NEW YORK, Nov. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Mortgage rates jumped higher this week, with the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage climbing to 3.98 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.23 discount and origination points.

The larger jumbo 30-year fixed increased modestly from last week's record low to 3.87 percent, and remains below the smaller conforming 30-year fixed mortgage. The average 15-year fixed mortgage bounded higher to 3.23 percent. Adjustable mortgage rates were on the rise also, with the 5-year ARM leaping to 3.28 percent and the 7-year ARM soaring to 3.48 percent, the highest level since late July.   

Mortgage rates were spurred higher after the Federal Open Market Committee pointed the finger at a possible December interest rate hike. Mortgage rates are closely related to yields on long-term government bonds, which move in advance of – rather than in response to – Fed action. As global economic events unfolded and the Fed repeatedly pushed back their timetable, mortgage rates and bond yields unwound most of the increase seen earlier in the year when a Fed hike seemed more likely. With more than one month to go, and a lot of economic data to be seen, before the Dec. 16 Fed meeting, any hiccups in the economy or financial markets will produce volatility in mortgage rates as odds of a rate hike fluctuate.

At the current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate of 3.98 percent, the monthly payment on a $200,000 loan is $952.53.  

SURVEY RESULTS

30-year fixed: 3.98% -- up from 3.88% last week (avg. points: 0.23)

15-year fixed: 3.23% -- up from 3.13% last week (avg. points: 0.16)

5/1 ARM: 3.28% -- up from 3.17% last week (avg. points: 0.18)

Bankrate's national weekly mortgage survey is conducted each Wednesday from data provided by the top 10 banks and thrifts in 10 top markets.

For a full analysis of this week's move in mortgage rates, go to http://www.bankrate.com/finance/mortgages/mortgage-analysis-110515.aspx

The survey is complemented by Bankrate's weekly Rate Trend Index, in which a panel of mortgage experts predicts which way the rates are headed over the next seven days. This week the panelists overwhelmingly predict mortgage rates to increase further, with 80 percent saying so. The remainder are evenly split, with 10 percent forecasting a decline and 10 percent expecting mortgage rates will remain more or less unchanged in the coming week.

About Bankrate, Inc.

Bankrate is a leading publisher, aggregator, and distributor of personal finance content on the Internet. Bankrate provides consumers with proprietary, fully researched, comprehensive, independent and objective personal finance editorial content across multiple vertical categories including mortgages, deposits, insurance, credit cards, and other categories, such as retirement, automobile loans, and taxes. The Bankrate network includes Bankrate.com, CreditCards.com, InsuranceQuotes.com and Caring.com, our flagship websites, and other owned and operated personal finance websites, including Interest.com, Bankaholic.com, Mortgage-calc.com, CreditCardGuide.com, CarInsuranceQuotes.com, Insweb.com, CreditCards.ca, and NetQuote.com. Bankrate aggregates rate information from over 4,800 institutions on more than 300 financial products. With coverage of over 600 local markets, Bankrate generates rate tables in all 50 U.S. states. Bankrate develops and provides web services to over 100 co-branded websites with online partners, including some of the most trusted and frequently visited personal finance sites on the Internet such as Yahoo!, CNBC, and Bloomberg. In addition, Bankrate licenses editorial content to over 500 newspapers on a daily basis including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe.

For more information contact:
Kayleen Yates
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
kyates@bankrate.com
(917) 368-8677

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SOURCE Bankrate, Inc.