Financial Indicators

LIBOR and the Prime Rate are two indicators upon which lenders base interest rates for—among other things—private student loans.

LIBOR 3-Month Rates


U.S. Prime Lending Rate

LIBOR, or the London Interbank Offered Rate, is the average interest rate between banks in the London interbank market. LIBOR is a widely used short-term interest rate benchmark since it is designed to reflect the cost of borrowing between some of the world's largest, most reputable banks.The Prime Rate is the base rate that banks use in pricing commercial loans to their best creditworthy customers. This rate is posted by a majority of top 25 (by assets in domestic offices) insured U.S.-chartered commercial banks. This rate is affected by the Federal Reserve's decision to raise or lower prevailing interest rates for short-term borrowing.