Mortgage rates are hovering around 7.2% following the Federal Reserve’s first interest rate hike in three years.

The latest move is a bit of relief following a bruising few weeks in which they reached as high as 7.24%, the highest levels since early 2025, according to Mortgage News Daily. 

The Fed doesn’t directly control mortgage rates, and by the time the central bank voted to raise benchmark rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday, mortgage rates had already moved higher in anticipation of that hike. 

The 10-year Treasury yield, which mortgage rates closely track, dropped 6 basis points to 4.94% on Thursday as investors grew confident that the Fed was kicking off a new rate-hiking cycle to address persistently high inflation.

Fed hikes normally aren’t good news for the housing market or the bond market, but the latest move may be an exception. 

Wednesday’s rate hike “is the medicine the housing market needs to recover,” Zillow chief economist Mischa Fisher said in a statement. “Greater market confidence in inflation being under control is more likely to bring mortgage rates lower in 2027 and get the recovery back on track.” 

Freddie Mac, which conducts a weekly survey of mortgage rates, said rates averaged 6.95% in the week through Wednesday, a steep jump from 6.76% a week earlier that reflects rising bond yields before the Fed’s latest hike. 

Read more: Discover the best mortgage refinance lenders

Today’s mortgage rates

Here are the current purchase mortgage rates for today, Thursday, September 17, 2026, according to the latest Zillow data:

• 30-year fixed: 7.01%

• 20-year fixed: 7.00%

• 15-year fixed: 6.44%

• 5/1 ARM: 7.08%

• 7/1 ARM: 6.74%

• 30-year VA: 6.46%

• 15-year VA: 5.95%

• 5/1 VA: 6.30%

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

Here are 8 strategies for getting the lowest mortgage rate possible.

Today’s mortgage refinance rates

Here are the current refinance mortgage rates for today, Thursday, September 17, 2026, according to the latest Zillow data:

• 30-year fixed: 7.00%

• 20-year fixed: 6.76%

• 15-year fixed: 6.42%

• 5/1 ARM: 7.14%

• 7/1 ARM: 6.76%

• 30-year VA: 6.62%

• 15-year VA: 6.15%

• 5/1 VA: 5.88%

As with mortgage rates for purchase, these are national averages that we’ve rounded to the nearest hundredth. Refinance rates can be higher than purchase mortgage rates, but that isn’t always the case.

Monthly mortgage payment calculator

Use the mortgage calculator below to see how various mortgage rates will impact your monthly payments.

You can bookmark the Yahoo Finance mortgage payment calculator and keep it handy for future use, as you shop for homes and lenders. Be sure to use the dropdown to include private mortgage insurance costs and HOA dues if they apply to you. These monthly expenses, along with your mortgage principal and interest rate, will give you a realistic idea of what your monthly payment could be.

How do mortgage rates work?

A mortgage interest rate is the fee charged by a lender for borrowing money, expressed as a percentage. There are two basic types of mortgage rates: fixed and adjustable rates.

A fixed-rate mortgage locks in your rate for the entire life of your loan. For example, if you get a 30-year mortgage with a 6% interest rate, your rate will remain at 6% for the entire 30 years. (Unless you refinance or sell the home.)

An adjustable-rate mortgage keeps your rate the same for the first few years, then changes it periodically. Let’s say you get a 5/1 ARM with an introductory rate of 6%. Your rate would be 6% for the first five years, and then the rate would increase or decrease once per year for the last 25 years of your term. Whether your rate goes up or down depends on several factors, such as the economy and the U.S. housing market.

At the beginning of your mortgage term, most of your monthly payment goes toward interest. As time passes, less of your payment goes toward interest, and more goes toward the mortgage principal or the amount you originally borrowed.

Read more: Learn how to choose between an adjustable-rate vs. fixed-rate mortgage.

How are mortgage rates determined?

Two categories determine mortgage rates: those you can control and those you cannot.

What factors can you control? First, you can compare the best mortgage lenders to find the one that gives you the lowest rate and fees.

