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Mortgage and refinance interest rates today, August 16, 2025: Fixed rates inch up

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Mortgage rates have been inching down recently, but they’re up again today. According to Zillow data, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has increased by five basis points to 6.52% while the 15-year fixed rate moved up seven basis points to 5.70%.

The CME FedWatch tool reports an 85% chance that the federal funds rate will be cut in September. If this prediction continues, mortgage rates could fall in the weeks before the September Federal Reserve meeting.

Read more: How the Federal Reserve impacts mortgage rates

Here are the current mortgage rates, according to the latest Zillow data:

  • 30-year fixed: 6.52%

  • 20-year fixed: 6.21%

  • 15-year fixed: 5.70%

  • 5/1 ARM: 6.86%

  • 7/1 ARM: 6.81%

  • 30-year VA: 6.05%

  • 15-year VA: 5.44%

  • 5/1 VA: 5.85%

Remember, these are the national averages and rounded to the nearest hundredth.

Learn more: 8 strategies for getting the lowest mortgage rates

These are today’s mortgage refinance rates, according to the latest Zillow data:

  • 30-year fixed: 6.59%

  • 20-year fixed: 6.11%

  • 15-year fixed: 5.92%

  • 5/1 ARM: 7.19%

  • 7/1 ARM: 6.83%

  • 30-year VA: 6.04%

  • 15-year VA: 5.52%

  • 5/1 VA: 5.59%

Again, the numbers provided are national averages rounded to the nearest hundredth. Mortgage refinance rates are often higher than rates when you buy a house, although that’s not always the case.

Use the mortgage calculator below to see how today’s interest rates would affect your monthly mortgage payments.

For a deeper dive, you can use Yahoo’s free mortgage calculator to see how homeowners insurance and property taxes factor into in your monthly payment estimate. You even have the option to enter costs for private mortgage insurance (PMI) and homeowners’ association dues if those apply to you. These details result in a more accurate monthly payment estimate than if you simply calculated your mortgage principal and interest.

There are two main advantages to a 30-year fixed mortgage: Your payments are lower, and your monthly payments are predictable.

A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has relatively low monthly payments because you’re spreading your repayment out over a longer period of time than with, say, a 15-year mortgage. Your payments are predictable because, unlike with an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM), your rate isn’t going to change from year to year. Most years, the only things that might affect your monthly payment are any changes to your homeowners insurance or property taxes.

The main disadvantage to 30-year fixed mortgage rates is mortgage interest — both in the short and long term.

A 30-year fixed term comes with a higher rate than a shorter fixed term, and it’s higher than the intro rate to a 30-year ARM. The higher your rate, the higher your monthly payment. You’ll also pay much more in interest over the life of your loan due to both the higher rate and the longer term.

The pros and cons of 15-year fixed mortgage rates are basically swapped from the 30-year rates. Yes, your monthly payments will still be predictable, but another advantage is that shorter terms come with lower interest rates. Not to mention, you’ll pay off your mortgage 15 years sooner. So you’ll save potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest over the course of your loan.

However, because you’re paying off the same amount in half the time, your monthly payments will be higher than if you choose a 30-year term.

Dig deeper: 15-year vs. 30-year mortgages

Adjustable-rate mortgages lock in your rate for a predetermined amount of time, then change it periodically. For example, with a 5/1 ARM, your rate stays the same for the first five years and then goes up or down once per year for the remaining 25 years.

The main advantage is that the introductory rate is usually lower than what you’ll get with a 30-year fixed rate, so your monthly payments will be lower. (Current average rates don’t necessarily reflect this, though — in some cases, fixed rates are actually lower. Talk to your lender before deciding between a fixed or adjustable rate.)

With an ARM, you have no idea what mortgage rates will be like once the intro-rate period ends, so you risk your rate increasing later. This could ultimately end up costing more, and your monthly payments are unpredictable from year to year.

But if you plan to move before the intro-rate period is over, you could reap the benefits of a low rate without risking a rate increase down the road.

Learn more: Adjustable-rate vs. fixed-rate mortgage

First of all, now is a relatively good time to buy a house compared to a couple of years ago. Home prices aren’t spiking like they were during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, if you want or need to buy a house soon, you should feel pretty good about the current housing market.

