Let’s continue with my series on how lenders arrive at rates. This time we’ll talk about loan types and intended use, which, honestly, is one of the easier ones to explain. In plain terms, most lenders want to know what you are going to do with the money they lend you. This is true for consumer loans (your… Read More »
Continuing on with our rate series, let’s explore the relationship between risk and rates. Risk is one of the largest factors affecting the rates you pay. In fact, nearly all lending rates begin at whatever the Federal Funds Rate is, and are then adjusted upwards based on risk and lender overhead. But risk is the big one, and… Read More »
As I mentioned in my last blog, I will be doing a series detailing how lenders arrive at an interest rate. But before I get into the posts outlining different pieces of the rate puzzle, I do want to point out that there is a big misconception regarding rates. The misconception is the lowest rate is everything. And… Read More »
In a recent blog about the recent rate cut, I wrote the following: Will borrowing costs come down? Not as fast as everyone would like. While lenders’ rates typically follow the Federal Funds Rate directionally, the relationship isn’t as straightforward as many might expect. Lenders adjust more slowly, cautiously, and incrementally than the Fed. A 50 basis point… Read More »
When the federal reserve began raising interest rates in 2022 – a conventional response amid broader economic pressures from government overspending and surging energy costs, I predicted that there would be many rate increases, and in revisiting the topic every few months afterwards, I predicted higher rates would last a long time. Not to pat myself on the… Read More »