Second, lenders typically extend lower rates to people with higher credit scores, lower debt-to-income (DTI) ratios, and considerable down payments. If you can save more or pay down debt before securing a mortgage, a lender will probably give you a better interest rate.

What factors can you not control? In short, the economy.

The list of ways the economy impacts mortgage rates is long, but here are the basic details. If the economy — for example, employment rates — is struggling, mortgage rates decrease to encourage borrowing, which helps boost the economy. If the economy is strong, mortgage rates go up to temper spending.

With all other factors being equal, mortgage refinance rates are typically slightly higher than purchase rates. So don’t be surprised if your refinance rate is higher than you may have expected.

30-year vs. 15-year fixed mortgage rates

Two of the most common mortgage terms are 30-year and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages. Both lock in your rate for the entire loan term.

A 30-year mortgage is popular because it has relatively low monthly payments. But it comes with a higher interest rate than shorter terms, and because you’re accumulating interest for three decades, you’ll pay a lot of interest in the long run.

A 15-year mortgage can be a good choice because it has a lower rate than you’ll get with longer terms, so you’ll pay less in interest over the years. You’ll also pay off your mortgage much faster. But your monthly payments will be higher because you’re paying off the same loan amount in half the time.

Basically, 30-year mortgages are more affordable from month to month, while 15-year mortgages are cheaper in the long run.

Current mortgage rates: FAQs

What bank is offering the lowest mortgage rates?

According to Yahoo Finance’s weekly survey of lenders with the lowest rates, some of the banks with the lowest median mortgage rates include Chase and Citibank, among others. However, it’s a good idea to shop around for the best rate, not just with banks, but also with credit unions and companies specializing in mortgage lending.

Is 2.75% a good mortgage rate?

Yes, 2.75% is an amazing mortgage rate. You’re unlikely to get a 2.75% rate in today’s market unless you take on an assumable mortgage from a seller who locked in this rate in 2020 or 2021, when rates were at all-time lows.

What is the lowest-ever mortgage rate?

According to Freddie Mac, the lowest-ever 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 2.65%. This was the national average in January 2021. It is extremely unlikely that rates will dip below 3% again anytime soon.

At what rate should you refinance your mortgage?

Some experts say it’s worth refinancing when you can lock in a rate that’s 2% less than your current mortgage rate. Others say 1% is the magic number. It all depends on your financial goals when refinancing, how long you plan to stay in the same house, and on your break-even point after paying the refinance closing costs.

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has issued a no-action position expanding regulatory relief for what it describes as “passive software” providers—entities that connect users to CFTC-registered derivatives firms and exchanges without taking on the role of regulated intermediaries.

In a no-action letter released Thursday, the agency’s Market Participants Division said it would not recommend enforcement against qualifying providers or their personnel for failing to register as introducing brokers or associated persons, provided they meet specific conditions that limit discretion over users’ trading decisions. The move is expected to lower compliance friction for crypto wallets and other applications that want to link users to regulated venues, including derivatives such as perpetual contracts and prediction markets.

Key takeaways

• The CFTC’s no-action stance covers “passive software” that facilitates trading with CFTC-registered firms and exchanges without triggering introducing broker or associated person registration—if conditions are met.
• Eligibility hinges on limiting provider discretion, including restrictions on exercising judgment over users’ orders.
• The guidance builds on an earlier relief letter for Phantom Technologies’ self-custodial wallet software, extending the framework to a broader set of passive software use cases.
• The announcement arrives shortly after the CLARITY Act failed to advance in the US Senate, while CFTC and SEC leadership reiterated plans to proceed under existing regulatory authority.

What the CFTC is granting, and who it’s for

The Thursday no-action position is aimed at software providers that act as a technical bridge between end-users and regulated derivatives infrastructure. According to the CFTC, the Market Participants Division will not recommend enforcement for qualifying providers—or their personnel—if they facilitate trading with CFTC-registered entities and exchanges, but do not cross into intermediary functions that would require registration as an introducing broker or an associated person.

The crux of the relief is that the software must remain “passive.” The CFTC’s letter indicates that qualification requires conditions designed to keep the provider’s role constrained—for example, by restricting how much discretion the software provider can exert over user orders.

