Independent · International · Reader-first
Banking, payments, saving and borrowing.
Freddie Mac's benchmark survey shows the rate climbing for a second straight week and sitting 21 basis points above where it was a year ago.
Meridians Money Desk · 7 September 2026 · 3 min read
Freddie Mac's weekly survey put the 30-year fixed rate at 6.66% for the week ending August 27, essentially unchanged. A separate daily tracker showed the same loan type at 6.55% on August 30. Here's why the two disagree.
Meridians Money Desk · 31 August 2026 · 4 min read
Freddie Mac's weekly survey put the 30-year fixed rate at 6.65% and falling. A widely cited daily tracker put it at 6.72% and rising, five days later. Both can be right at once.
Meridians Money Desk · 26 August 2026 · 4 min read
The 30-year fixed averaged 6.65% and the 15-year fell to 5.95% in the week ending August 20 — both down slightly from the week before, and both still above where they stood a year ago.
Meridians Money Desk · 23 August 2026 · 3 min read
The best advertised rate is 4.50%. The FDIC-reported national average is 0.38%. The gap is not a market failure; it is inertia, and it is worth real money.
Meridians Money Desk · 20 August 2026 · 5 min read
The economy shed jobs in July for the first time in months. Markets read that as good news, because it makes a Federal Reserve rate hike look far less likely.
Meridians Money Desk · 9 August 2026 · 5 min read
The headline rate is the least reliable part of the comparison. Look at how the rate is structured, what triggers it, and how it can change.
Meridians Money Desk · 5 July 2026 · 6 min read
Guarantee schemes cover a limit per depositor per institution. The traps are shared banking licences, joint accounts and the definition of 'institution'.
Meridians Money Desk · 23 November 1969 · 7 min read
Euro-area banks are being required to send and receive instant credit transfers, at no premium over standard ones. The knock-on effects reach fraud checks and payroll.
Meridians Money Desk · 4 November 1969 · 7 min read
| Product class | Compared on | Price sources monitored | Price data |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Current accounts |
| Provider price lists · Regulator disclosures · Published fee schedules | Price check in progressNo verified price published yet |
| 02 Savings accounts |
| Provider price lists · Regulator disclosures · Published fee schedules | Price check in progressNo verified price published yet |
| 03 Travel-friendly cards |
| Provider price lists · Regulator disclosures · Published fee schedules | Price check in progressNo verified price published yet |
01 Current accounts
Sources: Provider price lists · Regulator disclosures · Published fee schedules
Price check in progress
02 Savings accounts
Sources: Provider price lists · Regulator disclosures · Published fee schedules
Price check in progress
03 Travel-friendly cards
Sources: Provider price lists · Regulator disclosures · Published fee schedules
Price check in progress
How we compare prices
No prices are shown until they have been verified. We do not display estimated or automated prices.
Sponsored
Paid placement · not editorial
The Meridians Brief
What changed, what it costs you, and what to do about it — from the Meridians desks. No sponsored picks disguised as recommendations.
Sign-up opens with our launch issue. Nothing is sent or stored yet.
