Personal Finance News
News and analysis from the DWS News Desk. Federal Reserve decisions, IRS rule changes, mortgage rate moves, consumer credit data — paraphrased from primary sources and connected to the free tools and guides on this site.
Mortgage Rates Climb to 6.53 Percent — Three Straight Weeks of Increases
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.53 percent the week of May 28, up from 6.51 percent the prior week — the third weekly rise in a row. Yet pending home sales are up three months running.
The CFPB Just Slimmed Down Its Small-Business Lending Rule — What Owners Should Know
The final Section 1071 rule, published May 1, narrows the data lenders must collect, exempts merchant cash advances, farm loans, and small-dollar loans, and pushes the compliance date to January 2028.
The Fed's April Minutes Just Dropped — And the Word Everyone Skipped Is "Firming"
The April FOMC minutes, released May 20, show a majority of officials would back policy firming if inflation stays persistently above 2 percent. The path of rates is genuinely two-sided right now.
Household Debt Hit $18.8 Trillion — But the Delinquency Story Quietly Improved
The New York Fed's Q1 2026 report shows total debt up just 0.1 percent and credit-card and mortgage delinquency transitions actually ticking down. Why the calmer headline is the real story.
Credit Card Delinquencies Just Hit a 15-Year High — How to Tell If You're at Risk
The New York Fed's Q1 2026 report shows credit card 90-plus-day delinquencies at 13.1 percent — the highest in 15 years. Total balances fell on a seasonal pattern, but the underlying distress signal is real.
Inflation Just Jumped to 3.8 Percent — One Bad Month Isn't a Crisis, But It's Not Nothing
April CPI rose 0.6 percent month-over-month, pushing the 12-month rate to 3.8 percent — the highest since May 2023. Core inflation tells a calmer story than the headline.
Mortgage Rates Tick Up to 6.37 Percent — What Freddie Mac's Latest Survey Actually Says
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.37 percent the week of May 7, up from 6.30 percent the previous week. Both 30-year and 15-year rates remain well below year-ago levels.
Treasury Sets New I Bond Rate at 4.26 Percent — What the Math Tells You
Series I savings bonds issued from May through October 2026 will earn a composite 4.26 percent. The fixed-rate component of 0.90 percent matters more for long-term holders than the headline.
The Fed Just Held Rates — But the Dissent Vote Says More Than the Decision
Four FOMC members dissented at the April 29 meeting, the most since 1992. The committee is internally split on whether to cut, and on whether the statement should signal future easing at all.
The CFPB Just Rewrote Its Fair Lending Rule — What Borrowers Should Actually Know
The April 22 final rule narrows federal ECOA enforcement to intentional discrimination. Most consumer protections remain unchanged — state laws and core ECOA rights still apply.