However, mortgage rates are staying relatively high due to the political and economic climate. Experts don’t think rates will plummet in 2025, so you might not want to base your decision on whether to buy strictly on interest rates. Recent news that home price gains are slowing, with predictions that house values may actually ease lower this year, can be part of your home-buying decision.

The best time to buy is typically whenever it makes sense for your stage of life. Trying to time the real estate market can be as futile as timing the stock market — buy when it’s the right time for you.

Read more: Which is more important, your home price or mortgage rate?

According to Zillow, the national average 30-year mortgage rate is 6.52% right now. But keep in mind that mortgage rates vary by state and even ZIP codes. For example, if you’re buying in a city with a high cost of living, rates could be higher.

Overall, mortgage rates are expected to decrease slightly in 2025. Rates may inch up or down daily, but there shouldn’t be a huge shift in the next couple of weeks.

Mortgage rates are dropping slightly overall, but today’s 30-year fixed mortgage rate is up by five basis points.

In many ways, securing a low mortgage refinance rate is similar to when you bought your home. Try to improve your credit score and lower your debt-to-income ratio (DTI). Refinancing into a shorter term will also land you a lower rate, though your monthly mortgage payments will be higher.

Macron vows justice after tree memorial for murdered Jew cut down

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avrotusa
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Getty Images A recently cut tree stump sits next to a memorial stone bearing flowers.Getty Images

French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged that every effort will be made to track down and punish the person who cut down a tree commemorating a murdered Jew.

The memorial tree was planted 14 years ago to honour Ilan Halimi, who was tortured and murdered by a Paris gang in 2006, sparking widespread shock and outrage at the time.

Macron said the felling of the olive tree on Wednesday was “an attempt to kill him a second time”, adding: “All means are being deployed to punish this act of hatred.”

Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez confirmed an investigation was under way, adding: “Everything will be done to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”

Halimi’s body was found by a railway line handcuffed to a tree, naked and severely burned, having been held captive by the Barbarian gang for more than three weeks.

He was lured by a female gang member to an empty apartment in February 2006, where he was attacked and drugged.

The kidnappers tried unsuccessfully to extort a ransom of €450,000 ($600,000; £405,000) from his family, sending them harrowing images and video recordings.

The mastermind – Youssouf Fofana – targeted Halimi because of his Jewish heritage, believing his family to be unduly wealthy.

Fofana was later sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 22 years, while other accomplices implicated in the crime received lesser sentences.

Getty Images A tree stump sits next to a memorial stone bearing Ilan Halimi's name.Getty Images

The tree in the suburb of Épinay-sur-Seine was one of several memorials across the French capital for Halimi before it was cut down.

The local authority said it had been found cut down on Thursday morning, posting an image of it showing the tree chopped off at the base and thrown into a nearby flowerbed.

Macron said France “will not forget this child of France who died because he was Jewish”.

“In the face of antisemitism, the Republic is always uncompromising,” he added.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou also blamed “antisemitic hatred” for the tree being felled.

“No crime can uproot memory,” he wrote. “The never-ending fight against the deadly poison of hatred is our primary duty.”

In 2019, another tree honouring Halimi was reportedly chopped down, in what officials at the time described as an antisemitic attack.

And in 2017, France’s then-interior minister condemned the desecration of a plaque commemorating Halimi in which it was ripped off a wall and covered with antisemitic writing.

DC pushes back as Trump ramps up police makeover

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White House efforts to tighten its grip on the Washington, D.C., police force are prompting pushback from the city’s leaders, escalating tensions as the Trump administration sought to compel Washington’s help with immigration enforcement.

Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday sought to install an “emergency police commissioner” to approve any new Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) policies, while also demanding the department aid in federal immigration arrests.

It has led the administration in the span of a week to lose the cooperative tone struck Monday, when Bondi claimed she had a “productive meeting” with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and said the two would “work closely” together.

City officials have had their own evolution, from the controlled disappointment initially conveyed by Bowser when she said she would “work every day to make sure it’s not a complete disaster” to the city’s attorney general launching a suit challenging the police takeover.

The week ended with the fight landing in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, who at a hastily scheduled hearing raised concerns about portions of Bondi’s new order but urged the two sides to work together. After convening privately for nearly two hours, the administration agreed to walk back the new commissioner appointment and instead make him a liaison.

