Are Low Interest Rates Saving You Money?

Thanks to historically low interest rates, many of us are saving more than $3,000 a year.  But, that's not the case for everyone. 

The Bureau of Economic Analysis finds that household interest payments fell to an average $469 per month at the end of 2011, down from a peak of $728 in 2007.  "Low interest rates have definitely helped those who were able to borrow money at those rates for new homes and cars and for those who were able to refinance their mortgages," said Maury Randall, Chairman of the Finance Department at Rider University. 

"But, part of the total drop in interest rates is due to the fact that debt levels are lower and several factors cause those debt levels to drop," said Randall.  "Some people have paid off a good part of their debt, so they have lower interest payments.  But, there are others who have lost their homes to foreclosure and have had to claim personal bankruptcy.  As a result, their debt is gone."