Article: MORTGAGE RATES AT HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE 1997 AVERAGE PAID THIS WEEK WAS 7.23 PERCENT.(Business)

The average interest rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages has jumped to its highest level since November 1997, an expected reaction to a Federal Reserve warning it might raise a key interest rate.

The average this week was 7.23 percent, up from 7.10 percent the previous week, the mortgage company Freddie Mac said yesterday.

Federal Reserve officials said Tuesday if signs of inflation continue to show up in the U.S. economy, they were leaning toward raising, later this year, the interest rate banks charge each other.

Last week, the government reported consumer prices rose by 0.7 percent in April, the biggest monthly jump in nine years.

...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!