“I am very happy that it looks like hopefully this can get figured out without a judge having to do anything, because I think these are the kind of issues that should be decided between the district and the government,” Reyes said.

Despite the détente, it’s likely not the end of the legal battle. Reyes said she’ll hold additional proceedings next week, and the city made clear it stands ready to renew its emergency legal effort if it isn’t satisfied. The judge even gave out her clerk’s cellphone number so the parties could reach out if any issues come up over the weekend.

“My sincere hope is that we don’t have to be back fighting over this issue again,” D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D) said at a press conference at the close of the hearing.

The move to court is a shift from when Bowser initially shrugged off a legal challenge at her Monday press conference after Trump moved to take over MPD. When asked about the possibility, Bowser noted that once Trump declares an emergency, the Home Rule Act “authorizes the president to make those requests and it says the mayor shall comply with those requests.” 

But city leaders’ tune quickly changed following Bondi’s order Thursday that installed Drug Enforcement Agency Administrator Terry Cole to effectively command the force.

Bondi also rescinded an hours-old D.C. order directing more MPD cooperation on immigration in favor of something stronger – likewise lifting policies that barred officers from conducting immigration arrests for individuals who have no other criminal arrest warrant and to not inquire about someone’s immigration status for the sole purpose of “enforcing civil immigration laws.”

“In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive,” MPD Chief Pamela Smith wrote in a sworn court filing.

Bowser said that she was caught off-guard by the late Thursday order.

“We were surprised,” Bowser said after the close of the court hearing, noting that Bondi had called their earlier meeting productive. 

“And without notice, we got the order.”

But in court, Justice Department attorney Yaakov Roth suggested it was the city that was responsible for any breakdown in cooperation.

“We want it to work. We’re not looking to create delay and confusion,” Roth said.

The tensions come as the administration’s efforts in the capital ramp up, with 800 National Guard troops now having been mobilized to the city alongside a surge of federal law enforcement agents and city police.

They’ve been conducting checkpoints across the city along with other actions, with arrests nearing 200.

City and federal leaders are also at odds over the purpose of the policing activities.

Of the 33 arrests on Thursday, nearly half, 15, were of non-U.S. citizens. 

And of the 135 arrests this week broken down by Bondi, 75 were listed as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests.

Federal officials have also stressed the seizure of illegally purchased weapons, something that Bowser indicated was a priority for her after decades of D.C. efforts to limit handguns, including in a ban that was struck down by the Supreme Court.

“We know that we have to get illegal guns off of our streets, and if we have this influx of enhanced presence, we know that it’s going to make our city even better,” Smith said earlier this week as she discussed how the city would be “working side by side with our federal partners.”

But immigration seems to be another matter, one where the city has traditionally sought to keep its officers outside of enforcement, though they may be compelled under the order.

D.C. officials on Thursday directed MPD officers to be even more cooperative with federal officials, allowing the sharing of citizenship information for those pulled over for traffic stops and also allowed local officers to provide transportation for detained subjects.

But under existing city policy, it still prohibited to use databases for the sole purpose of checking someone’s immigration status and for arresting people for civil immigration violations when they had no other outstanding criminal warrant.

It was that latest order, as well as the existing policies, that were targeted late Thursday by Bondi as she installed Cole, igniting the suit challenging the federal takeover. 

The city asserts that Bondi went beyond the Home Rule Act’s emergency authorities, which only require D.C. to provide the president with MPD’s “services.” While that provision may mean Trump can ask for officers and resources, the city says it does not allow the administration to upend MPD’s command structure or upend D.C.’s immigration laws.

That suit said the shoving aside of D.C.’s protocols for officers when it comes to immigration matters failed to take into account the “considered judgment of MPD leaders who are deeply familiar with the District’s law enforcement and public safety needs.” 

But even Schwalb’s office on Friday acknowledged the city may ultimately not have the power to resist demands to help with federal operations.

“Look we know that the law under the Home Rule Act allows the federal government, during a course of an emergency, to request the services of MPD in furtherance of a federal purpose. And whether it’s clearing [homeless] encampments that are adjacent to or near federal land or that might interfere with federal employees, if it’s enforcement of immigration laws…we will have to confront that as it comes,” he said.

“We have made very clear that we have laws in our city and that the services that MPD provides in furtherance of a request from the President, those services must comply with the law.”

