Here's why the yield curve inversion could lead to the lowest mortgage rates ever [CHART] | Mortgage Rates, Mortgage News and Strategy : The Mortgage Reports (2024)

Interest rate environment to enter uncharted territory

Mortgage rates have been dropping fiercely, so many rate shoppers assume they can’t go any lower.

They would be wrong.

Quite frankly, the U.S. economy is in uncharted territory, the conditions of which could spell the lowest mortgage rates ever.

Recently, mortgage rate expert Barry Habib predicted mortgage rates would fall to “the lowest they’ve ever been.” At the time, it seemed merely a click-bait claim.

Now, it appears strangely prescient.

The spread between two key interest rates inverted Wednesday, August 14, 2019. Here’s why that seemingly insignificant phenomenon could lead to ultra-low mortgage rates, perhaps the lowest ever recorded.

Get started here to check today's mortgage rates.

What’s the big deal about a ‘yield curve inversion’?

In short, a yield curve inversion is a big deal because it’s awfully good at predicting oncoming recessions.

In fact, it’s accurately predicted the last seven of them.

And with recessions typically come very low interest rates (more on that later).

A yield curve inversion has accurately predicted the last seven recessions.

In a normal world, a 10-year U.S. Treasury bond will pay investors more than the 2-year.

That makes sense. In exchange for holding your money longer, you get paid a bigger “yield,” or interest rate, on that bond.

A yield curve inversion is when short-term bonds pay more than long term ones. In this case, the 2-year note pays more than the 10-year. This has happened prior to every recession in recent memory.

But, why would a short-term bond pay more? Well, markets believe that the government will soon intervene and bring long-term rates down via stimulus. No one wants to commit to a 10-year bond when things are so uncertain.

And this brief but significant inversion happened on August 14, and it could usher in a new era for mortgage rates.

Why rates could drop much lower after the yield curve inversion

As mentioned above, the U.S. economy is entering uncharted territory.

Never before have rates already been so low when recession fears hit.

Take a look at the chart below. Every time a yield curve inversion happens, rates drop in coming years. But it seems rates have nowhere to go. Or do they?

Here's why the yield curve inversion could lead to the lowest mortgage rates ever [CHART] | Mortgage Rates, Mortgage News and Strategy : The Mortgage Reports (1)

Back in 2006, with a deeply inverted yield curve, 30-year mortgage rates were above 6%, according to Freddie Mac. At the time those were the lowest pre-recession mortgage rates since Freddie Mac had been tracking data.

Now, we’re seeing another inversion, but rates are at an almost unbelievably low level of 3.6%, again using Freddie’s data.

The following chart shows yield curve inversions since 1987. Anywhere the 2-year / 10-year spread drops below zero (indicated with boxes and an arrow below), a recession eventually follows (shaded areas).

Here's why the yield curve inversion could lead to the lowest mortgage rates ever [CHART] | Mortgage Rates, Mortgage News and Strategy : The Mortgage Reports (2)

So what happens to mortgage rates after a yield curve inversion? In 2009 and onward, we saw mortgage rates march downward, ending at about one-half their pre-recession levels, at just 3.32% in December 2012.

But where do mortgage rates go now that they are already at an ultra-low 3.6%? If rates follow the same pattern this time, and get cut in half again, we’re looking at a 1.8% 30-year fixed loan.

If rates get cut in half again, we’re looking at a 1.8% 30-year fixed loan.

A sub-2% mortgage rate seems unlikely to today’s world. But keep in mind that a Danish bank is already offering negative mortgage rates, and $15 trillion in government bonds worldwide are already “paying” negative yields.

The U.S. might not be far behind that trend. According to Bloomberg, former Fed chief Alan Greenspan says, “There is no barrier for U.S. Treasury yields going below zero.”

U.S. Treasuries don’t dictate mortgage rates, but mortgage rates often follow the same trends. If Treasuries go negative, we could realistically see 2% rates, or even lower.

Only one thing seems certain after the inverted yield curve: we haven’t seen the end of ultra-low mortgage rates.

Unsure about this prediction? Then capture an already-history rate now

No one knows what will happen to mortgage rates. The inverted yield curve could just be a false alarm. After all, each history doesn’t always repeat itself.

If you’re in the no-recession camp, you could capitalize on rates that are already lower than anyone thought they would be by now.

Start at the link below.

