Your only fixed rate equity loan news source! Click on each item to read full story.   Mortgage Rates Rise Slightly; Current 30-Year Fixed Rate is 4.78%, According to Zillow(R) Mortgage Rate Ticker (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance) read story The 30-year fixed mortgage rate on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace is currently 4.78 percent, up two basis points from 4.76 percent compared to this same time last week. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose and fell the past week with a Monday spike to 4.85 percent.   SLM Sells Debt at Higher Rate Than Students Pay: Credit Markets (Bloomberg) read story March 17 (Bloomberg) -- SLM Corp. , the largest U.S. student-loan company, raised $1.5 billion in the bond market, paying more than it charges some borrowers to begin addressing $11 billion of bonds maturing through next year.   SLM Sells Debt at Higher Rate Than Students Pay: Credit Markets (BusinessWeek) read story SLM Corp., the largest U.S. student-loan company, raised $1.5 billion in the bond market, paying more than it charges some borrowers to begin addressing $11 billion of bonds maturing through next year.   Refinance likely, thanks to equity cushion (Bankrate.com via Yahoo! Finance) read story Owning a first home free and clear should boost the odds of getting a refinance on a second home.   Credit Markets: Fed funds futures no crystal ball on rate hikes (Market Watch) read story Fed funds futures are often used as a window into when institutional investors expect the Federal Reserve to hike rates. But this little-understood market has weaknesses as a predictive tool, say traders.   Winners and losers if inflation skyrockets (Bankrate.com via Yahoo! Finance) read story A high inflation rate would hurt many Americans. But it might actually help others.   Convertibles Beat Bonds, S&P 500 as Sales Surge: Credit Markets (Bloomberg) read story March 17 (Bloomberg) -- Convertible bonds are returning more than the broader debt market and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index this year, prompting sales to double.   Martin Midstream Plans Debt Amid Boosted Sales: New Issue Alert (Bloomberg) read story March 17 (Bloomberg) -- Martin Midstream Partners LP , an operator of oil and natural gas pipelines and terminals along the Gulf of Mexico coast, is marketing bonds as companies increase the sizes of their debt sales to meet investor demand.   Birchcliff Energy Ltd. Announces Audited 2009 Financial Statements and Start-Up Operations Commence at Its Pouce Coupe ... (Marketwire) read story CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - March 17, 2010) - T   New mortgage rules leave homebuyers confused (National Post) read story Confused about Canada's new rules governing mortgages? Read on