WASHINGTON- 30-year fixed mortgage rates drop to 4.93% for the second straight week, showed by a report on Thursday, but still are above than the lower record of last years. 

This week, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage was recorded 4.93% that was 4.97% a week earlier, stated by Freddie Mac mortgage finance company.

In the beginning of December, a drop in the rates recorded to low of 4.71%, drooped in the response of government’s campaign to shrink the borrowing costs of consumer.

Mortgage rates were collected by Freddie Mac from Monday to Wednesday every week from the lenders of the whole country. Fluctuations occur on rates even on the same given day and often in line with Treasury bonds (long-term).

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No doubt, 30 year mortgage is the most popular type of home loans among people as it offers a fixed interest rate and monthly payments are lower. But due to the long term mortgage borrowers is required to pay off more interest over the loan life. These mortgages are the best options to purchase home through loans.

A fluctuation in the rates on the 30-year mortgages has been recorded as in comparison with the last year these rates are lower this year. Last year the average rates were about 5.16% where as the average rate this year is nearly 5%.

According to Freddie Mac fixed rate mortgages have faced a drastic downfall from the 4.04% to 4.34%. Likewise, this downfall was also recorded on five year adjustable rate mortgages from 4.27% to 4.19% before a week. While the rise in one year ARMs have been recorded from 4.22% to 4.33%.

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If we look into history of different countries we will find that different countries faced the financial crises at different times. As the world is facing now financial crisis now also, the question comes in mind that who are those who run this finance horse, what are the reasons which leads to financial crises? Or is there is someone who is holding all the strings and keep them pulling? So many questions come in mind when mind starts thinking about it.

Well I had searched about this and compiled these ten nasty crises. Check out these ten dramatic crises.

1 – Argentine economic crisis (1999 – 2002)

Argentinean economy was destabilized in 1980s when Latin American Crisis struck it. Argentine was an import dependent country where people usually convert their peso into dollars to feel secure. The high inflation rate leads its currency to lose the confidence and adding oil to fire the government that time spent generously on itself while ignoring the country’s crumbling industrial infrastructure.

Mexico and Brazil were the major trade partners of the Argentine in 1980s both countries suffered the economic crises which spread out in Latin America. Brazil’s currency was devalued in 1999 that damaged a lot Argentinean exports and adding fuel to fire the dollar was revalued giving a harsh blow to Argentinean Peso.

Till 1999 the country was having 3^rd consistent year of economic decline but the government haven’t devalued the peso, which made the crisis worse. In such conditions the investors ran on banks for dollars to send abroad for safety. Meanwhile the government freezes everyone’s bank accounts. This step of the government raised violence amongst citizens and protests through out country were started. The government was collapsed in 2001. While in crisis the people were bartering for goods because lack of cash, many people eked out a living by scavenging cardboard for recycling plants.

The new government 1^st tried to setup a third currency between dollar and peso but that failed. Then it instructed the banks to convert all dollars into pesos. That step worked and peso was lead to diminish in value. Because of that exports got higher and in meanwhile the government tightened its tax policies, improves social welfare, encourages business growth and put the reserve dollars up for sale in market. The country got the surplus trade because of its agricultural products anyhow its still struggling with inflation.

Lesson

Freezing bank accounts leads the crises to get worst. It can’t be a smart step to tackle the crisis.

2 – Russian Financial Crisis (1998)

The Russian government in 1993 introduced inflation-free short-term treasury bills known as GKOs to finance the country’s deficit. GKOs were traded on currency exchanges. Most of it was state owning while only 1/3 of funding came from foreign speculators who were attracted by high interest rates. Like a classic Ponzi scheme the government used proceeds from sales of new GKOs to payoff interest on matured bills.

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