China’s Ant Group says Bright Smart deal on track following report of delay

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avrotusa
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BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) -China’s Ant Group said relevant procedures regarding its acquisition of Bright Smart Securities & Commodities Group are moving forward as planned, in response to a report that said the deal may face higher regulatory scrutiny and could be delayed.

Shares of Bright Smart dropped as much as 26.2% to HK$10.26 on Friday after the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the deal could be delayed as more mainland Chinese regulators contemplate reviewing the proposal.

Hong Kong-based Bright Smart also said in a filing on Friday that it had noticed media reports suggesting a possible delay of the acquisition and that the relevant procedures with regard to the deal with the relevant authorities were progressing as planned.

Ant agreed to buy a 50.55% controlling stake in Bright Smart Securities for HK$2.81 billion ($359.37 million), according to a filing by the brokerage in April.

Ant was founded by billionaire Jack Ma and is 33% controlled by Alibaba. It operates China’s ubiquitous mobile payments app Alipay.

Chinese authorities pulled the plug on Ant’s $37 billion IPO in Shanghai and Hong Kong in 2020 and cracked down on Ma’s business empire soon after a speech in Shanghai in October that year accusing financial watchdogs of stifling innovation.

That subsequently led to a forced restructuring of Ant and a nearly $1 billion fine by Chinese regulators. Ant is in the process of securing a financial holding company licence, which, once obtained, could facilitate the revival of its IPO goal.

($1 = 7.8192 Hong Kong dollars)

(Reporting by Ziyi Tang, Ryan Woo and Donny Kwok)

MPs call on government to bring sick and injured Gaza children to UK

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A cross-party group of MPs has written to the government urging them to bring sick and injured children from Gaza to the UK “without delay” for treatment.

In a letter to senior ministers, 96 MPs stressed children are at risk of imminent death and any barriers to their evacuation should be lifted.

They warn the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip has been “decimated” and have requested a timeline of evacuations, as well as adequate funding.

More than 50,000 children have been killed or injured since the war in Gaza begun in October 2023, according to the UN charity Unicef.

The letter, co-ordinated by the Labour MP and GP Dr Simon Opher, said essential infrastructure in Gaza has been destroyed, and a long “blockade” of food, water and medical supplies and the ongoing violence has led to a medical and humanitarian catastrophe of “horrific proportion”.

Addressing the Health, Home and Foreign secretaries, the letter’s signatories said they were working with medical charity Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders, also known as MSF) to speed up the process of bringing children with trauma injuries or serious existing conditions to the UK.

In the letter, the MPs say evacuations must be “solely based on clinical necessity and individual case assessment”, without regard to political, reputational, or financial interests.

The letter also calls for children and their families to have the option of claiming asylum, or resettling, in the UK once treatment is completed.

Previously, The Home Office had said that biometric checks would be carried out before children and carers travel – but in the letter MPs questioned the practicality of such checks in advance of evacuation.

Earlier this month the government said plans to evacuate seriously ill or injured children from Gaza and bring them to the UK for medical treatment were being carried out “at pace”.

No figure has been put on the number to be evacuated but it is estimated to be around a few hundred.

Since the start of the war, the UK has provided funds so that injured Gazans can be treated by hospitals in the region, and has also been working with Jordan to airdrop aid into the territory and has demanded Israel allow more aid to enter via land routes.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Israel has faced mounting criticism over the 22-month-long war with Hamas, with UN-backed experts warning of widespread famine unfolding in the besieged territory.

On Tuesday members of an international group of former leaders known as “The Elders” for the first time called the war in Gaza an “unfolding genocide” and blamed Israel for causing famine among its population.

Israel strongly rejects the accusations, saying its forces target terrorists and never civilians, and claims that Hamas is responsible for the suffering in Gaza.

More than 60,000 people have since been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The BBC has contacted the government for comment.

Watch: Trump, Putin hold news conference in Alaska

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President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to speak at a joint press conference Friday after their first face-to-face interaction since Trump’s first term.

The two leaders landed in Anchorage, Alaska, Friday afternoon ahead of the highly anticipated meeting about Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Trump said earlier Friday that he would not use the meeting as a platform to negotiate for Ukraine and threatened to “walk away” from the conversation if Putin is not willing to make a peace deal that the U.S. finds acceptable.

