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.
Numbers Desk posts on inflation, the Fed and interest rates also live, next to the latest figures and the release calendar, in the Economy, Rates & Inflation hub.
The Fed Raises Rates to 3.75%–4%, Its First Hike Since 2023
The FOMC raised the federal funds target range a quarter point to 3.75%–4% in a 12–0 vote. The median projection implies one more increase in 2026 and no cuts before 2028.
Mortgage Rates Cross 7 Percent, the Highest in More Than a Year
Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed averaged 7.03 percent the week of September 24, the fifth weekly rise in a row. A $400,000 loan now costs about $2,669 a month in principal and interest.
August CPI: Inflation Holds at 3.4 Percent as Gasoline Runs 27 Percent Above Last Year
The Consumer Price Index rose 0.4 percent in August and 3.4 percent over 12 months. Core CPI eased to 2.4 percent, but gasoline is up 27.4 percent, which puts heavy drivers well above the average.
ACA Open Enrollment for 2027 Starts November 1: What the New Subsidy Math Means
Open enrollment for 2027 coverage starts November 1. Expected contributions rise to 2.15 to 10.22 percent of income, the credit stops at 400 percent of the poverty line ($63,840 single) and repayment caps are gone.
Student Loans This Fall: SAVE Is Over, RAP Is Open and Forced Collections Are on Hold for Now
The Repayment Assistance Plan opened July 1 after SAVE ended in March. Forced collections were delayed on January 16 with no restart date, but defaults still reach credit reports.
Trump Accounts Are Open: The $1,000 Deposit, the $5,000 Cap and How to Sign Up
Trump Accounts have accepted contributions since July 4. Eligible children born 2025 through 2028 get a $1,000 federal deposit; the annual cap is $5,000, including up to $2,500 from an employer.
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.