Today’s mortgage refinance rates: 30-year rates hit 6-day low | May 13, 2022

• 30-year fixed-rate refinance: 5.125%, down from 5.500%, -0.375
• 20-year fixed-rate refinance: 4.750%, down from 4.875%, -0.125
• 15-year fixed-rate refinance: 4.250%, down from 4.375%, -0.125
• 10-year fixed-rate refinance: 4.375%, up from 4.250%, +0.125

Rates last updated on May 13, 2022. These rates are based on the assumptions shown here. Actual rates may vary.

What this means: Mortgage refinance rates dropped across three terms today. Thirty-year rates fell by more than a quarter of a percentage point, and 20-year rates slid even further under the 5% mark. With 30-year rates still holding above 5%, homeowners looking to refinance may still consider shorter terms. Homeowners who want to make home improvements can save more on interest with a cash-out refinance than they would by funding those improvements with credit cards or personal loans.

WHAT IS CASH-OUT REFINANCING AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

How mortgage rates have changed over time

Today’s mortgage interest rates are well below the highest annual average rate recorded by Freddie Mac — 16.63% in 1981. A year before the COVID-19 pandemic upended economies across the world, the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for 2019 was 3.94%. The average rate for 2021 was 2.96%, the lowest annual average in 30 years.

The historic drop in interest rates means homeowners who have mortgages from 2019 and older could potentially realize significant interest savings by refinancing with one of today’s lower interest rates.

How to get your lowest mortgage refinance rate

If you’re interested in refinancing your mortgage, improving your credit score and paying down any other debt could secure you a lower rate. It’s also a good idea to compare rates from different lenders if you're hoping to refinance so you can find the best rate for your situation.

Borrowers can save $1,500 on average over the life of their loan by shopping for just one additional rate quote, and an average of $3,000 by comparing five rate quotes, according to research from Freddie Mac.

Be sure to shop around and compare current mortgage rates from multiple mortgage lenders if you decide to refinance your mortgage. You can do this easily with Credible’s free online tool and see your prequalified rates in only three minutes.

How does Credible calculate refinance rates?

The rates assume a borrower has a 740 credit score and is borrowing a conventional loan for a single-family home that will be their primary residence. The rates also assume no (or very low) discount points and a down payment of 20%.

Think it might be the right time to refinance? Be sure to shop around and compare rates with multiple mortgage lenders. You can do this easily with Credible and see your prequalified rates in only three minutes.

Are there any cons to refinancing?

Refinancing a mortgage can be a good way to lower interest costs over the life of a loan, shorten your repayment term or secure a lower interest rate. But refinancing has some potential pitfalls, too.

It’s possible for refinancing to actually cost you more money than you’ll save if:

• You refinance into a repayment term that’s longer than your original mortgage. Longer repayment terms usually mean lower monthly payments — but higher interest rates and greater interest costs over the life of a loan. To reap the most savings from a refinance, try refinancing into a shorter term than you have for your current mortgage.
• You sell your home before you reach the break-even point on your new loan. Like your original mortgage, your refinance will come with closing costs. And it will take some time before your savings add up to as much as your closing costs.

That said, the con you need to consider first is closing costs. You’ll need to fund these from your own pocket or roll them into the loan (which raises its lifetime costs). Closing costs typically run 3% to 5% — or more — of the amount you’re borrowing. So if you want to refinance your $200,000 loan to get a lower interest rate, you’ll pay an estimated $6,000 to $10,000 in closing costs.

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As a Credible authority on mortgages and personal finance, Chris Jennings has covered topics that include mortgage loans, mortgage refinancing, and more. He’s been an editor and editorial assistant in the online personal finance space for four years. His work has been featured by MSN, AOL, Yahoo Finance, and more.