Should you refinance your mortgage in light of the Fed's rate cuts? Here's why holding off until the new year could work to your benefit.

Mortgage costs are rising - with the average rate on a two-year fixed deal now at 5.5% - despite a recent cut in interest rates. A string of lenders, including Barclays, HSBC, NatWest and Nationwide, have increased the rates charged on new fixed deals in recent days.

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.25% on November 7. More interest rate cuts are likely through the end of 2026.

Mortgage rates, in particular, surged last year to their highest level since 2000 but have since come down alongside inflation. But it's been a bumpy ride back to the bottom in recent weeks. What, then, does this latest Fed rate cut mean for mortgage interest rates? That's what we'll break down below.

Fed watchers see a greater chance the central bank may skip a rate cut at its last meeting of the year in December.

By Howard Schneider WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Strong U.S. economic and inflation data continue to reshape the debate among Federal Reserve policymakers over the pace and extent of interest rate cuts as investors on Friday further downgraded their expectations for a rate reduction at the central bank's December meeting.

Bond traders are giving only slightly better-than-even odds to an interest-rate cut next month as resilient economic data empowers Federal Reserve officials to take a more cautious approach to easing.