Mortgage rates are at record lows, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Interest on 30-year fixed loans fell from 4.54% last week to 4.49% this week. This week’s 15-year mortgage rate is 3.95%, down from 4% last week. Five-year adjustable-rate mortgages are at a new low of 3.63%, compared to 3.76% a week ago. One-year ARMs went from 3.64% last week to 3.55% this week.

Shares of MGIC Investment Corp., Radian Group Inc. and PMI Group Inc. rose on the prospect that pending legislation that would allow the Federal Housing Administration to increase the amount it charges homeowners for mortgage insurance, Bloomberg News reported. The bill passed the Senate and the House and is awaiting President Obama’s signature. Under the bill, the FHA would be able to charge 88 basis points on the average insurance premium, up from 52 basis points.

Reuters recently reported that mortgage bond prices have stabilized after rumors that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would forgive a portion of the mortgage debt of millions of underwater homeowners were just that: rumors. The Treasury Department said the Obama administration has no plans to order the two government-sponsored entities to provide any such debt easement for those who owe more than what their home is worth.

According to today’s MarketWatch article, Treasury prices went up, sending yields on two-year notes to a record low. Two-year Treasury yields fell three basis points to 0.51%. The decline in yields were attributed to a weak jobs report, in which only 71,000 jobs were created in July — below analysts’ expectations — and that the economy lost 131,000 jobs overall last month. There are hints the Fed may try to do something next week to boost the economy.

The Dow closed today down 21.42 points to 10,654 and Nasdaq lost 4.59 points to 2,288.