Today's Rates
The benchmark rates bankers watch, pulled live from public sources, with a plain-English note on what each one means for you.
Today's rates
Loading…Rates are for information only, not an offer of credit. Published benchmark rates as of the dates shown; your actual loan rate will differ. Sources credited on each rate.
What each rate means
Prime rate
The rate big banks charge their most creditworthy business customers, published by the Wall Street Journal. It typically moves in lockstep with the Fed (roughly Fed funds + 3%). Borrowers: most business lines of credit, HELOCs, many SBA 7(a) loans, and credit cards are priced as "Prime + a margin," so when Prime moves, those payments move.
SOFR & 30-day average SOFR
The Secured Overnight Financing Rate is what it costs big institutions to borrow cash overnight using Treasuries as collateral, published daily by the New York Fed. It replaced LIBOR. The 30-day average smooths out daily noise. Borrowers & investors: many commercial real estate, construction, and floating-rate investor loans are priced as "SOFR + a spread."
Fed funds (effective)
The rate banks charge each other for overnight loans, which the Federal Reserve steers with its target range. It is the base the rest of the rate world builds on. Why it matters: when the Fed raises or cuts, Prime, SOFR, savings yields, and short-term loan rates usually follow within days.
Treasury yields (3-month to 30-year)
What the U.S. government pays to borrow for that long, set by the bond market every day. Borrowers: the 10-year is the best single guide to where 30-year mortgage rates are heading, and 5-year yields often anchor fixed-rate commercial and DSCR rental loans (lenders add a spread). Investors: Treasuries are the "risk-free" benchmark; if a rental's cap rate isn't comfortably above the 10-year, you're taking property risk for little extra return.
Mortgage averages (30- & 15-year)
Freddie Mac's weekly survey of average rates lenders offered on conventional home loans to strong borrowers. Borrowers: a useful yardstick, but your quote depends on credit score, down payment, points, loan type, and property; investment properties usually price higher than owner-occupied homes.
The big picture
No one borrows at these benchmark rates directly. Lenders start from a benchmark and add a margin based on risk: your credit, cash flow, collateral, and the loan type. Watching the benchmarks tells you which direction loan pricing is heading, so you can time a refinance, lock a rate, or stress-test a deal. Try a higher rate in our free calculators to see how your deal holds up.