Household financesexplainer
How to compare your mortgage quote with Freddie Mac’s average rate
Use Freddie Mac’s mortgage average as a benchmark, then compare your Loan Estimates on rate, APR, points, fees and monthly payment.
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Topic
Household finances
Borrowing, income and the limits of household-finance indicators.
Inflationexplainer
Why TIPS can lose value even when inflation rises
TIPS principal adjusts with inflation, but market prices also respond to real yields. Understand the difference between holding to maturity and selling early.
Inflationexplainer
How August CPI shelter could rise faster than tenant rent
The difference starts with what shelter includes and how its components count. Understanding rents facing movers also requires looking at leases, observation timing and revisions.
Jobsexplainer
Why consumer expectations can move in different directions
The questions behind labor and inflation figures explain how apparently conflicting expectations can coexist—and what the averages leave unknown.
Jobsexplainer
Why August unemployment held at 4.1% while U-6 fell
The broader measure captures unmet demand for work among some employed people, too.
Inflationexplainer
Does falling household debt mean families are financially healthier?
A mortgage-reporting gap complicates the Q2 decline. Repayment measures offer a different, still qualified view of household finances.
Jobsexplainer
Where August’s payroll gains occurred—and how to read them
Employer categories, survey timing and unemployment definitions help job seekers understand what the employment report measures.
Inflationbrief
August inflation accelerated monthly as annual core inflation slowed
Core excludes food and energy, but prominent inflation-linked benefits and TIPS use all-items measures.
Consumer creditexplainer
Making sense of July’s faster consumer-credit growth
Understanding the increase starts with what remains owed—and requires separate evidence about repayment.
