INTEREST RATES
Rates 📢 August 10th, 2026

Rate data as of morning of publication. Unless noted otherwise, all scenarios are assuming 30 Year-Fixed mortgage, Purchase or R/T Refinance. No origination points charged, 780 FICO score, and 20% down payment. *Most HELOCs are variable-rate lines of credit based on the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate (currently 6.75%) plus a margin that varies by program, credit profile, and combined loan-to-value. GTG Financial offers multiple HELOC programs through its wholesale lending partners. Contact us for a personalized quote. Provided for consumer education only and does not serve as a binding offer to extend lending. Payment period, interest rate, APR, and other terms subject to income, asset, and credit profile qualification. Provided courtesy of GTG Financial, Inc. NMLS 1595076. Equal housing opportunity. www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

⏱️ Rates in 60 Seconds

📉 The jobs report flipped the story on Friday. The government reported the economy lost 23,000 jobs in July. Most forecasters were expecting a gain of more than 80,000. Then it got worse. The government also went back and cut its job counts for May and June by a combined 103,000. Hiring that looked healthy all spring turned out to be a lot weaker than anyone thought.

📊 Bond investors reacted fast, and that is what moved rates. Here is the chain. A weakening job market makes it harder for the Fed to argue for raising rates. When investors believe a hike is less likely, they buy bonds. More bond buying pushes bond yields down. And when the yield on the 10 Year Treasury drops, mortgage rates usually follow it. That is exactly what played out Friday afternoon.

🔑 Realtor Insight: The unemployment rate went down last month, and almost everyone will read that as good news. It is not. It fell because roughly 264,000 people stopped looking for work, which shrinks the count of who is considered unemployed. The share of Americans working or job hunting is now the lowest it has been in more than five years. Bond investors saw straight through the headline, which is why they moved the way they did. Being able to explain that makes you the person who read the report, not just the headline.

📅 What to watch this week:

• Wednesday: July inflation data (CPI). This is the one that matters. The Fed has been far more worried about prices than jobs, and a hot number could put a rate hike right back on the table.

• Thursday: Wholesale inflation (PPI), an early read on where consumer prices are headed next.

• Friday: Retail sales and consumer sentiment, for a look at whether shoppers are still spending.