This distinction matters for crypto product design. Many wallets, onchain apps, and trading interfaces can be configured to route users toward regulated marketplaces. Without relief, providers may face the argument that they are effectively brokering or advising, even if they are not taking custody of assets or manually placing trades themselves.

From Phantom’s wallet software to a wider passive-software rule

The new position extends a similar approach previously granted by the CFTC. In March, the agency issued a no-action letter to Phantom Technologies covering its self-custodial crypto wallet software, subject to conditions. The earlier letter allowed Phantom—again, under defined constraints—to provide and market software that connects users with registered futures brokers and exchanges without registering as an introducing broker.

In July, Phantom and the Hyperliquid Policy Center also advocated for broader protections from the CFTC. Their request focused on shielding non-custodial wallet providers from introducing broker requirements and clarifying how existing rules apply when blockchain developers and regulated derivatives firms use onchain infrastructure. The Thursday move suggests at least part of that line of reasoning is being carried forward: the CFTC is treating certain software-mediated connections to regulated trading venues as distinct from regulated brokerage activity.

While the no-action letters are not blanket permission for every conceivable integration, the pattern is clear: regulators appear willing to carve out compliance space for interfaces that limit discretion and do not function as intermediaries in the traditional sense.

Regulatory momentum after the CLARITY Act setback

The CFTC’s decision comes just two days after the CLARITY Act failed to advance in the US Senate. A cloture motion received 49 votes—short of the 60 needed to move forward to debate, according to the reporting referenced in the original coverage.

After that vote, both CFTC Chair Michael Selig and Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins indicated their agencies would keep working on crypto-related regulation using existing authority. Selig said the CFTC is “locked in and ready to ship its rules for the new frontier of finance,” as referenced in a post on X. Atkins said the SEC would act “with or without legislation” to provide regulatory certainty for digital assets, also referenced via X.

Thursday’s actions reflect that stated resolve. Alongside the CFTC’s no-action position, the SEC approved a temporary exemption permitting qualifying platforms to facilitate limited onchain trading of tokenized US stocks through permissioned automated market makers and liquidity pools, according to the cited coverage.

Why this matters for crypto wallets and derivatives access

For builders and operators, the operational takeaway is that the compliance burden may be reduced when software design keeps the provider away from discretionary trading decisions. In practical terms, the CFTC’s relief signals that developers can build user-facing routing or connectivity layers—potentially including wallet functionality or other application interfaces—without automatically inheriting introducing broker registration obligations, so long as they adhere to the conditions laid out in the no-action framework.

For traders and users, the downstream effect could be smoother access to regulated derivatives-like products through familiar interfaces. If software providers can integrate with CFTC-regulated firms and exchanges more easily, users may encounter fewer friction points when seeking exposure to compliant venues—whether those venues involve perpetual derivatives or other CFTC-regulated market structures such as prediction markets.

Still, the relief is not unlimited. The CFTC’s letter makes clear that qualification depends on meeting the “passive” requirements, including limits on discretion over orders. Observers will likely watch how broadly “passive” is interpreted in future guidance and how regulators evaluate real-world products where user interaction can blur the line between simple routing and active brokerage decision-making.

Next, the industry will be looking for further clarity on how these “passive software” principles apply across different architectures—especially as more crypto applications seek integration with regulated derivatives platforms—while also monitoring whether lawmakers’ failure to move the CLARITY Act shifts the pace and direction of agency rulemaking.

Aurora Intents has added Sui as a destination for one-signature cross-chain transactions, extending access to a solver network that Aurora Labs says has routed more than $30 billion.

In a Sep. 17 press release shared with crypto.news, Aurora Labs said its Intents Connect product can now route supported assets from other blockchains directly into applications built on Sui.

Rather than leaving users with bridged funds in a Sui wallet, the system can deliver the assets into a completed position. Depending on the application, a transaction could end with the user lending an asset, entering a trade, or depositing funds into a yield product.

The company said users do not need to open a separate bridge, change wallets, or obtain SUI tokens to manage network fees. Intents Connect handles the process through the application the user already has open, while NEAR Intents provides the underlying liquidity, settlement, and connections between chains.

