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What are today's mortgage interest rates: September 17, 2026?

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Richardson, M. (2026, September 17). What are today's mortgage interest rates: September 17, 2026? CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/todays-mortgage-interest-rates-september-17-2026/

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CBS News · collected 2026-09-17 · by Matt Richardson

Quick Summary

On September 17, 2026, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates after more than three years of stability, with the central bank aiming to curb inflation that has persisted above its target of 2%. This rate hike impacts mortgage interest rates; according to Zillow, the average rate for a 30-year mortgage purchase is now 7.37%, up from around 5.75% in February 2026. The article details how these increased rates affect both new borrowers and those considering refinancing, noting that while rates are high, there may still be ways to secure better terms with strategies like making a higher down payment or exploring alternative financing options.
Written by AI on 2026-09-17, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

On September 16, 2023, the Federal Reserve is expected to raise its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to a range between 3.75% and 4.00%, according to predictions from financial analysts like CME Group's FedWatch tool. This move reflects growing concerns over inflation, which has risen above the central bank’s target of 2%, despite previous attempts at stabilization. The decision comes amid pressure from President Donald Trump for lower rates and economic turbulence due to rising oil prices following conflicts in the Middle East, pushing crude costs past $100 per barrel. Despite political tensions, financial markets overwhelmingly anticipate a rate hike to combat inflation, with some economists predicting additional increases before year-end to achieve a “timelier return” to the 2% target.

Written for “Fed Interest Rate Hike” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 55 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Fed Interest Rate Hike
Economy/Business · 56 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

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This article reads unscored and hedges 36% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
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“The articles refer to different times (one is about current rates on September 17, 2026, and the other predicts a future hike for next week) and mention different entities (the Federal Reserve vs. the Reserve Bank of Australia).”
BBC News
Hedges 3 of 26 claims Outlet record 68/100
“Article A discusses the Bank of England's decision to keep interest rates unchanged at 3.75%, while Article B mentions a potential rate hike by what appears to be another central bank, possibly the Federal Reserve.”
BBC News
Hedges 0 of 21 claims Outlet record 68/100
“The articles describe different central banks (US Fed and Japan's BOJ) raising interest rates on separate days, indicating distinct events.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
22
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
36%
8 of 22 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
66/100
CBS News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
56
Economy/Business
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-17 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

CBS News · 4280 article(s) · 6 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Matt Richardson
7 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Now at a range between 3.75% and 4.00%, a new, higher federal funds rate is expected to lead to even higher rates for savers than they've already been accustomed to in recent years.
2026-09-17 · mixed framing · 3 savings moves to make post-Fed rate hike
🔮 A higher rate from the central bank will inevitably lead to higher rates on borrowing products and select savings accounts.
🔮 And the hike could be the first of a series instead of an anomaly, especially if unemployment remains steady and inflation continues to tick up.
🔮 For the first time since July, the Federal Reserve will meet this week to determine the future of interest rate policy in the United States.
🔮 With approximately that's considered borrowable, according to a report released earlier this year, homeowners in need of extra financing this September may increasingly find themselves turning to as a viable option.
🔮 And that remarkable growth could easily continue in the weeks and months ahead, especially .
2026-09-14 · mixed framing · What is the price of silver today?
🔮 According to the CME Group's FedWatch tool, there's a significant chance that the central bank will increase its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to a range between 3.75% and 4.00%.
Also by Matt Richardson
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 7 articles by Matt Richardson →

Topics

Fed Zillow

Subjects

Fed ORG · 4× Zillow ORG · 2×

Narrative

At the same time, there are multiple ways in which borrowers can secure rates below this average, perhaps to a significant degree, if they go into the process with a , a high down payment and the flexibility to use alternatives like .
framing: mixed · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-17
🔮 And the hike could be the first of a series instead of an anomaly, especially if unemployment remains steady and inflation continues to tick up.
2026-09-17 · CBS News
What are today's mortgage interest rates: September 17, 2026? · mixed framing

Claims (22 extracted, 8 hedged)

Now at a range between 3.75% and 4.00%, the central bank is attempting to rein in inflation after it has remained stubbornly above the Fed's target 2% goal in recent months. asserted
it → attempt → months
And the hike could be the first of a series instead of an anomaly, especially if unemployment remains steady and inflation continues to tick up. uncertain
inflation → remain → series
This will have a ripple effect for millions of savers and borrowers, the latter of whom have already been contending with elevated costs on everyday goods and services, not to mention loans and . asserted
latter → have → goods
But where does it leave now and in the days and weeks still to come?by more than a full percentage point in 2025 after hitting their . asserted
it → leave → their
And they hovered earlier this year before geopolitical tensions caused inflation to spike and interest rates to follow. asserted
rates → hover → ?
At the same time, locking in a mortgage rate today could be the smart move, if only to protect against any upward movement still ahead. uncertain
locking → lock → movement
To determine the value of doing so, however, it helps to know where mortgage interest rates stand now, the day following the first Fed rate hike in years. asserted
rates → determine → years
Below, we'll detail everything borrowers need to know to make an informed decision. asserted
borrowers → detail → decision
The average mortgage interest rate on a 30-year mortgage purchase is 7.37% as of September 17, 2026, according to Zillow. uncertain
rate → accord → Zillow
That's about in line with what they were in August 2023, following the Fed's last rate hike, when the average sat at 7.31%. asserted
average → follow → %
And it's almost two full percentage points above where it sat , when the average rate for a 30-year term was just 5.75%. asserted
rate → sit → term
At the same time, there are multiple ways in which borrowers can secure rates below this average, perhaps to a significant degree, if they go into the process with a , a high down payment and the flexibility to use alternatives like . asserted
they → be → alternatives
Adding to any offer can also help. asserted
Adding → add → offer
So don't discount today's rates in total until you take the time to shop around and thoroughly explore your options. asserted
you → discount → options
The average mortgage refinance rate on a 30-year term is 7.41% as of September 17, 2026, according to Zillow. uncertain
rate → accord → Zillow
On the same March date noted above, these rates were just 6.47% and 5.48%, respectively. asserted
rates → note → date
So refinancing could be out of consideration for a slew of current homeowners. uncertain
refinancing → refinance → homeowners
That said, while the conventional wisdom dictates that refinancing is only worth it for those who can secure a their current one, it may also be valuable for those who can secure than what they're currently paying. uncertain
they → say → what
The decision to refinance, then, will be a personal one based on your financial circumstances, budget and interpretation of where mortgage interest rates could be heading in the near term. uncertain
rates → refinance → term
These rates are all considerably higher than they were earlier this year and markedly higher than where many borrowers would prefer them to sit. asserted
them → prefer → ?
But the decision to buy or refinance shouldn't be dismissed until borrowers take the time to crunch the numbers. asserted
borrowers → buy → numbers
What may look unaffordable on paper may actually be able to fit your budget, allowing you to proceed with your homebuying or refinancing plans, as imperfect as they may be after Wednesday's Fed rate hike. uncertain
they → look → hike
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