Compare Today’s Mortgage Rates January 20th, 2021 : Rates slide

Multiple key mortgage rates declined today. The average rates on 30-year fixed and 15-year fixed mortgages both trended down. The average rate on 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgages, meanwhile, increased.

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Average mortgage interest rates

Product Rate Last week Change
30-year fixed 2.90% 2.94% -0.04
15-year fixed 2.38% 2.40% -0.02
30-year fixed jumbo 2.95% 3.00% -0.05
30-year fixed refinance 2.95% 3.01% -0.06

Rates as of January 20, 2021.

Data source: Bankrate overnight averages data

Rates for mortgages are constantly changing, but they remain much lower overall than they were before the Great Recession. If you’re in the market for a mortgage, it could make sense to lock if you see a rate you like. Just don’t do so without shopping around first.

Compare mortgage rates in your area now.

30-year mortgage rates today

The average 30-year fixed-mortgage rate is 2.90 percent, down 4 basis points over the last seven days. Last month on the 20th, the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was lower, at 2.88 percent.

At the current average rate, you’ll pay $416.23 per month in principal and interest for every $100,000 you borrow. That’s down $2.14 from what it would have been last week.

You can use Bankrate’s mortgage payment calculator to figure out your monthly payments and see what the effects of making extra payments would be. It will also help you determinehow much interest you’ll pay over the life of the loan.

15-year fixed mortgages

The average 15-year fixed-mortgage rate is 2.38 percent, down 2 basis points over the last seven days.

Gallery: How Long $1 Million in Savings Will Last in Every State (GOBankingRates)

a woman wearing a blue hat: Americans’ lack of savings has caused financial experts to paint a dismal picture when it comes to retirement. Analysts at Blacktower Financial Management Group calculated that you would need to save approximately $386,100 over your lifetime to retire at 67. That means the youngest millennials — who currently are 24 — already should have stashed away $8,775. And the oldest millennials, now 39, should have saved $140,400 for retirement by now. For those who haven’t aggressively put money away for the future, that number could be tough to swallow. Pinpointing the exact amount that you need to save to retire comfortably is a difficult task — and reaching that goal is even harder. According to the 2019 Planning and Progress Study by Northwestern Mutual, more than 22% of Americans have less than $5,000 saved for retirement, and nearly 50% plan on working past retirement age. Every day, 10,000 baby boomers turn 65, and 17% of them have less than $5,000 in their retirement funds. Now, a $1 million nest egg certainly sounds like it would be enough to support you for the rest of your lifetime. But how long would that really last? It depends on where you live. To determine how long $1 million in savings will last across the country, GOBankingRates analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2018 Consumer Expenditure Survey. This study found the number of years, months and days that $1 million will last by multiplying the annual expenditures by each state’s overall cost-of-living index. Annual costs then were multiplied by other annual expenditure figures, including cost of living, housing costs, utilities costs, transportation costs and healthcare costs. The states were ranked from the shortest to the longest period of time that $1 million will stretch. Unfortunately, $1 million doesn’t last quite as long as you might think it would. If you live in one of the more expensive states, such as Hawaii or California, you shouldn’t quit your day job early, and $1 million won’t even cover your living expenses for 18 years in most Northeastern states. There is a bit more cushion in many Southern states, though, if you live there or plan on making a move. Find out how long $1 million in savings will last in your state. Last updated: March 13, 2020

Monthly payments on a 15-year fixed mortgage at that rate will cost around $661 per $100,000 borrowed. Yes, that payment is much bigger than it would be on a 30-year mortgage, but it comes with some big advantages: You’ll save thousands of dollars over the life of the loan in total interest paid and build equity much more quickly.

5/1 Adjustable Rate Mortgage Rates

The average rate on a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgageis 2.98 percent, climbing 8 basis points over the last 7 days.

These loan types are best for people who expect to refinance or sell before the first or second adjustment. Rates could be considerably higher when the loan first adjusts, and thereafter.

Monthly payments on a 5/1 ARM at 2.98 percent would cost about $421 for each $100,000 borrowed over the initial five years, but could ratchet higher by hundreds of dollars afterward, depending on the loan’s terms.

Jumbo mortgage rates

The current average rate you’ll pay for jumbo mortgages is 2.95 percent, a decrease of 5 basis points over the last week. This time a month ago, jumbo mortgages’ average rate was below that, at 2.90 percent.

At today’s average jumbo rate, you’ll pay a combined $418.91 per month in principal and interest for every $100,000 you borrow. That’s a decline of $2.69 from last week.

To stay up to date with daily mortgage rates, check out our daily rates page.

Where to get the best rates

Interest rates can vary largely based on overarching market forces, the size of the loan, your location, your financial situation and how motivated mortgage lenders are to get your business. Keep in mind that the rates we post are market averages–some people will be quoted higher or lower or that exact rate, and the rate may change daily even at the same lender.

It’s important when you’re searching for a mortgage to shop around and compare and contrast all the terms of your offers, not just the interest rate you’re being quoted. Your best rate and terms may be from an online lender, the bank down the street or perhaps through a mortgage broker. You won’t know unless you shop multiple lenders through multiple channels.

Bankrate is a great place to start, because you can take advantage of our mortgage rate comparison tool and remain current on today’s rates. If you’re not happy with the results there, you should check with the institution where you do your banking, and other small lenders like credit unions or local banks.

Searching for the right lender?

Methodology: The rates you see above are Bankrate.com Site Averages. These calculations are run after the close of the previous business day and include rates and/or yields we have collected that day for a specific banking product. Bankrate.com site averages tend to be volatile — they help consumers see the movement of rates day to day. The institutions included in the “Bankrate.com Site Average” tables will be different from one day to the next, depending on which institutions’ rates we gather on a particular day for presentation on the site.

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