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Interest Rates Are Dropping: Here’s What It Means for Your Loans and Savings

The Feds are anticipated to lower interest rates. Here is how lower rates could affect mortgage rates, credit cards, car loans, and savings.
Sep 18, 2024

The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates soon, and if you’ve been waiting to make a big financial move like buying a house, getting a new car, or paying off credit card debt, you’re probably wondering how these changes will affect you.

While a Fed rate cut could lead to lower interest rates, the impact on your finances might not be as immediate as you hope. Let’s break down how these changes could affect your mortgage, credit cards, car loans, and savings.

Mortgages

If you’ve been thinking about buying a home or refinancing your mortgage, there’s some good news. Mortgage rates have already started to drop a little from last year’s highs of nearly 8%. Right now, the average 30-year mortgage rate is around 6.35%, and experts predict that rates could fall below 6% by 2025 if the Fed continues to lower rates.

Even a small drop in rates can lead to big savings. For example, if you’re borrowing $340,000, a rate drop from 6.35% to 6.1% could save you about $50 a month on your mortgage payment. While that might not seem like a huge difference at first, over time, those savings can really add up. 

Credit Cards

If you’re carrying credit card debt, you know how high interest rates can hurt your wallet. Right now, the average credit card interest rate is close to 21%, which is the highest it’s been in years. The good news is that a Fed rate cut could eventually lower your credit card APR, but the bad news is that the change will likely be slow and small at first.

It might take several rate cuts before you notice a difference in your monthly credit card payments. Even then, the drop might not be dramatic, so it’s important to keep paying down your balances as quickly as possible to avoid racking up more interest.

Car Loans

Looking to buy a new car? You could see some relief here, too. Car loan interest rates are currently around 6.84%, and if the Fed cuts rates, car loans could become cheaper. While the change may not be huge, you could save $20 or more a month on a typical car loan payment, depending on how much you borrow.

However, the real challenge with car buying right now isn’t just the interest rates—it’s the high price of cars. Prices have shot up since the pandemic, and even with lower rates, cars are still expensive. So, while lower rates might help, you’ll still need to budget carefully.

Savings Accounts

If you’ve been enjoying the high interest rates on your savings account or CD, be prepared for those rates to drop if the Fed lowers interest rates. Right now, some high-yield savings accounts are offering rates over 5%, but that’s likely to go down as interest rates fall.

If you’ve locked in a good rate with a CD, you’ll be able to hold onto that for the term of the CD, but future savings rates might not be as generous. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on how these changes could affect your savings over time.

What Should You Do?

While it’s tempting to wait for lower rates before making a big financial move, remember that the changes may be small and slow. Improving your credit score is still one of the best ways to secure lower interest rates, whether for a mortgage, car loan, or credit card. Making on-time payments, reducing your debt, and keeping your credit utilization low can help you qualify for better deals, no matter what the Fed does.

In the end, while Fed rate cuts can help lower borrowing costs, don’t expect instant relief. It’s important to plan ahead and keep working on managing your finances wisely.

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