BOSTON (MarketWatch) — Greg McBride, senior financial analyst for BankRate.com, says that many would-be home buyers are about to be stripped of a misperception, namely the idea that when the Federal Reserve Board is cutting interest rates mortgage rates will fall as a result.

In a radio interview with Chuck Jaffe, MarketWatch senior columnist, McBride noted that the Fed is combating the economy, but some observers worry that its bigger-than-expected move might be opening the door to inflation, a concern which has pushed mortgage rates up slightly since the Fed’s most recent move.

According to BankRate.com, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage in the country currently carries a rate of 6.4%, which represents a reversal of course. The average mortgage rate had dropped below that level, to roughly 6.25%, in the two weeks leading up to the Fed announcement Sept. 18 that it was cutting the target for the federal funds rate to 4.75% from 5.25%.

McBride noted that the Fed’s rate cut is bad news for long-term savers, as rates on certificates of deposit maturing in two or more years have fallen, while short-term rates have remained steady. This erases any risk premium that a saver gets for tying up money for a longer stretch of time.

Listen to the interview with McBride.

MarketWatch senior columnist Chuck Jaffe hosts “Your Money” every weekday from 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Eastern on AM-1060, WBIX in Boston. The show features expert interviews on a wide range of financial topics, including regular chats with fund managers and investment advisers making stock or fund picks and pans.

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