Aurora Intents turns transfers into completed Sui actions

Cross-chain services often focus on moving a token from one blockchain to another, leaving the user to complete the remaining steps. According to Aurora Labs, about three-quarters of the applications it speaks with need more than asset delivery because their users arrive intending to stake, lend, or trade.

Intents Connect is designed to bundle the transfer and the requested on-chain action. A user begins with an asset on a supported source chain, approves the transaction once, and receives the intended position on Sui without arranging each step separately.

For example, Aurora Labs said a Solana user depositing USDC into a Sui protocol would previously have needed to move between two wallets, bridge the funds, and buy SUI for gas. Through the new integration, the user can authorize the full process inside the Sui application with one signature.

Sui’s design required additional work because it does not use the Ethereum Virtual Machine model followed by many other chains supported by cross-chain products. Its object-based programming system, address format, and transaction structure differ from Ethereum-compatible networks.

Aurora Labs CEO Declan Hannon said Sui is only the second non-Ethereum-style blockchain supported by the service after Solana.

“We chose Sui because the engineering challenge is exactly what makes this integration meaningful,” Hannon said.

Hannon added that supporting Sui as a destination allows Intents Connect to handle its technical differences for users while giving developers access to funds held on other networks.

Sui applications gain access to external liquidity

For developers, the integration creates a route from wallets on supported chains into Sui-based products without requiring each application to build separate bridging and execution systems. Aurora Labs said one Intents Connect integration can make an application accessible to users and assets across every network supported by the service.

NEAR Intents coordinates the system through a solver network. Solvers compete to satisfy a user’s requested outcome, while the infrastructure manages liquidity and settlement across the connected blockchains.

Aurora Labs reported that the network has routed more than $30 billion to date. The company did not provide a Sui-specific volume figure or identify the first applications using the new destination support.

The added connection arrives as Sui developers build more lending products for retail and professional users. In August, crypto.news reported that NAVI Protocol had launched NAVI Prime, an on-chain lending framework made for funds and other professional market participants.

At the time, DefiLlama tracked approximately $124.6 million in total value locked across the NAVI Protocol group, including NAVI Lending, Volo LST and Volo Vault. Active loans stood at about $65.8 million, while supported lending assets included SUI, USDC, USDT, wrapped Ether and wrapped Bitcoin.

Sui’s stablecoin infrastructure has also expanded. The Sui Foundation said USDsui entered mainnet in March 2026 through Bridge’s Open Issuance platform, while the network had processed more than $111 billion in stablecoin transfers during January.

One-signature access reduces wallet steps

Wallet access remains an important part of Sui’s user experience because support differs across providers. Phantom announced in August that it would end Sui support on Sep. 24, removing Sui balances, transaction tools and application connections from its interface.

Phantom said the change would not delete or move user assets. Holders could retain access by importing their credentials into another compatible Sui wallet, though the company warned users to avoid unsolicited migration help and never disclose recovery phrases.

Intents Connect takes a different approach by allowing a user to begin from a wallet on another supported blockchain. Aurora Labs said the application manages the route into Sui, including the destination action, without asking the user to change wallets or hold SUI before starting.

The model does not remove the blockchain transactions involved in settlement. Instead, according to the company, it removes the need for the user to arrange each transaction, asset transfer, and gas payment separately.

Developer support is available immediately, with Aurora Labs publishing technical guides for applications that want to add Sui as a destination. The documentation covers transaction construction, address requirements and the steps needed to integrate Intents Connect into an application.

U.S. users already have regulated SUI exposure

For U.S. market participants, the new service adds an on-chain access route alongside products already offered through regulated and centralized platforms. Coinbase opened SUI staking access for eligible customers in July, setting a one-token minimum and estimating annual rewards of 1.4% to 3.3% at launch.

CME Group also introduced cash-settled SUI futures in May 2026, giving traders a way to gain price exposure without holding SUI in an on-chain wallet. CME offers standard contracts representing 50,000 SUI and micro contracts covering 5,000 SUI, with both settled against the CME CF Sui-Dollar Reference Rate.