What higher yields may mean for you

Over the past three months, bonds have been very volatile. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, after remaining below 4.8% for nearly five years, spiked to over 5.3% in late June, but now has settled back below 4.7%.

What does this mean to you, the consumer? Ultimately, lower mortgage and other loan rates. And if you've held bonds, especially Treasuries, you've seen some nice appreciation. Stock market volatility in recent weeks has driven investors to the safety of bonds, boosting prices and depressing yields.