National Mortgage Rates for Oct. 11, 2012

Credit card with dollars

Mortgages

3.59% (30-year fixed)    0.44 (average points)

Mortgage rates edged higher this week after the latest jobs report injected some confidence in the market.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose 7 basis points to 3.59%. A basis point is one-hundredth of 1 percentage point.

The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage rose 4 basis points to 2.88%. The average rate for 30-year jumbo mortgages, or generally for those of more than $417,000, rose 3 basis points to 4.19%.

The 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage rose 1 basis point to 2.68%. With a 5/1 ARM the rate is fixed for five years and adjusted annually thereafter.

The volume of mortgage applications decreased 1.2% last week compared to one week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

CDs

0.3% (1-year CD yields)    0.97% (5-year CD yields)

Rates on certificates of deposit were mostly unchanged this week except for the five-year CD yield, which is down 1 basis point to 0.97%. A basis point is one-hundredth of 1 percentage point.

The average one-year CD yield is 0.3% for the fourth week.

For deposits of $100,000, the average one-year jumbo CD yield is unchanged at 0.32% for the fourth week. The five-year yield is 0.99% for the second week.

The average money market account yield is 0.12% for the 14th straight week.

Auto Loans

4.37% (60-month, new car)    5.01% (36-month, used car)

Auto loan rates were mostly flat for the fifth straight week.

The average rates for 60-month new-car loans stayed planted at 4.37%, while 48-month new-car loans fell 1 basis point to 4.22%. A basis point is one-hundredth of 1 percentage point.

Used-car loans had an uneventful week, with the average rate for a 36-month used-car loan cruising at 5.01%.

Toyota announced the recall of 7.43 million vehicles this week, the largest recall in 16 years, according to a report by NBC News. The recall involves faulty power-window switches that could catch fire if sprayed with commercially available lubricants to fix a "notchy" feeling. The recall affects several models of Toyota and Scion vehicles built between 2007 and 2009.

Home Equity

5.12% (line of credit)    6.28% (loan)

Rates on loans backed by home equity barely changed in Bankrate's weekly survey.

The typical home equity loan was 6.28%, the same as last week.

The typical home equity line of credit, or HELOC, fell 3 basis points to 5.12. A basis point is one-hundredth of 1 percentage point.

Credit Cards

13.81% (all fixed)    14.56% (all variable)

The average annual percentage rate, or APR, for variable-rate credit cards was unchanged at 14.56% this week, according to Bankrate's latest survey of interest rates. A basis point is one-hundredth of 1 percentage point. The fixed APR was also flat, remaining at 13.81%, where it has been for the last several months.

It looks like more Americans are keeping up with their credit card bills these days. Credit card delinquencies reached an 11-year low in the second quarter of this year, according to a report this month by the American Bankers Association. Credit card delinquencies dropped 15 basis points to 2.93% of all accounts, well below the 15-year average of 3.91%.