The Prime Rate Explained: How It Is Set and What It Moves
Learn what the prime rate is, how banks set it 300 basis points above the Fed funds rate, and how it directly affects credit cards, HELOCs, and loans.
interest rates
Fed Floor System: How IORB and ON RRP Set Interest Rates
Discover how the Federal Reserve’s floor system controls interest rates using administered rates like IORB, the ON RRP facility, and the discount window.
REITs Explained: How Real Estate Investment Trusts Work
What is a REIT, the 90% dividend rule, equity vs mortgage REITs, why FFO matters more than net income, and why rising rates hit REITs first.
Russell 2000 Drops 2.4% as Long Yields Slam Small Caps
Small-cap stocks led Friday’s selloff with the Russell 2000 down 2.4% as rising Treasury yields rekindled fears about leverage, refinancing, and unprofitable balance sheets.
Yield Curve Explained: Shapes, Forces, and Inversion
A plain-English guide to the Treasury yield curve: what it is, the four shapes, why it can invert, and what each shape says about the economy.
How the Fed Sets Interest Rates — and Why It Moves Markets
Inside the FOMC: how the Fed targets the federal funds rate, how QE and QT work, and why each decision ripples through stocks, bonds, and mortgages.
The Yield Curve: What It Is and Why Inversion Matters
Understand the yield curve, what causes inversions, and why they have preceded every U.S. recession since 1955. Includes today’s snapshot.
30-Year Treasury Near 5%: The Forces Keeping U.S. Borrowing Costs High
The 30-year Treasury yield stands at 4.987% on April 30, 2026 — nearly 5% — as term premium surges on sticky inflation, rising supply, and fading foreign demand for US debt.
30-Year Treasury Near 5%: The Forces Keeping U.S. Borrowing Costs High
The 30-year Treasury hovers near 5% as foreign buyers pull back, Iran’s Strait of Hormuz crisis adds volatility, and the term premium makes a structural comeback. Here’s what it means for every borrower.
Kevin Warsh Fed Nomination: What It Signals for Rates and Bonds
Kevin Warsh’s Senate confirmation hearing sent measured signals through bond markets and rate desks. Here’s what his nomination means for monetary policy, Treasury yields, and credit markets.