely newer offices with higher tech offerings—will likely see greater success getting loans extended, and fare better than older office buildings. "All of the technology that you need in an office today weren't required back in the 40s," she said, adding, "You could see this as sort of a changing of the guard situation."Some investors may be able to buy those properties for cheap. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.commercialedge.com/blog/national-office-report/">CommercialEdge</a> data shows that of the offices sold since the start of the year, 28% went for less than the building was purchased for, up from 18% last year.Which offices are able to escape a potential coming wave of distress depends on the length of leases they're able to get tenants to sign on for, according to EisnerAmper head of real estate Lisa Knee.Before the pandemic, companies wanted an office space with a 10 or 15 year-long lease, Knee told Business Insider."We're seeing a lot of three to five to seven year leases now in offices, which again changes the value of the building, changes the desirability for people to lend money," Knee told Business Insider. Those shorter leases make banks less likely to lend money, she said, as the long-term stability of the cash flows dwindles with more frequent turnover of tenants.Right now, most commercial real estate loans come from small, regional banks, but that could change. "It's just not going to be sustainable to have the number of these regional banks, and the number of them in the marketplace, to lend to commercial real estate. So there will be bigger banks or bigger institutions coming in and taking those loans off of their balance sheets," Knee said. Yet even with the weakness in the office market, lower interest rates are a net positive for the industry, economist Richard McGahey says.Adapting existing office buildings to apartments is often touted as a one-size-fits-all solution to the sector's troubles and the US housing shortage, but there's a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/office-owners-eye-creative-uses-for-spaces-devoid-of-workers-2024-3">wide array of associated costs</a>, in addition to zoning issues — but cheaper borrowing costs will likely make office space conversions more feasible, McGahey said.

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