“I think it’s going to work out very well — and if it doesn’t, I’m going to head back home real fast,” he told Fox News’s Bret Baier aboard Air Force One in an interview that aired on the network’s show “Special Report.”

The comments come days after the president sought to reassure European allies that he would not advocate for a land swap between Russia and Ukraine.

The meeting began around 3 p.m. EDT, and the two leaders are expected to give remarks following the summit.

Watch the live video above.

RBC Capital Reiterates Buy Rating on Alamos Gold Stock, Maintains PT at $34

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avrotusa
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Alamos Gold Inc. (NYSE:AGI) is one of the Best Gold Mining Companies to Buy Now. On August 4, RBC Capital reiterated the Buy rating on Alamos Gold Inc. (NYSE:AGI) stock, maintaining the price target at $34.

Michael Siperco from RBC Capital retains his rating on AGI following record Q2 FY2025 results. Alamos Gold posted record revenue of $438 million, with an average realized gold price of $3,223 per ounce. The company achieved total gold production of 137,000 ounces during Q2, up by 10% from the previous quarter.

RBC Capital Reiterates Buy Rating on Alamos Gold Stock, Maintains PT at $34
RBC Capital Reiterates Buy Rating on Alamos Gold Stock, Maintains PT at $34

Drills extracting gold from a gold mine, revealing the company’s gold mining operation.

Siperco remains optimistic on Alamos’ prospects as the company achieved an all-in sustaining cost reduction by 18% compared to Q1, with further cost relaxation expected. Moreover, the Island Gold District is expected to become one of the largest, low-cost, and most profitable gold mines in Canada. The company remains well on track to achieve its future production goals and minimize its costs.

Invest in Gold

Powered by Money.com – Yahoo may earn commission from the links above.

Alamos Gold Inc. (NYSE:AGI) is a gold miner and producer with operations in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. The company primarily explores for gold deposits.

While we acknowledge the potential of AGI as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

Hundreds of flights grounded as industrial action begins

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avrotusa
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Watch: Moment Air Canada ends news conference after union activists disrupt event

Air Canada has suspended all its flights as a strike by cabin staff begins – a move the airline said will disrupt travel plans for around 130,000 passengers a day.

The union representing more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants confirmed the 72-hour industrial action early on Saturday morning.

The airline said it had suspended all flights, including those under its budget arm Air Canada Rouge, and advised affected customers not to travel to the airport unless flying with a different airline.

Air Canada’s flight attendants are calling for higher salaries and to be paid for work when aircraft are on the ground.

The strike took effect at 00:58 ET (04:58 GMT) on Saturday, though Air Canada began scaling back its operations before then. The airline says around 500 flights will be affected per day.

Flight attendants will picket at major Canadian airports, where passengers were already trying to secure new bookings earlier in the week.

Air Canada, which flies directly to 180 cities worldwide, said it had “suspended all operations” and that it was “strongly advising affected customers not to go to the airport”.

It added that Air Canada Jazz, PAL Airlines and Air Canada Express flights were unaffected by the strike.

“Air Canada deeply regrets the effect the strike is having on customers,” it said.

By Friday night, the airline said it had cancelled 623 flights affecting more than 100,000 passengers, as part of a winding down of operations ahead of the strike.

In contract negotiations, the airline said it had offered flight attendants a 38% increase in total compensation over four years, with a 25% raise in the first year.

CUPE said the offer was “below inflation, below market value, below minimum wage” and would still leave flight attendants unpaid for some hours of work, including boarding and waiting at airports ahead of flights.

The union and the airline have publicly traded barbs about each other’s willingness to reach an agreement.

Earlier this month, 99.7% of employees represented by the union voted for a strike.

Canadian jobs minister Patty Hajdu this week urged Air Canada and the union to return to the bargaining table to avoid a strike.

She also said in a statement that Air Canada had asked her to refer the dispute to binding arbitration.

CUPE has asserted that it had been negotiating in good faith for more than eight months, but that Air Canada instead sought government-directed arbitration.

“When we stood strong together, Air Canada didn’t come to the table in good faith,” the union said in a statement to its members. “Instead, they called on the federal government to step in and take those rights away.”

Meta faces pressure over 'sensual' chatbots

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avrotusa
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