Time to make a move? Let us find the right mortgage for you
Here's why the yield curve inversion could lead to the lowest mortgage rates ever [CHART] | Mortgage Rates, Mortgage News and Strategy : The Mortgage Reports (2024)

FAQs

How does an inverted yield curve affect mortgage rates? ›

On the other hand, when the yield curve is inverted and current mortgage rates are expected to be higher than future mortgage rates, households are expected to refinance as soon as they observe even the smallest drop in mortgage rates - making mortgages short duration assets.

What is an inverted yield curve and why is it concerning? ›

An inverted yield curve occurs when short-term debt instruments have higher yields than long-term instruments of the same credit risk profile. An inverted yield curve is unusual; it reflects bond investors' expectations for a decline in longer-term interest rates, typically associated with recessions.

When the yield curve is inverted that means that rates for longer term loans are lower than rates for shorter term loans? ›

What is an inverted yield curve? An inverted yield curve means the interest rate on long-term bonds is lower than the interest rate on short-term bonds. This is often seen as a bad sign for the economy.

Has an inverted yield curve always predicted a recession? ›

With one exception, the inverted yield curve has signaled every recession since 1955. When the 2-year Treasury yield eclipsed the 10-year Treasury yield on July 5, 2022, it caught many investors' attention.

Why is yield curve inversion bad for banks? ›

So as the yield curve inverts, this damages their profitability, where they're paying out more and receiving like the same or less. So an inversion, no matter how it's structured, hurts the banks' profitability.

What does an inverted yield curve implies that quizlet? ›

An inverted yield curve implies that: Long-term interest rates are lower than short-term interest rates.

What could happen to the global economy if the yield curve inverts? ›

An inverted yield curve can foreshadow a recession. The spread between 10-year and 2-year Treasury bonds is often seen as an important barometer. Since World War II, when this yield curve has inverted, the U.S. economy has entered a recession within the following 12 to 18 months.

Is the yield curve still inverted in 2024? ›

In late October 2022, the yield on the very short-term 3-month Treasury bill moved above that of the 10-year Treasury note, and that inversion continues today. Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury, as of April 25, 2024. The inversion today is flatter than it was during periods in 2023.

What is the longest the yield curve has been inverted? ›

The part of the Treasury yield curve that plots two-year and 10-year yields has been continuously inverted - meaning that short-term bonds yield more than longer ones - since early July 2022. That exceeds a record 624 day inversion in 1978, Deutsche Bank said in a note on Thursday.

Should you sell bonds when interest rates rise? ›

If bond yields rise, existing bonds lose value. The change in bond values only relates to a bond's price on the open market, meaning if the bond is sold before maturity, the seller will obtain a higher or lower price for the bond compared to its face value, depending on current interest rates.

Do we have an inverted yield curve right now? ›

Inverted Yield Curve

According to the current yield spread, the yield curve is now inverted.

What happens to yield curve when interest rates decrease? ›

When this happens, the curve becomes inverted. An inverted yield curve indicates that investors will tolerate low rates now if they believe rates are going to fall even lower later on. So, investors expect lower inflation rates, and interest rates, in the future.

How bad is an inverted yield curve? ›

1 Under normal circ*mstances, the yield curve is not inverted since debt with longer maturities typically carry higher interest rates than nearer-term ones. From an economic perspective, an inverted yield curve is a noteworthy and uncommon event because it suggests that the near-term is riskier than the long term.

What to do when the yield curve inverts? ›

Conclusion - What should investors do?
  1. Inverted yield curve and its implications notwithstanding, investors should stick to their financial goals and invest according to their financial plans. ...
  2. Asset allocation is the most important attribution factor in success of your financial goals.

What does an inverted yield curve implies that? ›

A negatively sloped – inverted – yield curve implies that investors expect interest rates to be lower in the future. This, in turn, implies that investment returns generally will be lower in the future. Lower returns lead to a decrease in investments that is associated with economic stagnation and deflation.

Should a yield curve influence a borrower's preferred maturity of a loan? ›

Yes. If there is an upward-sloping yield curve, then a borrower should pursue a short-term loan to capitalize on the lower annualized rate charged for a short-term period. The borrower can obtain a series of short-term loans rather than one loan to match the. desired maturity.

What is an inverted yield curve usually a good indicator of? ›

A 'negative' yield curve has typically been a harbinger of a recession.

What is an inverted yield curve generally considered to predict? ›

Understanding the yield curve: Why economists use it to predict recessions. The inverted yield curve has predicted nearly every recession in the past few decades.

Is an inverted yield curve the same as downward sloping? ›

An 'inverted' shape for the yield curve is where short-term yields are higher than long-term yields, so the yield curve slopes downward. An inverted yield curve might be observed when investors think it is more likely that the future policy interest rate will be lower than the current policy interest rate.

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