Today's Financial Rates

What today's numbers mean

The national average price of gas is $4.354 per gallon today, and crude oil is $96.24 a barrel. Fuel touches nearly every household budget, from commuting to groceries, so it is worth checking how much you spend each month. Oil prices also show up in the cost of nearly everything shipped by truck.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 7.4% this week, up from 7.28% a week ago. On a typical $400,000 loan, that means a noticeably higher monthly payment for the full 30 years. If you already have a fixed-rate mortgage, this week's move does not change your payment. The 15-year fixed rate is 6.73%.

Consumer prices are up 3.35% over the past year, and core inflation, which leaves out food and energy, is 2.45%. That matters for savings: if your account earns less than inflation, your money buys a little less each year. Checking the interest rate on your savings against this number is a simple way to see whether your money is keeping up. The Federal Reserve's benchmark rate is 3.88%.

I left out specific dollar payment amounts for the mortgage because the figures list doesn't include them, and the brief rules out numbers that aren't in the list. If you give me a payment figure you want to use, I can add it.